Abstract
Biochars are produced by low-oxygen gasification or pyrolysis of organic waste products, and can be co-produced with energy, achieving waste diversion and delivering a soil amendment that can improve agricultural yields. Although many studies have reported the agronomic benefits of biochars produced from pyrolysis, few have interrogated the ability of gasified biochars to improve crop productivity. An earlier study described the ability of a biochar that was derived from gasified Kentucky bluegrass (KB) seed screenings to impact the chemistry of acidic agricultural soils. However, that study did not measure the effects of the biochar amendment on plant growth or on nutrient acquisition. To quantify these effects we conducted a greenhouse study that evaluated wheat grown in agricultural soils amended with either the KB-based biochar or a biochar derived from a blend of woody mixed-waste. Our studies indicated that biochar amended soils promoted the growth of wheat in these agricultural alfisols. Our elemental analysis indicated that an attenuation of metal toxicity was likely responsible for the increased plant growth. The results of our study are placed in the context of our previous studies that characterized KB-sourced biochar and its effects on soil chemistry.
Highlights
The thermo conversion of crop residues has the potential to generate value-added agricultural income from the production of on-farm energy, the capture of process heat, and biochar production [1,2]
Because studies regarding the effect of gasified herbaceous source materials on plants and soils have only occasionally been reported, and because gasified biochar has a strong effect on soils [4], we were interested in determining the effect of gasified herbaceous source material on plant nutritional status
Biochar sourced from Kentucky bluegrass (KB) seed screenings did not impact root growth in either soil series
Summary
The thermo conversion of crop residues has the potential to generate value-added agricultural income from the production of on-farm energy, the capture of process heat, and biochar production [1,2]. The agricultural benefits of biochar are difficult to predict because highly variable production methods often result in radically different physiochemical properties, which in turn impact the ability of a biochar to amend soil conditions [4]. This complexity has led to a proliferation of biochar characterization studies, generalizable principles and agronomic recommendations have been slow to emerge. Thermo conversion of crop residues occurs either by pyrolysis, an anerobic combustion process that occurs at temperatures below 700 °C, or gasification, a process that occurs in the presence of controlled oxygen concentrations at higher temperatures [5]. Because studies regarding the effect of gasified herbaceous source materials on plants and soils have only occasionally been reported, and because gasified biochar has a strong effect on soils [4], we were interested in determining the effect of gasified herbaceous source material on plant nutritional status
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