Mitigating Soil Erosion through Biomass-Derived Biochar: Exploring the Influence of Feedstock Types and Pyrolysis Temperature

Owais Ali Wani (), Farida Akhter, Shamal Shasang Kumar, Subhash Babu, Raihana Habib Kanth, Shakeel Ahmad Mir, Syed Sheraz Mahdi, Abdul Raouf Malik, Shabir Bangroo, Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar, Simona M. Popescu and Sanjay Singh Rathore
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Owais Ali Wani: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India
Farida Akhter: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India
Shamal Shasang Kumar: Department of Agronomy (Rootcrops), Ministry of Agriculture & Waterways (MOAW), Suva City P.O. Box 77, Fiji
Subhash Babu: Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Raihana Habib Kanth: Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India
Shakeel Ahmad Mir: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India
Syed Sheraz Mahdi: Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India
Abdul Raouf Malik: Division of Fruit Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 190025, India
Shabir Bangroo: Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 190025, India
Abdel-Rhman Z. Gaafar: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh P.O. Box 11451, Saudi Arabia
Simona M. Popescu: Department of Biology and Environmental Engineering, University of Craiova, 13, A.I.Cuza, 200585 Craiova, Romania
Sanjay Singh Rathore: Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Soil erosion is one of the major emerging threats to the Himalayan ecosystem. There is a dearth of diverse, cost-effective erosion control measures in the region. In the Himalayan region, where agriculture plays a pivotal role in local livelihoods and environmental stability, the management of soil erosion is of paramount importance. Hence, this study investigates the impact of biochar application on soil erosion and its related indices in the temperate Himalayas of India. This study employs a combination of physicochemical analysis and field experiments to assess the influence of biochar on soil erodibility. The research objectives include an examination of the influence of different temperature pyrolyzed biomasses and varying application rates on soil erodibility indices, viz., dispersion ratio (DR), percolation ratio (PR), clay ratio (CR), erosion ratio (ER), and mean weight diameter (MWD), considering two distinct fertilizer regimes. This study yielded quantitative results that shed light on the impact of various soil amendments and application rates on soil erodibility in the temperate Himalayas. Results showed that the mean values of the DR exhibited by amendment levels NB, AB400, AB600, RAC, DW400, DW600, and RDW were 0.37, 0.35, 0.51, 0.44, 0.51, 0.47, and 0.91, respectively. The mean values of DR for different amendment levels varied, with RDW exhibiting the highest erodibility at 0.91, while DW400 and DW600 demonstrated less soil disturbance, making them promising choices for soil erosion mitigation. Notably, the application of pyrolyzed weed residue improved soil erodibility, whereas AB600 resulted in increased soil erosion due to aggregate disintegration, as indicated by the MWD. Aquatic weed residues and apple wood chips applied without pyrolysis increased the soil erodibility, while pyrolyzed residues improved soil erodibility. The DR was 0.41 at the high application rate, 0.48 at the medium rate, and 0.61 at the low application rate. Among application rates, low rates (1 t ha −1 ) had the highest DR, followed by medium rates (2 t ha −1 ) and high rates (3 t ha −1 ). The no-fertilizer level exhibited higher DR (0.49) compared to the fertilized level (0.38). Results inferred that the application of AB400 °C at 3 t ha −1 can be adopted to minimize soil erosion and maintain ecological security in the temperate Himalayas.

Keywords: biochar; carbon; clay ratio; dispersion ratio; erosion; aquatic weed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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