Effect of biochar on soil CO2 production

Abstract

Received: 2016-06-13 | Accepted: 2016-12-13 | Available online: 2017-12-31
http://dx.doi.org/10.15414/afz.2017.20.04.72-77

The study focuses on looking for answers to the following questions: 1. Is biochar application a suitable solution for reducing CO₂ emissions? 2. What application rate significantly reduces CO₂ production to the atmosphere? 3. Does have the application of enriched biochar a justification in relation to reducing CO₂ production? The experiment was established on Haplic Luvisol at the experimental site of SUA in Nitra (Dolná Malanta), where we measured CO₂ emissions from the soil to the atmosphere under the following treatments: different rates (0, 10, 20 t ha^-1) of pure biochar (B0, B10 a B20) and enriched biochar (EB10, EB20) combined with different levels of mineral nitrogen at doses of 0, 40 and 80 kg ha^-1 (N0, N40, N80). Overall, the average values of CO₂ emissions were lower by 19.8 %, 13.3 %, 12.9 %, 9.4 % and 8.7 % in B10N0, B20N40, B20N0, B20N80 and B10N40 treatments as compared to B0N0 (control) during the studied period. On the other hand, the average values of CO₂ were higher by 20% in B10N80 treatments as compared to control (B0N0). Application of enriched biochar whether individually (EB10N0, EB20N0) or with additional N (EB10N40, EB20N40, EB10N80, EB20N80) increased average CO₂ by 29.7 %, 34.6 %, 36.0 %, 44.9 %, 45.8 % and 53.6 % as compared to control (B0N0). The cumulative CO₂ emissions for the whole studied period (2014) were in the following order from the lowest one B10N0 < B20N0 < B20N40 < B20N80 < B10N40 < B0N0 (control) < B10N80 < EB20N40 < EB20N80 < EB10N80 < EB20N0 < EB10N0 < EB10N40.

Keywords: biochar, enriched biochar, N-fertilization, CO₂ emission

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