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Biochar and sugar cane filter cake interaction on physical and hydrological soil properties under tropical field conditions

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Abstract

Biochar is known for its effects on carbon sequestration and soil fertility. However, there is a lack of information about its effects on soil physical and hydraulic properties for tropical soils. We assessed the effects of biochar (BC) plus sugar cane filter cake (FC) rate, and time of interaction on soil physical and hydraulic properties under humid tropical conditions. For this purpose, a field experiment was installed at a loamy sandy soil with five treatments and four replicates: control (only soil), 25 Mg ha−1 sugar cane filter cake, and 25 Mg ha−1 sugar cane filter cake plus 6.25, 12.5, and 25 Mg ha−1Miscanthus biochar, respectively, two soil depths (0–10 and 10–20 cm) and two times of interaction (9 and 18 months). Physical properties (aggregate stability, bulk density, total porosity, pores size distribution) and hydraulic properties (soil water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, plant-available water holding capacity) were measured after nine and eighteen months. The bulk density decreased slightly, and the porosity increased after nine months, for the biochar plus sugar cane filter cake (both 25 Mg ha−1). After 18 months, biochar plus filter cake interaction increase micropores, aggregate stability, and plant-available water content. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was not influenced by sugar cane filter cake. However, biochar significantly reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity when combined with sugar cane filter cake after 18 months. We concluded that sugar cane filter cake in combination with biochar modified the pore size distribution, slightly increased plant-available water holding capacity, and significantly decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by CNPq (process number 404150/2013-6) and partially developed in University of Sao Paulo Brazil and in the Martin Luther University Halle (Saale), Germany and Fellowship were supported by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil and Plant Nutrition, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11–Agronomia, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Sara de Jesus Duarte & Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri

  2. Soil Biogeochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120, Halle, Germany

    Bruno Glaser

  3. Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F., Mexico

    Blanca Lucia Prado Pano

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  1. Sara de Jesus Duarte
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  2. Bruno Glaser
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  4. Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri
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SJD was responsible for conducting experiments, wrote a draft of the manuscript and contributed the statistical analysis; BG contributed to the discussion of results and improved the manuscript; and CEPC contributed to the experimental design and conducting the experiment.

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Correspondence to Sara de Jesus Duarte.

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de Jesus Duarte, S., Glaser, B., Pano, B.L.P. et al. Biochar and sugar cane filter cake interaction on physical and hydrological soil properties under tropical field conditions. Biochar 2, 195–210 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-020-00045-3

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