Biochars Impact on Soil-Moisture Storage in an Ultisol and Two Aridisols
- 1 May 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Soil Science
- Vol. 177 (5), 310-320
- https://doi.org/10.1097/ss.0b013e31824e5593
Abstract
Biochar additions to soils can improve soil-water storage capability; however, there is sparse information identifying feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions that maximize this improvement. Nine biochars were pyrolyzed from five feedstocks at two temperatures, and their physical and chemical properties were characterized. Biochars were mixed at 2% wt wt−1 into a Norfolk loamy sand (Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kandiudult), a Declo silt loam (Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic xeric Haplocalcid), or a Warden silt loam (Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic xeric Haplocambid). Untreated soils served as controls. Soils were laboratory incubated in pots for 127 days and were leached about every 30 days with deionized water. Soil bulk densities were measured before each leaching event. For 6 days thereafter, pot-holding capacities (PHC) for water were determined gravimetrically and were used as a surrogate for soil-moisture contents. Water tension curves were also measured on the biochar-treated and untreated Norfolk soil. Biochar surface area, surface tension, ash, C, and Si contents, in general, increased when produced under higher pyrolytic temperatures (≥500°C). Both switchgrass biochars caused the most significant water PHC improvements in the Norfolk, Declo, and Warden soils compared with the controls. Norfolk soil-water tension results at 5 and 60 kPa corroborated that biochar from switchgrass caused the most significant moisture storage improvements. Significant correlation occurred between the PHC for water with soil bulk densities. In general, biochar amendments enhanced the moisture storage capacity of Ultisols and Aridisols, but the effect varied with feedstock selection and pyrolysis temperature.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- High-Temperature Pyrolysis of Blended Animal Manures for Producing Renewable Energy and Value-Added BiocharIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2010
- Impact of biochar amendments on the quality of a typical Midwestern agricultural soilGeoderma, 2010
- Plasticity in physiological traits in conifers: Implications for response to climate change in the western U.S.Environmental Pollution, 2010
- Analysis and Comparison of Bio-Oil Produced by Fast Pyrolysis from Three Barley Biomass/Byproduct StreamsEnergy & Fuels, 2010
- Influence of biochar use on sugarcane growth, soil parameters, and groundwater qualitySoil Research, 2010
- Role of Thermochemical Conversion in Livestock Waste-to-Energy Treatments: Obstacles and OpportunitiesIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2007
- Silica in Plants: Biological, Biochemical and Chemical StudiesAnnals of Botany, 2007
- Black Carbon Increases Cation Exchange Capacity in SoilsSoil Science Society of America Journal, 2006
- Renewable fuels and chemicals by thermal processing of biomassChemical Engineering Journal, 2003
- Evaluation of the nitrogen content in poultry manureWorld's Poultry Science Journal, 2003