Biochar Improves Maize Growth but Has a Limited Effect on Soil Properties: Evidence from a Three-Year Field Experiment

Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek, Agnieszka Latawiec, Jolanta Królczyk, Adam Bogacz, Dorota Kawałko, Magdalena Bednik and Michał Dudek
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Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek: Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland
Agnieszka Latawiec: Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Informatics, University of Agriculture, 30-159 Kraków, Poland
Jolanta Królczyk: Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, Opole University of Technology, 45-271 Opole, Poland
Adam Bogacz: Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland
Dorota Kawałko: Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland
Magdalena Bednik: Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland
Michał Dudek: Institute of Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-357 Wroclaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Biochar application is reported as a method for improving physical and chemical soil properties, with a still questionable impact on the crop yields and quality. Plant productivity can be affected by biochar properties and soil conditions. High efficiency of biochar application was reported many times for plant cultivation in tropical and arid climates; however, the knowledge of how the biochar affects soils in temperate climate zones exhibiting different properties is still limited. Therefore, a three-year-long field experiment was conducted on a loamy Haplic Luvisol, a common arable soil in Central Europe, to extend the laboratory-scale experiments on biochar effectiveness. A low-temperature pinewood biochar was applied at the rate of 50 t h −1 , and maize was selected as a tested crop. Biochar application did not significantly impact the chemical soil properties and fertility of tested soil. However, biochar improved soil physical properties and water retention, reducing plant water stress during hot dry summers, and thus resulting in better maize growth and higher yields. Limited influence of the low-temperature biochar on soil properties suggests the crucial importance of biochar-production technology and biochar properties on the effectiveness and validity of its application in agriculture.

Keywords: pinewood biochar; soil properties; maize; crop yields (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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