TY - JOUR
T1 - Environment and agricultural practices regulate enhanced biochar-induced soil carbon pools and crop yield
T2 - A meta-analysis
AU - Zhang, Nanhai
AU - Ye, Xu
AU - Gao, Yuan
AU - Liu, Gaoxiang
AU - Liu, Zihan
AU - Zhang, Qilin
AU - Liu, Enke
AU - Sun, Shikun
AU - Ren, Xiaolong
AU - Jia, Zhikuan
AU - Siddique, Kadambot H.M.
AU - Zhang, Peng
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China ( 2021YFE0101300 , 2021YFD1901100 ), the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province ( 2023-JC-YB-185 ), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 32372236 , 31901475 ), and the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China ( 2021M702697 , 2019T120951 ). We are grateful to Pengfei Dang, Dehao Zhao, Xiaoliang Qin and Peng Wu for help with the research. We also would like to thank every reviewer.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2023/12/20
Y1 - 2023/12/20
N2 - Using biochar in agriculture to enhance soil carbon storage and productivity has been recognized as an effective means of carbon sequestration. However, the effects on crop yield and soil carbon and nitrogen can vary depending on environmental conditions, field management, and biochar conditions. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to identify the factors contributing to these inconsistencies. We found that biochar application significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidized carbon (EOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), total nitrogen (TN), and the C:N ratio in topsoil (0–20 cm) and crop yields. Biochar was most effective in tropical regions, increasing SOC, Soil TN, and crop yield the most, with relatively moderate pyrolysis temperatures (550–650 °C) more conducive to SOC accumulation and relatively low pyrolysis temperatures (<350 °C) more conducive to increasing soil carbon components and crop yields. Biochar made from manure effectively increased soil carbon components and TN. Soil with low fertility (original SOC < 5 g kg−1; original TN < 0.6 g kg−1), coarse texture, and acidity (pH < 5.5) showed more effective results. However, biochar application rates should not be too high and should be combined with appropriate nitrogen fertilizer. And biochar application had long-term positive effects on soil carbon storage and crop yield. Overall, we recommend using small amounts of biochar with lower pyrolysis temperatures in soils with low fertility, coarse texture, and tropical regions for optimal economic and environmental benefits.
AB - Using biochar in agriculture to enhance soil carbon storage and productivity has been recognized as an effective means of carbon sequestration. However, the effects on crop yield and soil carbon and nitrogen can vary depending on environmental conditions, field management, and biochar conditions. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to identify the factors contributing to these inconsistencies. We found that biochar application significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidized carbon (EOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), total nitrogen (TN), and the C:N ratio in topsoil (0–20 cm) and crop yields. Biochar was most effective in tropical regions, increasing SOC, Soil TN, and crop yield the most, with relatively moderate pyrolysis temperatures (550–650 °C) more conducive to SOC accumulation and relatively low pyrolysis temperatures (<350 °C) more conducive to increasing soil carbon components and crop yields. Biochar made from manure effectively increased soil carbon components and TN. Soil with low fertility (original SOC < 5 g kg−1; original TN < 0.6 g kg−1), coarse texture, and acidity (pH < 5.5) showed more effective results. However, biochar application rates should not be too high and should be combined with appropriate nitrogen fertilizer. And biochar application had long-term positive effects on soil carbon storage and crop yield. Overall, we recommend using small amounts of biochar with lower pyrolysis temperatures in soils with low fertility, coarse texture, and tropical regions for optimal economic and environmental benefits.
KW - Biochar
KW - Crop yield
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Soil carbon
KW - Soil total nitrogen
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85172007692&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167290
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167290
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37742948
AN - SCOPUS:85172007692
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 905
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 167290
ER -