Effect of Biochar and Poultry Litter Application on Chemical Properties and Nutrient Availability of an Acidic Soil

Abstract

ABSTRACT Acidic soils are susceptible to nutrient insufficiencies and imbalances. Combined application of biochar and other organic amendments is a renowned strategy for ameliorating acid soils and enhancing soil fertility. The incubation experiment investigated the effect of biochar and poultry litter on chemical properties and nutrients availability of acidic soil. 400 g of soil was thoroughly mixed with the following treatments: corn straw biochar at the rate equivalent to 15 t/ha (B15), 30 t/ha (B30), poultry litter at the rate equivalent to 10 t/ha (PL), poultry litter plus biochar at 15 t/ha (PL+ B15), poultry litter plus biochar at 30 t/ha (PL + B30) with the control (CK) to represent, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6, respectively. These were incubated in a climate box at 25°C and 80% field capacity for 90 days. Soils were sampled destructively at 30, 60, and 90 days for analysis. Results showed that combined application of biochar and poultry litter increased concentrations of % total organic carbon (% TOC), % organic matter (% OM), electrical conductivity (EC), % total nitrogen (% TN), Phosphorus (P), reduced Iron (Fe) concentrations, and carbon to nitrogen (C: N) ratio. Poultry litter enhanced exchangeable acidity, pH, effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC), and exchangeable cations except for Potassium (K), biochar alone reduced zinc (Zn) concentration. In conclusion, the combined application of poultry litter and biochar could effectively ameliorate acidic soil, enhance soil fertility, and maintain good soil health.