Soil and Plant yield responses to biochar (BC) application on temperate soils

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Soil and Plant yield responses to biochar (BC)
application on temperate soils
1,2Stefanie Kloss, 2F. Zehetner, 1B. Wimmer, 1A.
Watzinger, 2S. Zechmeister-Boltenstern, 3B.
Kitzler, 4M. Lauer, 2M.H. Gerzabek, 1G. Soja 1
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH,
Department for Health and Environment, Tulln,
Austria. 2 University of Natural Resources and
Life Sciences, Institute of Soil Research,
Vienna, Austria 3 Federal Research and Training
Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and
Landscape, Vienna, Austria 4Joanneum Research,
Graz, Austria
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outline

• The Biochar Project
• Experimental design/ research questions
• Materials and Methods
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusion

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The Biochar project
Biochar for Carbon Sequestration in Soils
Analysis of production, biological effects in the
soil and economics

• Cooperation of
• University of Natural Resources and Life
  Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
• Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln (AIT)
• Federal Research and Training Center for Forests,
  Natural hazards and Landscape, Vienna (BFW)
• Joanneum Research (Graz)
• Project period April 2010- March 2013

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The Biochar project
Biochar for Carbon Sequestration in Soils
Analysis of production, biological effects in the
soil and economics

• Cooperation of
• University of Natural Resources and Life
  Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
• Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln (AIT),
• Federal Research and Training Center for Forests,
  Natural hazards and Landscape, Vienna (BFW)
• Joanneum Research (Graz)
• Project period April 2010- March 2013

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The Biochar project
Divided into 8 work packages
Pyrolysis conditions and BC characterization
Field- and pot trials
Effects of BC on soil fertility and plant yield
BIOCHAR
BC for carbon sequestration (incubation
experiment)
Effects of BC on greenhouse gas emissions
Effects on microbial communities in the soil
Economical evaluation
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The Biochar project
Divided into 8 work packages
Pyrolysis conditions and BC characterization
Field- and pot trials
Effects of BC on soil fertility and plant yield
BIOCHAR
BC for carbon sequestration (incubation
experiment)
Effects of BC on greenhouse gas emissions
Effects on microbial communities in the soil
Economical evaluation
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Pot dimensions height 40 cm / 16 Ø 23. 5cm /
9 siphon-like effluent to collect leachate
water
Pot trial
- 4 different biochars (Straw 525C mixed
woodchips 525C, Vineyard pruning 400C,
525C) at 2 BC concentrations (1 w.- and 3
w.-) - Crops mustard (Sinapis Alba) Nov 23rd
2010 Feb 2nd, 2011 barley
(Hordeum vulgare) Feb 18th June 20th, 2011
red clover (Trifolium pratense) Jul
26th Dec 13th, 2011 - N fertilization (0 bis
200 kg N ha-1 standard fertilization 40 kg N
ha-1 for mustard 100 kg N ha-1 for barley) ? 125
pots (n5)
mustard
barley
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Pot trial Austrian Institute of Technology,
Tulln Start in November 2010
Three agricultural soils (0-30cm) Planosol,
Cambisol, Chernozem
GEOLOGY
Bohemian Massif
VIENNA
Tertiary
Planosol
Tertiary- Quarternary
Chernozem
Cambisol
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• Investigated soil parameters
• pH
• C/N
• Electrical conductivity (EC)
• cation exchange capacity (CEC)
• Nitrogen supplying potential (anaerobic
  incubation NSP in µg g-1 DM d-1)
• plant-available P and K (Calcium Acetate
  Lactate/ CAL- extraction)

Crop parameters

• Above ground biomass (g m-2)
• elemental composition after digesting with HNO3
  HClO4 20 4 mL 
• N concentration

• Effect of different BC types on Planosol crops
• Effect of BC (woodchips) on different soil types
  and crops

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Biochar Characterization
pH
El. conductivity
VOC
Cation exchange capacity
C/N
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Results
Effects of different BCs on the Planosol (after 7
months)
pH
CEC
? Significant increase of pH and CEC for all BC
types on the sandy Planosol

• Increase in P and K availability (esp. straw)

phosphorus
potassium
No influence of pyrolysis temperature!
(Second soil sampling)
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Soil parameters
Effects of woodchips BC (3) on different soil
types (after 7 months)
pH
CEC

• Planosol showed most distinct reactions on BC
  application
• (pH, CEC, P)

P
C/N
(Second soil sampling)
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Effect on crop yield
Effects of different BC types (Planosol)

• - Initially detrimental effect (except for
  straw!)
• Effect of pyrolysis temperature
• no statistical difference for clover

Whats so special about straw biochar ???
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
BC application to soil increases osmotic
potential due to Na and causes toxic effects
(Rajkovich et al., 2011)
BC application to soil causes N deficiency in
plants (Rondon et al., 2007 Collison et al.,
2009,)
N concentration in mustard
No or negligible N-immobilization ( increased
nitrogen suppyling potential)
No toxic effect
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
pH increase may cause micronutrient
deficiencies (Marschner and Rengel, 2012)
(mustard)
Yield inhibitions caused by micronutrient
deficiencies???
? Does not explain straw BC
Lower micronutrient content also present for the
third crop clover that showed no decreased plant
yield
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
pH increase may cause micronutrient
deficiencies (Marschner and Rengel, 2012)
(mustard)
Yield inhibitions caused by micronutrient
deficiencies???
Mo
Massive increase in Mo concentration in mustard
after BC application
? Does not explain straw BC
Lower micronutrient content also present for the
third crop clover that showed no decreased plant
yield
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?

• N-immobilization? if yes, only short-term
• toxic effects due to salt input ? highest salt
  input caused by straw BC
• micronutrient deficiency? likely, but probably
  not the only reason
• Mo toxicity? Mo concentration in straw was
  highest

Whats left?
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) Depending on
the amount of VOCs they may either have plant
growth promoting or inhibiting properties
(Deenik et al., 2010 Spokas et al., 2011) If
effects are detrimental, its only temporary
(Deenik et al., 2011)
Temporary effect consistent with our findings
Straw BC apparently more favorable in terms of
VOC content than any other BC
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) Depending on
the amount of VOCs they may either have plant
growth promoting or inhibiting properties
(Deenik et al., 2010 Spokas et al., 2011) If
effects are detrimental, its only temporary
(Deenik et al., 2011)
VOC
Temporary effect consistent with our findings
Straw BC apparently more favorable in terms of
VOC content than any other BC
Lowest Volatile organic content found in Straw BC!
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Why so massive yield inhibitions?
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) Depending on
the amount of VOCs they may either have plant
growth promoting or inhibiting properties
(Deenik et al., 2010 Spokas et al., 2011) If
effects are detrimental, its only temporary
(Deenik et al., 2011)
Dry mass
VOC
Temporary effect consistent with our findings
Straw BC apparently more favorable in terms of
VOC content than any other BC
Lowest Volatile organic content found in Straw BC!
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Conclusion I

• All BCs showed a liming effect
• BC application to soil increased CEC, especially
  on the sandy Planosol with the originally lowest
  pH
• All BCs increased P and K availability,
  especially wheat straw BC
• no influence of pyrolysis temperature on soil
  parameters

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Conclusion II

• Plant yield was significantly inhibited by BC
  application except for Wheat straw BC
• Plant yield was significantly influenced by
  pyrolysis temperature (higher pyrolysis
  temperature? lower plant yield)
• Wheat straw BC significantly increased plant
  yield of the second crop (barley) compared to
  control
• C/N in the soil increased after BC application,
  but N immobilization may not play any or only a
  short-term role
• Micronutrient deficiencies may be partly
  responsible for decreased plant yields, as well
  as VOCs

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aCKNOWLEDGeMENTS
Special thanks to...

• The whole Biochar research team for their support
• Akio Enders (Cornell University)
• Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)/ New
  Energies 2020 project number 825438

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Thank you for your attention!
stefanie.kloss_at_boku.ac.at