Impact of addition of different rates of rice-residue biochar on C and N dynamics in texturally diverse soils

Abstract

Impacts of crop residue biochar on soil C and N dynamics have been found to be subtly inconsistent in diverse soils. In the present study, three soils differing in texture (loamy sand, sandy clay loam and clay) were amended with different rates (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 4%) of rice-residue biochar and incubated at 25°C for 60 days. Soil respiration was measured throughout the incubation period whereas, microbial biomass C (MBC), dissolved organic C (DOC), NH4+-N and NO3–N were analysed after 2, 7, 14, 28 and 60 days of incubation. Carbon mineralization differed significantly between the soils with loamy sand evolving the greatest CO2 followed by sandy clay loam and clay. Likewise, irrespective of the sampling period, MBC, DOC, NH4+-N and NO3–N increased significantly with increasing rate of biochar addition, with consistently higher values in loamy sand than the other two soils. Furthermore, regardless of the biochar rates, NO3–-N concentration increased significantly with increasing period of incubation, but in contrast, NH4+-N temporarily increased and thereafter, decreased until day 60 in all soils. It is concluded that C and N mineralization in the biochar amended soils varied with the texture and native organic C status of the soils.