Abstract
This paper focuses on the agronomic evaluation of a synthetic NPK (N in the form of urea, P and K in the form of phosphate monopotassium) fertilizers blended with four types of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood biochar prepared at different thermal regimes (300 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C and 700 °C). The evaluation of benefits was done based on crop nutritional status and soil fertility. The pot experiment was set up with fertile Haplic Luvisol fertilized with 1.85 g kg−1 of blends of biochar (1.25 g) with urea (310 mg) and KH2PO4 (290 mg), which is equivalent to 500 kg ha−1 (biochar ~67.6%; N ~7.8%; P ~3.6%; K ~4.7%) applied before sowing. Only NPK blends made with biochar containing 75% or 85% carbon increased the biomass of 27-day old wheat seedlings from 12% to 20% in comparison to NPK applied alone. These blends raised the content of Mn and Fe in plants but decreased the contents of Ca and Mg. All the tested mixtures enhanced soil fertility by increasing the content of humic acids. Additionally, the content of potentially phytotoxic phenolic compounds was lower. In general, the addition of biochar to NPK fertilizer did not show a negative effect on crop quality. The overall results of the study suggest that the application of low doses of biochar to synthetic fertilizer can benefit crops and can support soil fertility.
Highlights
The application of different forms of organic material is a well-known, traditional strategy used to recover soil fertility by replenishing soil organic matter (SOM), and stimulating the development, resistance, and nutrient profile of plants
After 5 days, the emergence capacities in the control soil without fertilization (CON) and with mineral fertilization (NPK) ranged from 84.3% to 87.8% and were significantly lower than in all the examined variants with biochar, in which the emergence capacity ranged from 93.3% to 94.4%
The application of NPK fertilization alone or with the four tested types of biochar significantly improved the yield of the fresh and dry biomass of seedlings in comparison to the control plants grown in unfertilized soil (Figure 1A,B)
Summary
The application of different forms of organic material is a well-known, traditional strategy used to recover soil fertility by replenishing soil organic matter (SOM), and stimulating the development, resistance, and nutrient profile (ionome) of plants. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1903 biochar (BC), the product of pyrolysis of organic materials in a low or no oxygen environment Applying biochar at high doses can improve soil fertility in different climate zones. The yield-stimulating effect of biochar is especially beneficial for crop production in the low-nutrient, acidic soils in the tropics [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. A high proportion of biochar can increase soil water retention [11] This effect has especially been seen in sandy soil enriched with biochar prepared at higher pyrolysis temperatures due to its high surface area [12,13] and indirectly via subsequent increases in organic carbon (C)
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