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Effects of biochar on aggregate characteristics of upland red soil in subtropical China

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Abstract

Soil aggregation is one of the key properties affecting the productivity of soils and the environmental side effects of agricultural soils. In this study, we aimed to identify whether biochar could be used to improve aggregate stability. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar application (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t ha−1) on aggregate characteristics of upland red soil under a rapeseed–sweet potato rotation in subtropical China. Percentage of aggregate destruction (PAD0.25), mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD) and fractal characteristics of soil aggregates were measured using both wet and dry sieving methods. Results showed that applying biochar significantly decreased the percentage of aggregate destruction and soil fractal dimension and increased the MWD and GMD. The optimal amelioration was observed when biochar was applied at a rate of 40 t ha−1. The decline of the fractal dimension of dry aggregates was 2–9 times as much as that of water-stable aggregates in the 0–15 soil layer and 1–4 times in the 15–30 cm soil layer. These results suggested that biochar could improve the resistance of aggregates to stresses and provide scientific strategies for the agricultural production.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Christopher Ogden for his checking of the English language and comments on this paper. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016 YFD 0200305), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (No. SBK 2015040286), and a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

      Qiuxia Li, Zewen Jin, Xiaomin Chen & Yan Jing

    2. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

      Jiabao Zhang

    3. Red Soil Institute, Jinxian, 331717, Jiangxi, China

      Qianru Huang

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    1. Qiuxia Li
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    Correspondence to Xiaomin Chen.

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    Qiuxia Li and Zewen Jin have contributed equally.

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    Li, Q., Jin, Z., Chen, X. et al. Effects of biochar on aggregate characteristics of upland red soil in subtropical China. Environ Earth Sci 76, 372 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6703-9

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