Abstract
Purpose
Very few studies have been done on the long-term effect of one time biochar application on soil physical and hydrological properties. The current investigation aims to know the alterations in infiltration rate (IR), soil water content (SWC) at different potential, water stability of aggregates, etc. caused after 6 years of application of oak wood biochar in Crosby silt loam soil of temperate ecosystem.
Methods
The trial was carried out using a complete randomized block design with three treatments: B0 (no biochar), B25 (biochar at 25 Mg ha−1), and B5 (biochar at 5 Mg ha−1) and six replications. After 6 years, soil’s physical and hydrological characteristics were measured.
Results
The application of B25 resulted in the highest total porosity compared to the other treatments which in turns results in lower bulk density. B25 also enhanced the water stability of aggregates by 4.1%, as compared to the B0. B25 significantly enhanced soil water retention at all measured soil water potentials (0, −6, −10, -33, −100, and −1500 kPa) except for −1500 kPa (0–10 cm), −6 kPa (10–20 cm), and 0 kPa (10–20 cm) relative to B0. The highest increase in soil water content was recorded for B25 at 0 kPa (9.2%) followed by that at −6 kPa (7.4%). While, the B25 increased the mean hydraulic conductivity by 55.9% over control, B5 resulted in a 15.5% increase. The IR of soil also increased under B25 and B5 over B0 by 15.5 and 5.0%, respectively.
Conclusions
Biochar application in Crosby silt loam soil can enhanced soil physical and hydrological properties and maintained in long run.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within this published article.
References
Ahmed A, Gariepy Y, Raghavan V (2017) Influence of wood-derived biochar on the compactibility and strength of silt loam soil. Int Agro phys 31:149–155. https://doi.org/10.1515/intag-2016-0044
Alghamdi AG, Al-Omran A, Alkhasha A, Alharbi AR (2022) Impacts of biochar on hydro-physical properties of sandy soil under different irrigation regimes for enhanced tomato growth. Agronomy 12:1762. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081762
Asai H, Samson BK, Stephan HM, Songyikhangsuthor K, Homma K, Kiyono Y, Inoue Y, Shiraiwa T, Horie T (2009) Biochar amendment techniques for upland rice production in Northern Laos: 1. Soil physical properties, leaf SPAD and grain yield. Field Crop Res 11:81–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2008.10.008
Atkinson CJ, Fitzgerald JD, Hipps NA (2010) Potential mechanisms for achieving agricultural benefits from biochar application to temperate soils: a review. Plant Soil 337:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0464-5
Ayodele A, Oguntunde P, Joseph A, Dias Junior MD (2009) Numerical analysis of the impact of charcoal production on soil hydrological behavior, runoff response and erosion susceptibility. Braz J Sci 33:137–145. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-06832009000100015
Basso AS, Miguez FE, Laird DA, Horton R, Westgate M (2013) Assessing potential of biochar for increasing water-holding capacity of sandy soils. GCB Bioenergy 5:132–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12026
Biederman LA, Harpole WS (2013) Biochar and its effects on plant productivity and nutrient cycling: a meta-analysis. GCB Bioenergy 5:202–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12037
Blanco-Canqui H (2017) Biochar and soil physical properties. Soil Sci Soc Am J 81:687–711. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.01.0017
Brockhoff SR, Christians NE, Killorn RJ, Horton R, Davis DD (2010) Physical and mineral-nutrition properties of sand-based turfgrass root zones amended with biochar. Agron J 102:1627–1631. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2010.0188
Busscher WJ, Novak JM, Evans DE, Watts DW, Niandou MAS, Ahmedna M (2010) Influence of pecan biochar on physical properties of a Norfolk loamy sand. Soil Sci 175:10–14. https://doi.org/10.1097/SS.0b013e3181cb7f46
Ceccarelli T, Chauhan A, Rambaldi G, Kumar I, Cappello C, Janssen S, McCampbell M (2022) Leveraging automation and digitalization for precision agriculture: Evidence from the case studies. Background paper for the state of food and agriculture 2022. FAO agricultural development economics technical study, No. 24. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc2912en
Chen K, Peng J, Li J, Yang Q et al (2020) Stabilization of soil aggregate and organic matter under the application of three organic resources and biochar-based compound fertilizer. J Soils Sediments 20:3633–3643. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-020-02693-1
DeLonge MS, Miles A, Carlisle L (2016) Investing in the transition to sustainable agriculture. Environ Sci Pol 55:266–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.09.013
Eastman CM (2011) Soil physical characteristics of an Aeric Ochraqualf amended with Biochar. (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University)
Elzhov TV, Mullen KM, Spiess AN, Bolker B (2013) minpack.lm: R interface to the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear least-squares algorithm found in MINPACK, plus support for bounds. R package version 1:1–8. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=minpack.lm
Fasinmirin JT, Olorunfemi IE, Olakuleyin F (2018) Strength and hydraulics characteristics variations within a tropical Alfisol in Southwestern Nigeria under different land use management. Soil Tillage Res 182:45–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2018.04.017
Glaser B, Lehmann J, Zech W (2002) Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal- a review. Biol Fertil Soils 35:219–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-002-0466-4
Gomez KA, Gomez AA (1984) Statistical procedures for agricultural research. J. Wiley & Son, Toronto
Gomiero T (2016) Soil degradation, land scarcity and food security: reviewing a complex challenge. Sustainability 8:281. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030281
Hall DJM, Bell RW (2015) Biochar and compost increase crop yields but the effect is short term on sandplain soils of Western Australia. Pedosphere 25:720–728. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(15)30053-9
Hardie M, Clothier B, Bound S, Oliver G, Close D (2014) Does biochar influence soil physical properties and soil water availability? Plant Soil 376:347–361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1980-x
Herath HMSK, Camps-Arbestain M, Hedley M (2013) Effect of biochar on soil physical properties in two contrasting soils: an Alfisol and an Andisol. Geoderma 209:188–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.06.016
Hottle RD (2013) Impact of biochar on plant productivity and soil properties under a maize soybean rotation on an Alfisol in Central Ohio. Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Hussain MZ, Hamilton SK, Bhardwaj AK, Basso B, Thelen KD, Robertson GP (2019) Evapotranspiration and water use efficiency of continuous maize and maize and soybean in rotation in the upper Midwest US. Agric Water Manag 221:92–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.02.049
Jones BEH, Haynes RJ, Phillips IR (2010) Effect of amendment of bauxite processing sand with organic materials on its chemical, physical and microbial properties. J Environ Manag 91:2281–2288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.06.013
Kahlon MS, Lal R, Ann-Varughese M (2013) Twenty two years of tillage and mulching impacts on soil physical characteristics and carbon sequestration in Central Ohio. Soil Tillage Res 126:151–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2012.08.001
Karer J, Wimmer B, Zehetner F, Kloss S, Soja G (2013) Biochar application to temperate soils: effects on nutrient uptake and crop yield under field conditions. Agric Food Sci 22:390–403. https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.8155
Kelly CN, Benjamin J, Calderon FC, Mikha MM, Rutherford DW, Rostad CE (2017) Incorporation of biochar carbon into stable soil aggregates: the role of clay mineralogy and other soil characteristics. Pedosphere 27:694–704. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(17)60399-0
Kumar A, Bhattacharya T (2021) Biochar: a sustainable solution. Environ Dev Sustain 23:6642–6680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00970-0
Kuzyakov Y, Bogomolova I, Glaser B (2014) Biochar stability in soil: decomposition during eight years and transformation as assessed by compound-specific 14C analysis. Soil Biol Biochem 70:229–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.12.021
Laird DA, Fleming P, Davis DD, Horton R, Wang BQ, Karlen DL (2010) Impact of biochar amendments on the quality of a typical mid-western agricultural soil. Geoderma 158:443–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.12.021
Layek J, Das A, Ghosh PK, Rangappa K, Lal R, Idapuganti RG, Nath CP, Dey U (2022a) Double no-till and rice straw retention in terraced slo** lands improves water content, soil health and productivity of lentil in Himalayan foothills. Soil Tillage Res 221:105381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2022.105381
Layek J, Narzari R, Hazarika S, Das A, Rangappa K, Devi S, Balusamy A, Saha S, Mandal S, Idapuganti RG, Babu S (2022b) Prospects of biochar for sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration: an overview for Eastern Himalayas. Sustainability 14(11):6684. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116684
Lehmann J (2007) A handful of carbon. Nature 447:143–144. https://doi.org/10.1038/447143a
Lehmann J, Joseph S (2009) Biochar for environmental management: an introduction. In: Lehmann J, Joseph S (eds) Biochar for environmental management, Science and technology. Earthscan, London
Liu XH, Han FP, Zhang XC (2012) Effect of biochar on soil aggregates in the Loess Plateau: results from incubation experiments. Int J Agric Biol 14:975–979. http://www.fspublishers.org/.../19.pdf
Lu S, Zong Y (2018) Pore structure and environmental serves of biochars derived from different feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:30401–30409
Meena RS, Lal R, Yadav GS (2020) Long-term impacts of topsoil depth and amendments on soil physical and hydrological properties of an Alfisol in central Ohio, USA. Geoderma 363:114164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.114164
Mukherjee A (2011) Physical and chemical properties of a range of laboratory-produced fresh and aged biochars, Geological Sciences. Doctoral Dissertation,, University of Florida, Florida
Mukherjee A, Lal R (2013) Biochar impacts on soil physical properties and greenhouse gas emissions. Agronomy 3:313–339. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy3020313
Mukherjee A, Lal R (2014) The biochar dilemma. Soil Res 52:217–230. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR13359
Mukherjee A, Lal R, Zimmerman A (2014b) Impacts of biochar and other amendments on soil-carbon and nitrogen stability: a laboratory column study. Soil Sci Soc Am J 78:1258–1266. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2014.01.0025
Mukherjee A, Lal R, Zimmerman AR (2014a) Effects of biochar and other amendments on the physical properties and greenhouse gas emissions of an artificially degraded soil. Sci Total Environ 487:26–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.03.141
Neogi S, Sharma V, Khan N et al (2022) Sustainable biochar: a facile strategy for soil and environmental restoration, energygeneration, mitigation of global climate change and circular bioeconomy. Chemosphere 293:133474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133474
OARDC Weather System, (2017) Columbus Station, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. http://www.oardc.ohiostate.edu/newweather/stationinfo.asp?id=14. Accessed 08 June 2017
Obia A, Mulder J, Martinsen V, Cornelissen G, Borresen T (2016) In situ effects of biochar on aggregation, water retention and porosity in light-textured tropical soils. Soil Tillage Res 155:35–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2015.08.002
Ogden FL, Saghafian B (1997) Green and Ampt infiltration with redistribution. J Irrig Drain Eng 123:386–393. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9437(1997)123:5(386)
Oguntunde PG, Abiodun BJ, Ajayi AE, Van De Giesen N (2008) Effects of charcoal production on soil physical properties in Ghana. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 171:591–596. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200625185
Olmo M, Alburquerque JA, Barrón V, delCampillo MC, Gallardo A, Fuentes M, Villar R (2014) Wheat growth and yield responses to biochar addition under Mediterranean climate conditions. Biol Fertil Soils 50:1177–1187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-014-0959-y
Olmo M, Villar R, Salazar P, Alburquerque JA (2015) Changes in soil nutrient availability explainbiochar’s impact on wheat root development. Plant Soil 399:333–343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2700-5
Page KL, Dang YP, Dalal RC (2020) The ability of conservation agriculture to conserve soil organic carbon and the subsequent impact on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and yield. Front Sustain Food Syst 4:31. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00031
Philips JR (1957) The theory of infiltration: the infiltration equation and its solution. Soil Sci 83:345–357
**ali PL (2013) Green revolution: impacts, limits, and the path ahead. Proc Natl Acad Sci 109. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912953109
Purakayastha TJ, Bera T, Bhaduri D et al (2019) A review on biochar modulated soil condition improvements and nutrient dynamics concerning crop yields: pathways to climate change mitigation and global food security. Chemosphere 227:345–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.03.170
R Core Team (2023) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria, R Foundation for Statistical Computing Available from http://www.R-project.org/
Rajkovich S, Enders A, Hanley K, Hyland C, Zimmerman AR, Lehmann J (2012) Corn growth and nitrogen nutrition after additions of biochars with varying properties to a temperate soil. BiolFertil Soils 48:271–284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-011-0624-7
Ranganathan J, Vennard D, Waite R, Searchinger T, Dumas P, Lipinski B (2016) Shifting diets: toward a sustainable food future. In: Global Food Policy Report. IFPRI. IFPRI, Washington, pp 66–79. https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896295827_08
Rasool R, Kukal SS, Hira GS (2008) Soil organic carbon and physical properties as affected by long-term application of FYM and inorganic fertilizers in maize–wheat system. Soil Tillage Res 101:31–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2008.05.015
Reynolds WD, Drury CF, Tan CS, Fox CA, Yang XM (2009) Use of indicators and pore volume-function characteristics to quantify soil physical quality. Geoderma 152:252–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2009.06.009
Rogovska N, Laird DA, Rathke SJ, Karlen DL (2014) Biochar impact on Midwestern Mollisols and maize nutrient availability. Geoderma 230:340–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.04.009
Saffari N, Hajabbasi MA, Shirani H, Mosaddeghi MR, Owens G (2021) Influence of corn residue biochar on water retention and penetration resistance in a calcareous sandy loam soil. Geoderma 383:114734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114734
Searchinger T, Waite R, Hanson C, Ranganathan J, Dumas P, Matthews F (2019) World resources final report 2019: creating a sustainable food future – a menu of solutions to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050. Final report 2019. World Resource Institute, pp 564. https://wrr-food. wri.org/sites/default/fies/2019-07/WRR_Food_Full_Report_0.pdf . Accessed on 29 Jan 2023
Singh H, Northup BK, Rice CW, Prasad PV (2022) Biochar applications influence soil physical and chemical properties, microbial diversity, and crop productivity: a meta-analysis. Biochar 4:8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-022-00138-1
Smith P, House JI, Bustamante M et al (2016) Global change pressures on soils from land use and management. Glob Chang Biol 22:1008–1028. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13068
Song Z, Wu Y, Zhang X, Li Z, Singh BP, Wang H (2022) The impact of biochar on nutrient supplies in agricultural ecosystems. In: DCW T, Ok YS (eds) Biochar in agriculture for achieving sustainable development goals. Academic Press, pp 193–201
Thomas GW (1996) Soil pH and soil acidity. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, Part 3–Chemical Methods, Soil Science Society of America, Madison. Wisconsin, USA
Tsang DC, Ok YS (2022) Biochar in agriculture for achieving sustainable development goals. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2020-0-01978-X
UN (2015) The 17 goals. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://sdgs.un.org/goals. Accessed 10 Jan 2023
Uzoma KC, Inoue M, Andry H et al (2011) Effect of cow manure biochar on maize productivity under sandy soil condition. Soil Use Manag 27:205–212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2011.00340.x
Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Downie A et al (2010b) A glasshouse study on the interaction of low mineral ash biochar with nitrogen in a sandy soil. Aust J Soil Res 48:569–576. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR10003
Van Zwieten L, Kimber S, Morris S et al (2010a) Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility. Plant Soil 327:235–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0050-x
Wang J, Wang S (2019) Preparation, modification and environmental application of biochar: a review. J Clean Prod 227:1002–1022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.282
Wang L, Ok YS, Tsang DC (2021) Biochar composites: emerging trends, field successes and sustainability implications. Soil Use Manag 38:14–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12731
Wuest SB, Williams JD, Gollany HT (2006) Tillage and perennial grass effects on ponded infiltration for seven semi-arid loess soils. J Soil Water Conserv 61:218–223 https://www.jswconline.org/content/61/4/218.short
**e T, Sadasivam B, Reddy K, Wang C, Spokas K (2015) Review of the effects of biochar amendment on soil properties and carbon sequestration. J Hazard Toxic Radioact Waste 20:04015013
Yadav GS, Lal R, Meena RS (2019) Long-term effects of vehicular passages on soil carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide emission in a no-till corn-soybean rotation on a Crosby silt loam in Central Ohio, USA. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 182:126–136. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201800480
Zeelie A (2012) Effect of biochar on selected soil physical properties of sandy soil with low agricultural suitability. Doctoral dissertation, Stellen bosch University
Zhang AF, Liu YM, Pan GX et al (2012) Effect of biochar amendment on maize yield and greenhouse gas emissions from a soil organic carbon poor calcareous loamy soil from Central China Plain. Plant Soil 351:263–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0957-x
Zhang D, Pan G, Wu GG et al (2016) Biochar helps enhance maize productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions under balanced fertilization in a rainfed low fertility inceptisol. Chemosphere 142:106–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.04.088
Zimmerman AR, Gao B, Ahn MY (2011) Positive and negative carbon mineralization priming effects among a variety of biochar-amended soils. Soil Boil Biochem 43:1169–1179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.005
Acknowledgements
The authors want to acknowledge the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, for sponsoring a 1-year associateship of the first author and the Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre (C-MASC), The Ohio State University, for facilitating experimenting.
Funding
This work was supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt. of India, for sponsoring a 1-year associateship.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Jayanta Layek: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, sampling and analysis, writing original draft. Ratan Lal: overall guidance, conceptualization, project administration, editing manuscript. Ram Swaroop Meena: Sampling and analysis, editing manuscript. Tarik Mitran: analyzing soil samples, manuscript drafting. Rumi Narzari: making figures, editing manuscript, reference formatting.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical Approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Consent to Participate
All the authors consented to participate in the drafting and submission of this manuscript.
Consent for Publication
All the authors consented to publish this manuscript.
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Layek, J., Lal, R., Meena, R.S. et al. Long-Term Effects of Single Application of Biochar on Physical and Hydrological Properties of Crosby Silt Loam Soil in Central Ohio, USA. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 23, 5013–5025 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01533-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01533-8