Impact of Biochar on Soil Temperature

Biochar application to agricultural soil is a new management strategy for its potential role in soil quality improvements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar derived from coffee husk and corn cob produced at 350 and 500°C pyrolysis temperature on soil quality characteristics. The produced biochars were applied at rates of 0, 5, 10, 15t ha and mixed with acidic soil then incubated in laboratory for 1 three months at ambient temperature. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications. Results indicated a significant increase in soil pH, OM, OC, TN, available P, CEC and basic cations when compared with control. The highest values were recorded when CHB500 applied at a rate of 15 t ha. In summary, the results of this study highlight biochars improved the quality of soil, with benefit 1 to agriculture.

Soil and Tillage Research, 2016

There is sparse peer-reviewed literature on the biochar effects on the thermal properties of soils although they play an important role in the soil energy balance and resulting temperature distribution. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of biochar from wood off cuts on the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, albedo, water content, and bulk density of loess soil under grassland (G) and fallow (F) in the temperate climate of Poland. The biochar at an amount of 0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg ha À1 was incorporated to a depth of 0-15 cm under F and remained on the surface under G. All field measurements were done on 24 occasions from spring to autumn in 2013-2014. Additional laboratory measurements of the thermal properties in water saturated (Wet) and dry (Dry) states. Incorporation of biochar under the F led to reduced soil bulk density and particle density from 1.18-1.20 Mg m À3 and 2.48-2.55 Mg m À3 under F0 and F10 to 1.00 Mg m À3 and 2.20 Mg m À3 under F30, respectively. The field measured average water contents were greater under F while the minimum ones were lower in biocharamended than control soil without biochar. In general, the average thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity and values of thermal conductivity at the saturation and dry state under F in general decreased with the increasing biochar application rate. After biochar addition, the albedo decreased with the increasing biochar application rate and was considerably greater under F than G. After rain, there was substantial reduction of the albedo under F in contrast to G, where it was increased. Changes in the soil thermal properties in response to biochar application were most pronounced under F and those in albedo under G. Irrespective of the biochar application rate, the average thermal conductivity and water content were greater under G than F. The daily soil temperature amplitude in biochar amended plots decreased under G and increased under F. The use of the statistical-physical model showed that the rate of the increase in the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity with increasing soil water content was greater in soil with greater rather than lower bulk density. The relatively wide range of variations suggests that biochar application can be an important factor in regulation of the thermal soil properties and albedo as well as climate change. 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2015

Temperature sensitivity of biochar-C in soils is not well understood. To acquire this information, we incubated two ı 13 C-depleted (−36.3 or −36.5‰) wood biochars produced at 450 and 550 • C, under controlled laboratory conditions at 20, 40 and 60 • C in four contrasting soils (Inceptisol, Entisol, Oxisol and Vertisol). The respired CO 2 and associated ı 13 C were analysed periodically (12-22 times) over two years. The temperature sensitivity of biochar-C and native SOC mineralisation was computed as: (i) averaged Q 10 (Q 10a ) for the whole (2-year) time series using a temperature-incorporated mineralisation model to estimate a temperature scaling function for the exponential Q 10 model; (ii) instantaneous Q 10 (Q 10i ) by using a time series of C mineralisation rates for a simple Q 10 model; and (iii) cumulative Q 10 (Q 10c ) by using cumulative C mineralised over certain incubation periods for a simple Q 10 model.

2018

Biochar may be added to soils with the goal to improve the soil properties and relocate an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers, and sequester carbon. Biochar stability is critical to quantifying the impact of biochar amendments on net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere, it is not sufficient. Biochar production and incorporation in soil must play a role in climate change mitigation. The need for further clarity on optimizing biochar application to various crop yields is necessary if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a soil amendment. There is urgent need to intensify agricultural production to secure food supply for the increasing population especially in developing country like India of the tropics. But, the organic matter is mineralized at a faster rate due to high temperature (32-44 C) throughout the year except in winter season. Biochar proponents have placed on biochar stability in soil and it also includes increased soil fertility and water h...

Agricultural Reviews, 2022

Biochar has been recently proposed as a management strategy to improve crop productivity and global warming mitigation. Biochar may be added to soils with the goal to improve the soil properties and relocate an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers and sequester carbon. Biochar production and incorporation in soil must play a role in climate change mitigation. The need for further clarity on optimizing biochar application to various crop yields is necessary if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a soil amendment. There is urgent need to intensify agricultural production to secure food supply for the ever increasing population especially in developing country like India of the tropics. Biochar proponents have placed on biochar stability in soil and it also includes increased soil fertility and water holding capacity, increased crop production and remediation of contaminated soils. The biochar have potential to feasibly and sustainably sequester/offset over 1 Pg of C...

Revista de Chimie, 2018

In the present paper are presented the experimental results of biomass gasification, the biochair was produced from vineyards by controlled pyrolysis at 750 �C, in order to increase the fertility of soils, it was found the increase of the fertility produced by the development of the vegetables in the soil to which was added biochar. Soil was added to soil 4 g/dm3 biochar, 8 g/dm3 biochar, the soil had no high humidity, was taken at a time when it had not rained for at least one week, the soil pH was 8, in the soil with 8 g/dm3 biochar the plants increased compared to the soil with 4 g/dm3 and the soil without biochar. The biochar resulting from pyrolysis and gasification processes is a valuable amendment to agricultural soils and an efficient and economical way to seize carbon. Using biochar it is possible to increase the diversity of agricultural land in an environmentally sound way in areas with depleted soils, limited organic resources and insufficient water for development. Help...

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 2019

Biochar is a carbonized, stable product obtained by pyrolysis. Due to its structure, chemical composition and characteristics biochar can change soil properties over a long period. To study the effect of woody biochar on loamy sand Spodosol, a small-scale field experiment was conducted. Following treatments were used in the experiment: soil-control, soil with biochar at a rate of 5 t ha-1 , soil with nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 90 kgN ha-1 and soil with combined application of biochar and N fertilizer. Application of biochar increased water-holding capacity of the soil in the range of plant-available water by 7%, in average, increased soil moisture 1.13-1.19 times, reduced the soil bulk density by 5% and led to a short-term increase in soil pH.

2009

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Forests, 2019

Research Highlights: Biochar is the carbonaceous product of pyrolysis or the gasification of biomass that is used as soil amendment to improve soil fertility and increase soil carbon stock. Biochar has been shown to increase, decrease, or have no effect on the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from soil, depending on the specific soil and biochar characteristics. However, the temperature sensitivity of these gas emissions in biochar-amended soils is still poorly investigated. Background and Objectives: A pot experiment was set up to investigate the impact of woodchips biochar on the temperature sensitivity of the main GHG (CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O) emissions from soil. Materials and Methods: Nine pots (14 L volume) were filled with soil mixed with biochar at two application rates (0.021 kg of biochar/kg of soil and 0.042 kg of biochar/kg of soil) or with soil alone as the control (three pots per treatment). Pots were incubated in a growth chamber and the emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O were monitored for two weeks with a cavity ring-down gas analyzer connected to three closed dynamic chambers. The temperature in the chamber increased from 10 • C to 30 • C during the first week and decreased back to 10 • C during the second week, with a daily change of 5 • C. Soil water content was kept at 20% (w/w). Results: Biochar application did not significantly affect the temperature sensitivity of CO 2 and N 2 O emissions. However, the sensitivity of CH 4 uptake from soil significantly decreased by the application of biochar, reducing the CH 4 soil consumption compared to the un-amended soil, especially at high soil temperatures. Basal CO 2 respiration at 10 • C was significantly higher in the highest biochar application rate compared to the control soil. Conclusions: These results confirmed that the magnitude and direction of the influence of biochar on temperature sensitivity of GHG emissions depend on the specific GHG considered. The biochar tested in this study did not affect soil N 2 O emission and only marginally affected CO 2 emission in a wide range of soil temperatures. However, it showed a negative impact on soil CH 4 uptake, particularly at a high temperature, having important implications in a future warmer climate scenario and at higher application rates.

Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2013