10-Years Studies of the Soil Physical Condition after One-Time Biochar Application
1
Institute of Soil Science, Environment Engineering and Management, University of Life Sciences, Leszczyńskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin, Poland
2
Department of Herbology and Plant Cultivation Techniques, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2020, 10(10), 1589; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101589
Received: 17 September 2020 / Revised: 8 October 2020 / Accepted: 13 October 2020 / Published: 16 October 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Biochar and Compost on Soil Quality and Crop Yield)
The ten-year experiment on the soil physical properties of biochar-amended Podzol was studied. Biochar was applied to the soil in the following rates: treatment BC10—10 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC20—20 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC30—30 Mg × ha−1 and treatment BC0—Control (soil without the addition of biochar). Biochar was mixed the soil arable layer (0–20 cm). Soil samples were collected ten times, once a year—after harvest rye. They were taken from layers: 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, in six replicates, using 100 cm3 metal cylinders. The soil physical properties were determined: particle size distribution, particle density, bulk density, total porosity, air capacity and permeability (at −15.5 kPa), water content at sampling, field water capacity (at −15.5 kPa), available and unavailable water content, and the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was calculated. It was found that biochar application causes changes in the soil physical condition. The soil density decreased, while the porosity, aeration and water retention increased; the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was favorable. These changes cannot be considered as permanent. Most of the analyzed properties showed a durability of no more than 3–4 years. We found that biochar incorporation into soil is a good method for environmental management of waste biomass.
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Keywords:
Podzols; waste wheat straw; biochar; bulk density; total porosity; air capacity; air permeability; soil moisture; field water capacity; available water content
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MDPI and ACS Style
Pranagal, J.; Kraska, P. 10-Years Studies of the Soil Physical Condition after One-Time Biochar Application. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1589. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101589
AMA Style
Pranagal J, Kraska P. 10-Years Studies of the Soil Physical Condition after One-Time Biochar Application. Agronomy. 2020; 10(10):1589. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101589
Chicago/Turabian StylePranagal, Jacek; Kraska, Piotr. 2020. "10-Years Studies of the Soil Physical Condition after One-Time Biochar Application" Agronomy 10, no. 10: 1589. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101589
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