Biochar DOM for plant promotion but not residual biochar for metal immobilization depended on pyrolysis temperature

Abstract

While biochar on metal immobilization was well understood, a small pool of dissolvable organic matter (DOM) from biochar was recently recognized as a bioactive agent for plant growth promotion. However, how the molecular composition and plant effects of this fraction and the performance for metal immobilization of the DOM-removed biochar could vary with pyrolysis temperature had been not well addressed. In this study, wheat straw biochar pyrolyzed at a temperature of 350 °C, 450 °C, 550 °C were extracted with hot water to separate the DOM fraction. The obtained biochar extracts (BE350, BE450, and BE550) were tested as foliar amendment to Chinese cabbage while the extracted (DOM-removed) biochars were tested for heavy metal immobilization in a contaminated soil. The results showed that BE350 was higher in organic matter content, abundance of organic molecules and mineral nutrients than BE450 and BE550. Compared to control, foliar application of BE350 significantly enhanced the shoot biomass (by 89%), increased leaf soluble sugar content (by 83%) but reduced leaf content of nitrate (by 34%) and of potential toxic metals (by 49% for Cd and by 30% for Pb). Moreover, BE350 treatment increased gene expression of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase enzyme activity of the tested plant. Meanwhile, soil amendment of DOM-extracted biochars significantly decreased soil CaCl2 extractable pool of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in a range of 27%–78%. Thus, the performance of DOM extract of biochar on plant growth promotion was indeed dependent of pyrolysis temperature, being greater at 350 °C than at higher temperatures. In contrast, metal immobilizing capacity of biochar was regardless of pyrolysis temperature and DOM removal. Therefore, pyrolyzing wheat straw at low temperature could produce a biochar for valorized separation of a significant DOM pool for use in vegetable production, leaving the residual biochar for amendment to metal contaminated soil.