Effect of Particle Size, Amounts, and Sources of Biochar on Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity in Two Texturally Different Soils

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Biochar application to agricultural soils has been proposed as a way to increase crop production by improving soil properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of sources, amounts, and particle sizes of biochar on saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) in two silty clay loam and sandy loam soils. In this study, palm leaf and lemon peel biochars were pyrolyzed at 500 °C for 3h. The obtained biochar was sorted into three particle sizes of ≤ 0.8, 0.8-2, and 2-4 mm, mixed into the soils at rate of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%wt, and incubated in a research glasshouse of Shiraz University for 15 months (2019 to 2020). Results showed that the application of 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% of biochar caused a significant decrease in the mean value of Ksat in sandy loam by about 9%, 32%, 58%, and 65%, respectively, and also caused significant increase in the silty clay loam soil (except for 0.5%) by about 51%, 104%, and 231%, respectively, as compared to the control. Compared to lemon peel biochar, palm leaf biochar caused a significant increase in Ksat by 42% in the silty clay loam soil, but a significant decrease by 12% in the sandy loam soil. Furthermore, greater effects of the Ksat in both soils were observed after application of the fine size fraction of biochar (< 0.8 mm). The highest increase of Ksat in the silty clay loam soil and the highest decrease of Ksat in the sandy loam soil was observed in the soils treated by 4% of palm leaf biochar with particle size of smaller than 0.8 mm. In general, the results of this study can be used as a guide for selecting the amount and size of the applied biochar in terms of their effects on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity..

Keywords

Main Subjects


  1. Ajayi, A. E., Holthusen, D. and Horn, R. (2016). Changes in microstructural behaviour and hydraulic functions of biochar amended soils. Soil and Tillage Research, 155: 166–175.
  2. Asai, H., Samson, B. K., Stephan, H. M., Songyikhangsuthor, K., Homma, K., Kiyono, Y., ... and Horie, T. (2009). Biochar amendment techniques for upland rice production in Northern Laos: 1. Soil physical properties, leaf SPAD and grain yield. Field Crops Research, 111(1-2): 81-84.
  3. Baiamonte, G., Crescimanno, G., Parrino, F. and De Pasquale, C. (2019). Effect of biochar on the physical and structural properties of a sandy soil. Catena, 175: 294-303.
  4. Blanco-Canqui, H. (2017). Biochar and soil physical properties. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 81(4): 687-711.
  5. Burrell, L. D., Zehetner, F., Rampazzo, N., Wimmer, B. and Soja, G. (2016). Long-term effects of biochar on soil physical properties. Geoderma, 282: 96–102.
  6. Carvalho, M. T. M., Madari, B. E., Bastiaas, L., Van Oort, P. A. J., Leal, W. G. O., Heinemann, A. B., Da Silva, M. A. S., Maia, A. H. N., Parsons, D. and Meinke, H. (2016). Properties of a clay soil from 1.5 to 3.5 years after biochar application and the impact on rice yield. Geoderma, 276: 7-18.
  7. Castellini, M., Giglio, L., Niedda, M., Palumbo, A. D. and Ventrella, D. (2015). Impact of biochar addition on the physical and hydraulic properties of a clay soil. Soil and Tillage Research, 154: 1-13.
  8. Edeh, I. G., Mašek, O. and Buss, W. (2020). A meta-analysis on biochar's effects on soil water properties–New insights and future research challenges. Science of the Total Environment, 714: 136857.
  9. Gavili, E., Moosavi, A. A. and Moradi, F. (2018). Assessing cattle manure biochar potential for ameliorating physical soil features and spinach responses under drought stress conditions. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 64(12): 1714-27.
  10. Githinji, L. (2014). Effect of biochar application rate on soil physical and hydraulic properties of a sandy loam. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science60(4), 457-470.
  11. Gląb, T., Palmowska, J., Zaleski, T. and Gondek, K. (2016). Effect of biochar application on soil hydrological properties and physical quality of sandy soil. Geoderma, 281: 11–20.
  12. Gluba, Ł., Rafalska-Przysucha, A., Szewczak, K., Łukowski, M., Szlązak, R., Vitková, J., ... and Usowicz, B. (2021). Effect of Fine Size‑Fractionated Sunflower Husk Biochar on Water Retention Properties of Arable Sandy Soil. Materials, 14(6): 1335.
  13. Herath, H. M. S. K., Camps-Arbestain, M., and Hedley, M. (2013). Effect of biochar on soil physical properties in two contrasting soils: an Alfisol and an Andisol. Geoderma, 209: 188-197.
  14. Hussain, R., Ghosh, K. K. and Ravi, K. (2021). Influence of biochar particle size on the hydraulic conductivity of two different compacted engineered soils. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 1-11.
  15. Ibrahim, A., Usman, A. R. A., Al-Wabel, M. I., Nadeem, M., Ok, Y. S. & Al-Omran, A. (2017). Effects of conocarpus biochar on hydraulic properties of calcareous sandy soil: influence of particle size and application depth. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 63(2): 185-197.
  16. Jien, S. H. and Wang, C. S. (2013). Effects of biochar on soil properties and erosion potential in a highly weathered soil. Catena, 110: 225–233.
  17. Kapoor, A., Sharma, R., Kumar, A. and Sepehya, S. (2022). Biochar as a means to improve soil fertility and crop productivity: a review. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 1-9.
  18. Lal, R. (2004). Carbon sequestration in dry land ecosystems. Environmental Management, 33: 528–544.
  19. Lebrun, M., Miard, F., Nandillon, R., Hattab-Hambli, N., Scippa, G. S., Bourgerie, S. and Morabito, D. (2018). Eco-restoration of a mine technosol according to biochar particle size and dose application: study of soil physico-chemical properties and phytostabilization capacities of Salix viminalis. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18(6): 2188-2202.
  20. Liang, C., Gasco, G., Fu, S., Mendez, A., and Paz-Ferreiro, J. (2016). Biochar from pruning residues as a soil amendment: Effects of pyrolysis temperature and particle size. Soil and Tillage Research, 164: 3-10.
  21. Lim, T. J., Spokas, K. A., Feyereisen, G. and Novak, J. M. (2016). Predicting the impact of biochar additions on soil hydraulic properties. Chemosphere, 142: 136-144.
  22. Liu, Z., Dugan, B., Masiello, C. A., Barnes, R. T., Gallagher, M. E. and Gonnermann, H. (2016). Impacts of biochar concentration and particle size on hydraulic conductivity and DOC leaching of biochar–sand mixtures. Journal of Hydrology, 533: 461-472.
  23. Lychuk, T. E., Izaurralde, R. C., Hill, R. L., McGill, W. B. and Williams, J. R. (2015). Biochar as a global change adaptation: predicting biochar impacts on crop productivity and soil quality for a tropical soil with the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 20(8): 1437-1458.
  24. Moradi-Choghamarani, F., Moosavi, A. A., Sepaskhah, A. R. and Baghernejad, M. (2019). Physico-hydraulic properties of sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar: the role of pyrolysis temperature. Cellulose, 26(12): 7125-7143.
  25. Novak, J., Sigua, G., Watts, D., Cantrell, K., Shumaker, P., Szogi, A., ... and Spokas, K. (2016). Biochars impact on water infiltration and water quality through a compacted subsoil layer. Chemosphere, 142: 160-167.
  26. Sangani, M. F., Abrishamkesh, S. and Owens, G. (2020). Physicochemical characteristics of biochars can be beneficially manipulated using post-pyrolyzed particle size modification. Bioresource Technology, 306: 123-157.
  27. Sarfraz, R., Yang, W., Wang, S., Zhou, B. and Xing, S. (2020). Short term effects of biochar with different particle sizes on phosphorous availability and microbial communities. Chemosphere, 256: 126862.
  28. Trifunovic, B., Gonzales, H. B., Ravi, S., Sharratt, B. S. and Mohanty, S. K. (2018). Dynamic effects of biochar concentration and particle size on hydraulic properties of sand. Land Degradation & Development, 29(4): 884-893.
  29. Uzoma, K. C., Inoue, M., Andry, H., Fujimaki, H., Zahoor, A. and Nishihara, E. (2011). Effect of cow manure biochar on maize productivity under sandy soil condition. Soil Use and Management, 27(2): 205-212.
  30. Van Dijk, M., Morley, T., Rau, M. L. and Saghai, Y. (2021). A meta-analysis of projected global food demand and population at risk of hunger for the period 2010–2050. Nature Food, 2(7): 494-501.
  31. Verheijen, F. G., Zhuravel, A., Silva, F. C., Amaro, A., Ben-Hur, M., and Keizer, J. J. (2019). The influence of biochar particle size and concentration on bulk density and maximum water holding capacity of sandy vs sandy loam soil in a column experiment. Geoderma, 347: 194-202.
  32. Villagra-Mendoza, K. and Horn, R. (2018). Effect of biochar addition on hydraulic functions of two textural soils. Geoderma, 326: 88-95.
  33. Wang, K., Zhang, X., Sun, C., Yang, K., Zheng, J. and Zhou, J. (2021). Biochar application alters soil structure but not soil hydraulic conductivity of an expansive clayey soil under field conditions. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 21(1): 73-82.
  34. Wang, M., Moore, T. R., Talbot, J. and Riley, J. L. (2015). The stoichiometry of carbon and nutrients in peat formation. Global Biogeochemical Cycles: 29, 1–9.
  35. Wong, J. T. F., Chen, Z., Chen, X., Ng, C. W. W. and Wong, M. H. (2017). Soil-water retention behavior of compacted biochar-amended clay: a novel landfill final cover material. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 17(3): 590-598.
  36. Wong, J. T. F., Chen, Z., Wong, A. Y. Y., Ng, C. W. W. and Wong, M. H. (2018). Effects of biochar on hydraulic conductivity of compacted kaolin clay. Environmental Pollution, 234: 468-472.
  37. Wong, J. T. F., Chow, K. L., Chen, X. W., Ng, C. W. W. and Wong, M. H. (2022). Effects of biochar on soil water retention curves of compacted clay during wetting and drying. Biochar, 4(1): 1-14.
  38. Yan, Y., Nakhli, S. A. A., Jin, J., Mills, G., Willson, C. S., Legates, D. R., ... and Imhoff, P. T. (2021). Predicting the impact of biochar on the saturated hydraulic conductivity of natural and engineered media. Journal of Environmental Management, 295: 113143.
  39. Zhang, J., Qun, C. H. E. N., and Changfu, Y. O. U. (2016). Biochar effect on water evaporation and hydraulic conductivity in sandy soil. Pedosphere, 26(2): 265-272.
  40. Zhang, Y., Wang, J. and Feng, Y. (2021). The effects of biochar addition on soil physicochemical properties: A review. Catena, 202: 105284.