Carbon Sequestration and Nitrogen Transformation in Soil Cooperated with Organic Composts and Biochar during Corn (Zea mays) Cultivation

Joung Du Shin

Department of Climate Change & Ecology, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Wanju, Republic of Korea.

DOI: 10.4236/jacen.2015.44010                

Abstract

Background: Objectives of this study were to investigate changes of soil carbon contents and to evaluate N mineralization and nitrification rates in soils cooperated with organic composts and biochar during the 2^nd year corn cultivation. Methods and Results: For the experiment, the soil texture used in this study was clay loam. Application rates of chemical fertilizer were 480-150- 260 kg/ha (N-P₂O₅-K₂O) as recommended amount after soil test. Biochar application was 0.2% to soil weight. The soil samples were periodically taken at every 15-day interval during corn cultivation periods. The treatments were consisted of cow compost (CC), pig compost (PC), swine digestate from aerobic digestion system (AD), and their biochar cooperation. TC contents in treatments cooperated with biochar at harvesting stages were ranged from 0.96% to 1.24%, and its CC applied plot was highest at 1.24%. It was observed that TC contents with biochar treatments were higher than the compost treatment only. Therefore, it was observed to be carbon sequestration into corn field cooperated with biochar. For nitrogen transformation in soil cooperated with organic composts and biochar, net mineralization rates were dramatically decreased at 44 days after sowing, but nitrification rates were abruptly increased at 73 days after sowing. For N mineralization and nitrification rates, it was shown that they were generally low in the soil cooperated with biochar as compared to the only application plots of different organic composts. Also, it was observed to be highest in the application plot of pig compost manure. Conclusion: Overall, application of biochar in the cropland could be an important role for mitigation of greenhouse gas as well as carbon sequestration.

Keywords

Biochar, Carbon Sequestration, Nitrogen Mineralization and Nitrification, Organic Composts

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Laird, A.D. (2008) The Charcoal Vision: A Win-Win-Win Scenario for Simultaneously Producing Bioenergy, Permanently Sequestering Carbon, While Improving Soil and Water Quality. Agronomy Journal, 100, 178-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/agrojnl2007.0161
[2]	Lehmann, J., Kern, D.C., Glaser, B. and Woods, W.I. (2004) Management. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York.
[3]	Mathews, J.A. (2008) Carbon-Negative Biofuels. Energy Policy, 36, 940-945. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.11.029
[4]	Ding, Y., Liu, Y., Wu, W., Shi, D., Yang, M. and Zhong, Z. (2010) Evaluation of Biochar Effects on Nitrogen Retention and Leaching in Multi-Layered Soil Columns. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 213, 448-453. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0366-4
[5]	Lehmann, J., Pereira da Silva, J., Steiner, C., Nehls, T., Zech, W. and Glaser, B. (2003) Nutrient Availability and Leaching in an Archaeological Anthrosol and a Ferralsol of the Central Amazon Basin: Fertilizer, Manure and Charcoal Amendments. Plant Soil, 249, 343-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1022833116184
[6]	Steiner, C., Das, K., Melear, N. and Lakly, D. (2010) Reducing Nitrogen Loss during Poultry Litter Composting Using Biochar. Journal of Environmental Quality, 39, 1236-1242. http://dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2009.0337
[7]	Taghizadeh-Toosi, A., Clough, T.J., Sherlock, R.R. and Condron, L.M. (2012) Biochar Adsorbed Ammonia Is Bioavailable. Plant Soil, 350, 57-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0870-3
[8]	Deluca, T.H., Mackenzie, M.D., Gundale, M.J. and Holben, W.E. (2006) Wieldfire Produced Charcoal Directly Influences Nitrogen Cycling in Ponderosa Pine Forests. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 70, 448-453. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0096
[9]	Steiner, C., Glaser, B., Teixeira, W.G., Lehmann, J., Blum, W.E.H. and Zech, W. (2008) Nitrogen Retention and Plant Uptake on a Highly Weathered Central Amazonian Ferralsol Amended with Compost and Charcoal. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 171, 893-899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200625199
[10]	Clough, T., Bertram, J., Ray, J., Condron, L., O’Callaghan, M., Sherlock, R. and Wells, N. (2010) Unweathered Wood Bio-Char Impact on Nitrous Oxide Emissions from a Bovine-Urine Amended Pasture Soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 74, 852. http://dx.doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0185
[11]	Laird, D., Fleming, P., Wang, B., Horton, R. and Karlen, D. (2010) Biochar Impact on Nutrient Leaching from a Midwestern Agricultural Soil. Geoderma, 158, 436-442. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.05.012
[12]	Knowles, O.A., Robinson, B.H., Contangelo, A. and Clucas, L. (2011) Biochar for the Mitigation of Nitrate Leaching from Soil Amended with Biosolids. Science of the Total Environment, 409, 3206-3210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.011
[13]	Clough, T., Condron, L., Kammann, C. and Müller, C. (2013) A Review of Biochar and Soil Nitrogen Dynamics. Agronomy, 3, 275-293. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy3020275
[14]	Biederman, L.A. and Harpole, W.S. (2013) Biochar and Its Effects on Plant Productivity and Nutrient Cycling: A Meta-Analysis. GCB Bioenergy, 5, 202-214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12037
[15]	Abbasi, M.K., Hina, M. and Tahir, M.M. (2011) Effect of Azadirachta indica (Neem), Sodium Thiosulphate and Calcium Chloride on Changes in Nitrogen Transformations and Inhibition of Nitrification in Soil Incubated under Laboratory Conditions. Chemosphere, 82, 1629-1635. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.11.044
[16]	Rondon, M., Ramirez, J.A. and Lehmann, J. (2005) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decrease with Charcoal Additions to Tropical Soils. 3rd USDA Symposium on Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture and Forestry, Baltimore, 21-24 March 2005.
[17]	Lehmann, J., Kern, D.C., Glaser, B. and Woods, W.I., Eds. (2004) Management. Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York.
[18]	Kuzyakov, Y., Subbotina, I., Chen, H., Bogomolova, I. and Xu, X. (2009) Black Carbon Decomposition and Incorporation into Soil Microbial Biomass Estimated 14C Labeling. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41, 210-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.10.016
[19]	Shin, J.D., Lee, S.I., Park, W.K., Choi, Y.S., Hong, S.G. and Park, S.W. (2014) Carbon Sequestration in Soil Cooperated with Organic Composts and Bio-Char during Corn (Zea mays) Cultivation. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 3, 151-155. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jacen.2014.34018
[20]	Shin, J.D. (2014) Nitrogen Transformation in Soil Cooperated with Organic Composts and Bio-Char during Corn (Zea mays) Cultivation. Journal of Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association, 22, 33-40.
[21]	Choi, Y.S., Shin, J.D., Lee, S.I. and Kim, S.C. (2015) Adsorption Characteristics of Aqueous Ammonium Using Rice Hull-Derived Biochar. Journal of Agricultural Environment, 34, 1-6.