Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of biochar addition on N2O and CO2 emissions from two paddy soils

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Impacts of biochar addition on nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from paddy soils are not well documented. Here, we have hypothesized that N2O emissions from paddy soils could be depressed by biochar incorporation during the upland crop season without any effect on CO2 emissions. Therefore, we have carried out the 60-day aerobic incubation experiment to investigate the influences of rice husk biochar incorporation (50 t ha−1) into two typical paddy soils with or without nitrogen (N) fertilizer on N2O and CO2 evolution from soil. Biochar addition significantly decreased N2O emissions during the 60-day period by 73.1% as an average value while the inhibition ranged from 51.4% to 93.5% (P < 0.05–0.01) in terms of cumulative emissions. Significant interactions were observed between biochar, N fertilizer, and soil type indicating that the effect of biochar addition on N2O emissions was influenced by soil type. Moreover, biochar addition did not increase CO2 emissions from both paddy soils (P > 0.05) in terms of cumulative emissions. Therefore, biochar can be added to paddy fields during the upland crop growing season to mitigate N2O evolution and thus global warming.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson JPE, Domsch KH (1978) A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 10:215–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asada T, Ohkubo T, Kawata K, Oikawa K (2006) Ammonia adsorption on bamboo charcoal with acid treatment. J Health Sci 52:585–589

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baggs EM, Smales CL, Bateman EJ (2010) Changing pH shifts the microbial source as well as the magitude of N2O emission from soil. Bio Fertil Soils 46:793–805

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beare M, Gregorich E, St-Georges P (2009) Compaction effects on CO2 and N2O production during drying and rewetting of soil. Soil Biol Biochem 41:611–621

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouwman AF (1996) Direct emission of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 46:53–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan KY, Van Zwieten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Joseph S (2007) Agronomic values of greenwaste biochar as a soil amendment. Aust J Soil Res 45:629–634

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan KY, Van Zwieten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Joseph S (2008) Using poultry litter biochars as soil amendments. Aust J Soil Res 46:437–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clough T, Bertram J, Ray J, Condron L, O'Callaghan M, Sherlock R, Wells N (2010) Unweathered wood biochar impact on nitrous oxide emissions from a bovine-urine-amended pasture soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 74:852–860

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy) (2001) Chinese soil taxonomy. Science Press, Beijing, New York, pp 1–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Czimczik CI, Masiello CA (2007) Controls on black carbon storage in soils. Glob Biogeochem Cycl 21:GB3005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLuca TH, MacKenzie MD, Gundale MJ, Holben WE (2006) Wildfire-produced charcoal directly influences nitrogen cycling in Ponderosa Pine forests. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:448–453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EA, Swank WT, Perry TO (1986) Distinguishing between nitrification and denitrification as sources of gaseous nitrogen production in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 52:1280–1286

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ekblad A, Högberg P (2000) Analysis of δ13C of CO2 distinguishes between microbial respiration of added C4-sucrose and other soil respiration in a C3-ecosystem. Plant Soil 219:197–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forster P, Ramaswamy V, Artaxo P, Berntsen T, Betts R, Fahey DW, Haywood J, Lean J, Lowe DC, Myhre G, Nganga J, Prinn RG, Raga G, Schulz M, Van Dorland R (2007) Changes in atmospheric constituents and in radiative forcing. In: Solomon S, Qin D, Manning M, Chen Z, Marquis M, Averyt KB, Tignor M, Miller HL (eds) Climate change 2007: The physical basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 129–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W (2002) Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal—a review. Biol Fertil Soils 35:219–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong W, Yan X, Wang J, Hu T, Gong Y (2009) Long-term manuring and fertilization effects on soil organic carbon pools under a wheat–maize cropping system in North China Plain. Plant Soil 149:318–324

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gouveia GA, Eudoxie GD (2007) Distribution of fertiliser N among fixed ammonium fractions as affected by mositure and fertiliser source and rate. Bio Fertil Soils 44:9–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo JH, Liu XJ, Zhang Y, Shen JL, Han WX, Zhang WF, Christie P, Goulding KWT, Vitousek PM, Zhang FS (2010) Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands. Science 327:1008–1010

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heffer P (2009) Assessment of fertilizer use by crop at the global level: 2006/07–2007/08. International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris, France

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Zou JW, Zheng XH, Wang YS, Xu XK (2004) Nitrous oxide emissions as influenced by amendment of plant residues with different C:N ratios. Soil Biol Biochem 36:973–981

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Knoblauch C, Maarifat A-A, Pfeiffer E-M, Haefele SM (2010) Degradability of black carbon and its impact on trace gas fluxes and carbon turnover in paddy soils. Soil Biol Biochem. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.07.012

  • Lehmann J, Gaunt J, Rondon M (2006) Bio-char sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems—a review. Mitig Adapt Strategies Glob Chang 11:395–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J (2007a) A handful of carbon. Nature 447:143–144

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J (2007b) Bio-energy in the black. Front Ecol Environ 5:381–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann J, Lan Z, Hyland C, Sato S, Solomon D, Ketterings Q (2005) Long-term dynamics of phosphorus forms and retention in manure-amended soils. Environ Sci Technol 39:6672–6680

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang B, Lehmann J, Solomon D, Kinyangi J, Grossman J, O'Neill B, Skjemstad JO, Thies J, Luizão FJ, Petersen J, Neves EG (2006) Black carbon increases cation exchanges capacity in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 70:1719–1730

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Major J, Lehmann J, Rondon M, Goodale C (2010) Fate of soil-applied black carbon: downward migration, leaching and soil respiration. Glob Chang Biol 16:1366–1379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mizuta K, Matsumoto T, Hatate Y, Nishihara K, Nakanishi T (2004) Removal of nitrate-nitrogen from drinking water using bamboo powder charcoal. Bioresour Technol 95:255–257

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mosier AR, Duxbury JM, Freney JR, Heinemeyer O, Minami K (1998) Assessing and mitigating N2O emissions from agricultural soils. Climat Chang 40:7–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nieder R, Benbi DK, Scherer HW (2011) Fixation and defixation of ammonium in soils: a review. Biol Fertil Soils 47:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Novak JM, Busscher WJ, Watts DW, Laird DA, Ahmedna MA, Niandou MAS (2010) Short-term CO2 mineralization after additions of biochar and switchgrass to a Typic Kandiudult. Geoderma 154:281–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oguntunde PG, Fosu M, Ajayi AE, van de Giesen N (2004) Effects of charcoal production on maize yield, chemical properties and texture of soil. Bio Fertil Soils 39:295–299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rondon M, Ramirez JA, and Lehmann J (2005) Charcoal additions reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. In: Proceedings of the 3rd USDA Symposium on Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture and Forestry, Baltimore, MD. 21–24 Mar, University of Delaware, USA, pp. 208

  • Rondon M, Lehmann J, Ramírez J, Hurtado M (2007) Biological nitrogen fixation by common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) increases with bio-char additions. Biol Fertil Soils 43:699–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh BP, Hatton BJ, Singh B, Cowie AL, Kathuria A (2010) Influence of biochars on nitrous oxide emission and nitrogen leaching from two contrasting soils. J Environ Qual 39:1224–1235

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JL, Collins HP, Bailey VL (2010) The effect of young biochar on soil respiration. Soil Biol Biochem 42:2345–2347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith P, Martino D, Cai ZC, Gwary D, Janzen H, Kumar P, McCarl B, Ogle S, O’Mara F, Rice C, Scholes B, Sirotenko O (2007) Agriculture. In: Metz B, Davidson OR, Bosch PR, Dave R, Meyer LA (eds) Climate change 2007: mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp 498–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparks DL, Page AL, Helmke PA, Loeppert RH, Soltanpour PN, Tabatai MA, Johnson CT, Sumner ME (1996) Methods of soil analysis: part 3—chemical methods. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner C, Teixeira W, Lehmann J, Nehls T, de Macêdo J, Blum W, Zech W (2007) Long term effects of manure, charcoal and mineral fertilization on crop production and fertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil. Plant Soil 291:275–290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tans P (2009) Recent monthly CO2 at Mauna Loa. Available at www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/index.html#mlo. Accessed 1 May 2009; verified 13 Feb. 2010. Natl Oceanic Atmos Admin Earth Syst Res Lab, Boulder, CO

  • Tilman D, Cassman KG, Matson PA, Naylor R, Polasky S (2002) Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature 418:671–677

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Topoliantz S, Ponge J-F, Arrouays D, Ballof S, Lavelle P (2002) Effect of organic manure and the endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Oligochaeta: Glossoscolecidae) on soil fertility and bean production. Biol Fertil Soils 36:313–319

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Morris S, Downie A, Berger E, Rust J, Scheer C (2010) Influence of biochars on flux of N2O and CO2 from ferrosol. Aust J Soil Res 48:555–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vigil MF, Kissel DE (1991) Equations for estimating the amount of nitrogen mineralized from crop residues. Soil Sci Soc Am J 55:757–761

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Meteorological Organization (2009) The state of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere using global observations through 2008. WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiong ZQ, Xing GX, Zhu ZL (2007) Nitrous oxide and methane emissions as affected by water, soil and nitrogen. Pedosphere 17:146–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiong ZQ, Xing GX, Tsuruta H, Shen GY, Shi SL, Du LJ (2002) Measurement of nitrous oxide emissions from two rice-based cropping systems in China. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 64:125–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu YB, Cai ZC (2007) Denitrification characteristics of subtropical soils in China affected by soil parent material and land use. Euro J Soil Sci 58:1293–1303

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan X, Yagi K, Akiyama H, Akimoto H (2005) Statistical analysis of the major variables controlling methane emission from rice fields. Glob Chang Biol 11:1131–1141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yanai Y, Toyota K, Okazaki M (2007) Effects of charcoal addition on N2O emissions from soil resulting from rewetting air-dried soil in short-term laboratory experiments. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 53:181–188

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang AF, Cui LQ, Pan GX, Li LQ, Hussain Q, Zhang XH, Zheng JW, Crowley D (2010) Effect of biochar amendment on yield and methane and nitrous oxide emissions from a rice paddy from Tai Lake plain, China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 139:469–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng XH, Han SH, Huang Y, Wang YS, Wang MX (2004) Re-quantifying the emission factors based on field measurements and estimating the direct N2O emission from Chinese croplands. Glob Biogeochem Cycl 18:GB2018

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We greatly thank Professor Paolo Nannipieri and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and critical evaluation on this manuscript. This work was jointly supported by the National Science Foundation of China (40971139), the Program for New Century Excellent Talent in Universities (NCET-10-0475), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (KYZ201110), the Nonprofit Research Foundation for Agriculture (200903003), the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB118603), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and the Nanjing Science and Technology Bureau (200901063).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Agriculture and GHGs Mitigation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Jinyang Wang, Man Zhang, Zhengqin Xiong, Pingli Liu & Genxing Pan

Authors
  1. Jinyang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Man Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhengqin Xiong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pingli Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Genxing Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhengqin Xiong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, J., Zhang, M., Xiong, Z. et al. Effects of biochar addition on N2O and CO2 emissions from two paddy soils. Biol Fertil Soils 47, 887–896 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0595-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0595-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation