Humic Acid Mitigates the Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar Application on Microbial Activity

Jiri Holatko, Tereza Hammerschmiedt, Rahul Datta, Tivadar Baltazar, Antonin Kintl, Oldrich Latal, Vaclav Pecina, Petr Sarec, Petr Novak, Ludmila Balakova, Subhan Danish, Muhammad Zafar-ul-Hye, Shah Fahad and Martin Brtnicky
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Jiri Holatko: Department of Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Tereza Hammerschmiedt: Department of Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Rahul Datta: Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrisciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Tivadar Baltazar: Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrisciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Antonin Kintl: Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrisciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Oldrich Latal: Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrisciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Vaclav Pecina: Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrisciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Petr Sarec: Department of Machinery Utilization, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Petr Novak: Department of Agricultural Machines, Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamycka 129, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
Ludmila Balakova: Department of Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
Subhan Danish: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60801, Punjab, Pakistan
Muhammad Zafar-ul-Hye: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60801, Punjab, Pakistan
Shah Fahad: Department of Agronomy, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22620, Pakistan
Martin Brtnicky: Department of Geology and Pedology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-19

Abstract: Objective: Biochar and a commercial humic acid-rich product, Humac (modified leonardite), represent soil amendments with the broad and beneficial effects on various soil properties. Their combination has been scarcely tested so far, although the positive impact of their interaction might be desirable. Materials and Methods: The dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass carbon (C mic ), soil respiration (basal and substrate-induced), enzyme activities, total carbon (C tot ), and both shoot and root biomass yield were measured and compared in the short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings. The following treatments were tested: the unamended soil (control), the Humac-amended soil (0.8 g·kg −1 ), the biochar-amended soil (low biochar 32 g·kg −1 , high biochar 80 g·kg −1 ), and the soil-amended with biochar + Humac. Results: The effect of both amendments on the soil pH was insignificant. The highest average values of C tot and C mic were detected in high biochar treatment and the highest average values of basal and substrate-induced respiration (glucose, glucosamine, alanine) were detected in the low biochar treatment. The phosphatase activity and fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomass were the highest in the low biochar + Humac treatment. Conclusions: Even though the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (C mic , DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose, they mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration (all the types) and the enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activities. In contrast to the previously published research in this issue, the effects could not be attributed to the change of the soil pH.

Keywords: organic amendment; priming effect; soil dehydrogenase; microbial biomass carbon; respiration; enzymes; plant biomass; soil health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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