Biochar made from chicken manure - a fertilizer that can ensure the carbon neutrality of agricultural soils in conditions of elevated temperatures

Abstract

Amendment of soil with biochar instead of mineral or organic fertilizers might be one of techniques wich reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The effect of biochar based on chicken manure on the biomass and respiratory activity of agricultural soil microorganisms was evaluated in lab conditions at normal (average climatic norm for the vegetation season in central Russia, 15 °C) and elevated (25 and 35 °C) temperatures. It was shown that the introduction of 10% biochar by mass did not lead to an increase emission of CO2 from the soil relative to the control at 15 °C for 60 days of the experiment. An increase in temperature caused an increase in carbon dioxide emissions from the control soil by 35% and 91% and a decrease in moisture by 24% and 42% at 25 and 35°C, respectively. Microbial biomass increased in the control soil by 32% at 25°C and decreased by 34% at 35°C. Soil amendment with biochar led to the leveling of the effect of elevated temperatures on all three parameters. Thus, biochar made from chicken manure allowed one of the characteristics of soil fertility to be preserved and did not lead to the loss of greenhouse gases.