scholarly journals Biochar and wheat straw affecting soil chemistry and microbial biomass carbon countrywide

Author(s):  
Younes Shokuhifar ◽  
Ahmad Mohammadi Ghahsareh ◽  
Karim Shahbazi ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Tehrani ◽  
Hossein Besharati

AbstractIndicating how different sources of organic matter (OM) may affect the properties of a wide range of soil types, at varying soil moisture (SM), is of significance in the agricultural fields. A large dataset of soil samples (0–30 cm) was collected from different parts of Iran (21 different agricultural regions, with a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological properties) to determine the effects of OM and varying SM on soil chemical (pH, salinity, and organic carbon) and biological (microbial biomass carbon, MBC) properties. The collected soil samples were incubated (9-month period) with the experimental treatments including OM (control (M1), 2% wheat straw (WS) (M2), and 2% biochar (BI) (M3)), at different SM levels (0.2 field capacity, FC (V1), 0.7 variable FC (V2), 0.7 constant FC (V3), and saturated moisture (V4)). Wheat straw was pyrolyzed (at 500°C) to produce BI, and their chemical properties were determined. BI salinity (3.1 dS/m) was significantly higher than WS (2.8 dS/m). The organic treatments, especially BI, significantly increased soil OM and MBC compared with the control treatment. The two sources of organic fertilization increased soil pH, OM, and MBC, though such effects were functions of varying soil moisture (drying and rewetting cycles). Due to higher C percentage (61%), the effects of BI, significantly affected by soil moisture, were more pronounced on soil parameters. The tested sources of organic matter (WS and BI), acting as functions of soil moisture, can strongly affect soil chemical and biological properties and contribute to higher efficiency of agricultural fields.

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 268-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Filep ◽  
T. Szili-Kovács

In the paper we investigate the effect of liming on the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in pot experiments during two vegetation periods. There was also another goal to get better understanding of the role of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its quality on microbial processes. Pot experiments were carried out on two acidic soils. Liming material treatment was 0, 1, 2, 3 g CaCO<sub>3</sub>&thinsp;/kg soil (corresponding with 0, 1.4, 2.8, 4.1 t CaCO<sub>3</sub>&thinsp;/ha, respectively). On both soils, 3-3 soil samples were taken for two growing periods and the substrate-induced respiration (SIR), dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON), and soil pH were determined from the soil samples. The SIR can be used to characterize the active biomass within the total microbial biomass. Liming was found to increase soil respiration and consequently MBC in the first year of the experiment, but at the maximum lime rate these values stagnated or declined in many cases on each soil. In the second year, the effects of treatments were much lower both on Kisv&aacute;rda and on Ny&iacute;rlugos soils. Under the given experimental conditions, when the DOC/DON ratio rose to above 30&ndash;40, disturbances appeared in N supplies to microorganisms. The N content of the easily mineralisable organic matter in the soil became so low that it inhibited the reproduction of the microorganisms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 96-101
Author(s):  
Dil Kumar Limbu ◽  
Madan Koirala

The soil microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon ratio is a useful measure to monitor soil organic matter and serves as a sensitive index than soil organic carbon alone. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify and quantify the present status of ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon in Himalayan rangeland and to make recommendations for enhancing balance between microbial carbon and organic carbon of the soil. To meet the aforementioned objective, a field study was conducted from 2011 to 2013 following the Walkley-Black, Chromic acid wet oxidation method, and chloroform fumigation method for analysis of microbial carbon and organic carbon respectively. The study showed that the heavily grazed plot had significantly less value of ratio than occasionally grazed and ungrazed plots. The ratio was significantly high on legume seeding plot compared to nonlegume plot, but the ratio was independent of soil depth. Soil microbial biomass appeared to be more responsive than soil organic matter.


Agropedology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy Sangma ◽  
◽  
A. Thirugnanavel ◽  
Ph. Romen Sharma ◽  
G. Rajesha ◽  
...  

The pineapple var. Kew was planted on black polythene film mulching with double hedgerow planting to find out the influence of mulches on soil and plant. The soil samples were collected twice (kharif and rabi) at two different depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and the pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, basal respiration and soil microbial biomass carbon were analysed. The data revealed that soil organic carbon and available N, P, and K content were slightly higher in the bottom hill than the top hill. The mulched field had higher nutrients than the non-mulched field. The fertility level varied slightly between the seasons. The biological parameters (microbial biomass carbon) were observed to be significantly higher (P≤0.05) in the bottom hill in both the seasons than the non-mulched field. The soil moisture content ranged from 5.9 % in March to 24.24 % August in the bottom hill (15-30 cm depth). The moisture content in the non-mulched field was lower than the mulched field.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Clayton ◽  
Steffen Rothardt ◽  
Rüdiger Reichel ◽  
Michael Bonkowski

&lt;p&gt;Every year agricultural soils lose significant amounts of nitrogen (N) over winter through N leaching and gas emissions as a result of freeze-thaw cycles. The incorporation of carbon amendments after harvest, such as crop residues or other carbon rich material, can help to promote soil microbial growth, and in doing so, immobilise N within the microbial biomass. It is still unclear which amendments are most effective at promoting microbial N immobilisation and at what time they should be incorporated into the soil to give best results.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In order to investigate this, we measured soil microbial biomass carbon (C&lt;sub&gt;mic&lt;/sub&gt;) and -nitrogen (N&lt;sub&gt;mic&lt;/sub&gt;) at 12 timepoints between harvest and spring in soils from an established agricultural field experiment in Kiel (Germany). We selected plots which had the same fertilisation regime and crop rotation (Faba bean-winter wheat-winter barley rotation) but differed in soil carbon amendment treatment; removal of residues (control), wheat straw, faba bean, and sawdust. &amp;#160;In addition to microbial biomass measurements, we measured microbial nutrient limitation at each timepoint via substrate induced respiration, in order to give a qualitative indication of microbial activity in respect to growth limiting nutrients.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our data show that there was little effect of wheat straw in comparison to the control on the microbial biomass carbon or -nitrogen, but different patterns were observed for the latter amendments. C&lt;sub&gt;mic&lt;/sub&gt; generally decreased over time after harvest in all treatments, but again the decreases were less pronounced in the faba bean and sawdust treatments. N&lt;sub&gt;mic&lt;/sub&gt; decreased over time after harvest in control and wheat straw treatment but increased with time in the faba bean and sawdust treatments, suggesting improved N immobilisation by the microbial biomass for these treatments. We found that all soils were nearly always N limited throughout the winter and were never P limited. However, a shift to C limitation was observed after addition of fertiliser in spring, except for in the sawdust treatment, which remained N limited despite the addition of mineral N in the field. This result suggests that sawdust has a higher potential for N immobilisation compared to the other soil amendments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In summary, there was little difference in the microbial post-harvest dynamics between the control and wheat straw treatments but stronger effects were observed in the faba bean and saw dust treatments, which suggested improved microbial N immobilisation. Interestingly, the sawdust amendment seemed to have the highest potential for microbial N immobilisation over winter and enduring into spring.&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 1370-1378
Author(s):  
S. Aechra ◽  
◽  
R.H. Meena ◽  
S.C. Meena ◽  
S.L. Mundra ◽  
...  

Aim: A field experiment was conducted during rabi season to determine the effect of biofertilizers and split application of vermicompost on biological properties (microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, microbial populations and enzyme activities) in rhizosphere of wheat. Methodology: The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications consisting of twenty treatment combinations. Soil samples were collected from the plots at 0-15 cm depth after harvest of wheat crop and soil biological properties analyzed using standard analytical procedure. Results: The experiment results indicated that among biofertilizers treatments, seed inoculation with Azotobacter + PSB + KMB + ZnSB (B5) resulted in a significant higher soil microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, population of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase enzyme activity in comparison to control. Similarly, application of vermicompost as 50 % VC at sowing + 50 % VC at tillering (V3) were obtained improved microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, microbial population, dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase enzyme activity while remaining at par with 75 % VC at sowing + 25 % VC at tillering (V4) proved superior in comparison to rest of the treatments due to continuous supply of nutrients throughout the crop cycle. Grain and straw yield of wheat also increased due to the application of biofertilizers and vermicompost over the control. Interpretation: Biofertilizers (Azotobacter, PSB, KMB and ZnSB) and split application of vermicompost enhanced the soil microbial population and enzymatic activities which sustained the soil health for better wheat production.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 993
Author(s):  
Roghayeh Vahedi ◽  
MirHassan Rasouli-Sadaghiani ◽  
Mohsen Barin ◽  
Ramesh Raju Vetukuri

Most calcareous soils have relatively low levels of organic matter. To evaluate the effect of pruning waste biochar (PWB) and pruning waste compost (PWC) combined with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the biological indices, a rhizobox study on wheat using a completely randomized design was conducted under greenhouse conditions. The studied factors included the source of organic material (PWB, PWC, and control), the microbial inoculation (+AMF or −AMF), and the zone (rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil). At the end of the plant growth period, organic carbon (OC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass phosphorous (MBP), microbial respiration (BR), substrate-induced respiration (SIR), and alkaline (ALP) and acid (ACP) phosphatase enzyme activities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were determined. Simultaneous application of a source of organic matter and AMF inoculation significantly increased the OC and biological indices of soil relative to those observed when applying organic matter without AMF inoculation. Additionally, MBC, MBP, ACP, and ALP enzymes activities in the rhizosphere zone were significantly higher than in the non-rhizosphere. AMF increased BR and SIR levels in the rhizosphere by 13.06% and 7.95% compared to those in the non-rhizosphere, respectively. It can be concluded that PWC and PWB can improve soil biological properties by increasing microbial activity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta M. Moreno ◽  
Carmen Moreno ◽  
Carlos Lacasta ◽  
Ramón Meco

In organic farming, crop fertilization is largely based on the decomposition of organic matter and biological fixation of nutrients. It is therefore necessary to develop studies conducted to know and understand the soil biological processes for the natural nutrient supplies. The effect of three fertilizer managements (chemical with synthetic fertilizers, organic with 2500 kg compost ha−1, and no fertilizer) in a rainfed crop rotation (durum wheat-fallow-barley-vetch as green manure) on different soil biochemical parameters in semi-arid conditions was investigated. Soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, organic matter mineralization, CO2production-to-ATP ratio, and NO3-N content were analysed. Fertilization was only applied to cereals. The results showed the scarce effect of the organic fertilization on soil quality, which resulted more dependent on weather conditions. Only soil organic matter and NO3-N were affected by fertilization (significantly higher in the inorganic treatment, 1.28 g 100 g−1and 17.3 ppm, resp.). Soil organic matter was maintained throughout the study period by the inclusion of a legume in the cropping system and the burying of crop residues. In fallow, soil microbial biomass carbon increased considerably (816 ng g−1), and NO3-N at the end of this period was around 35 ppm, equivalent to 100 kg N ha−1.


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