Effect of biochar on the presence of nutrients and ryegrass growth in the soil from an abandoned indigenous coking site: The potential role of biochar in the revegetation of contaminated site

Abstract

Little is known regarding how biochars' feedstock and pyrolysis temperature affect soil function and plant growth. To address this gap in knowledge, 12 biochars (walnut shells, corn cobs, corn straws, and rice straws were separately pyrolyzed at 250, 400, and 600°C for 4h) were applied to soil from an indigenous coking site with application rate of 2.5% (w/w) in a pot experiment to determine the impact of biochar types on macro-nutrients (total and available N, P, and K) and ryegrass growth in the soil from an indigenous coking site. Generally, the total N, P, and K in the soil was not significantly different from that of the control group. However, biochars decreased the available N from 21.76mg·kg−1 for the control to 14.96mg·kg−1. Corn straw and rice straw biochars increased the available P from 2.14mg·kg−1 for the control to 28.35mg·kg−1, specifically at higher pyrolysis temperature, while walnut shell and corn cob biochars had little influence on it regardless of pyrolysis temperature. Biochars increased the available K from 173.58mg·kg−1 for the control to 355.64mg·kg−1, varying as their feedstocks of corn cob>rice straw>corn straw>walnut shell and increasing with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. Correlation analysis suggests that it is responsible for the competition of soluble cations from biochars with K for adsorption sites on the soil surface. Biochars increased the ryegrass biomass from 0.07g·pot−1 for the control to 0.16g·pot−1, with the generally most effective stimulation by biochars produced at 400°C. Ryegrass biomass had obviously positive correlation with available K, indicating its essential role in the growth of ryegrass in the studied soil.