Can rice and wheat biochar amendment protect the carbon loss from tropical soils—An experimental study

Abstract

Crop residue burning is a major environmental issue and their potential long‐term impact on the climate is a global concern. A laboratory experiment was carried out to study the impact of biochar on carbon loss from tropical soils. Residues of two important foodgrain crops viz, rice and wheat were used to prepare respective biochar and added as amendments in two different tropical agricultural soils (red and alluvial). In general carbon loss was more from alluvial soil than red soil. In alluvial soil, carbon loss was more when biochars were applied along with N fertilizer (urea) than biochar alone. Increasing rate of application of rice biochar without urea showed potential carbon protection in alluvial soil. Interestingly, unlike rest of the treatments, carbon loss was more in red soil when wheat biochar was applied without urea than with it. While physicochemical characteristics of biochars play crucial role in carbon protection, the intrinsic nature and properties of soil largely regulates it. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 183–188, 2016