Biochar and Biomass Ash as a Soil Ameliorant: The Effect on Selected Soil Properties and Yield of Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus)

Bogdan Saletnik, Grzegorz Zagula, Marcin Bajcar, Maria Czernicka and Czeslaw Puchalski
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Bogdan Saletnik: Department of Bioenergetics and Food Analysis, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Cwiklinskiej 2D, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Grzegorz Zagula: Department of Bioenergetics and Food Analysis, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Cwiklinskiej 2D, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Marcin Bajcar: Department of Bioenergetics and Food Analysis, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Cwiklinskiej 2D, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Maria Czernicka: Department of Bioenergetics and Food Analysis, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Cwiklinskiej 2D, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
Czeslaw Puchalski: Department of Bioenergetics and Food Analysis, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Rzeszow University, Cwiklinskiej 2D, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: We assess the possibility of using biochar and ash from plant biomass to fertilise giant miscanthus ( Miscanthus x giganteus ). The paper concerns the optimisation of the combination of fertiliser applications of the aforementioned materials in the context of the plant yield obtained. There was an increase in yield of 8–68% over the two years of research when compared with the control plots. It was found that the application of biochar, ash from biomass and a combination of the two at appropriate rates as a soil additive can substitute for classic mineral fertilisers and strengthen the ecological aspects of energy crop cultivation. The interpretation of the results obtained enabled the selection of optimum fertiliser applications, resulting in a significant increase in the yield of plants and an improvement in soil chemical properties. It was found that the highest yield of dry matter of giant miscanthus plants, after both the first and second year of cultivation, was obtained by applying the fertiliser containing ash at a rate of 1.5 t ha −1 , together with biocarbon and the combination of biochar and ash at a rate of 1.5 t ha −1 .

Keywords: biochar; ash from biomass; giant miscanthus; fertilisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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