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Gaseous carbon and nitrogen losses during composting of carbonized and un‐carbonized agricultural residues in northern Ghana
Author(s) -
Manka'abusi Delphine,
Steiner Christoph,
Haering Volker,
Abubakari Abdul–Halim,
Marschner Bernd,
Buerkert Andreas
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.201800225
Subject(s) - biochar , compost , carbonization , nitrogen , chemistry , charcoal , husk , straw , total organic carbon , crop residue , carbon fibers , raw material , environmental chemistry , zoology , agronomy , pyrolysis , botany , materials science , agriculture , organic chemistry , adsorption , inorganic chemistry , ecology , composite number , composite material , biology
Abstract Adding biochar to nutrient rich organic matter during composting reportedly reduces nitrogen (N) volatilization and carbonization of feedstock stabilized organic carbon (C). We studied the effects of biochar, produced from agricultural residue as compost additives, on CO 2 , N 2 O, and NH 3 fluxes in northern Ghana. Three biochar types [from corn cobs (cCC), rice husks (cRH), and wood (cWO)] and their uncharred feedstocks (CC, RH, and WO), were co‐composted with poultry manure (15 vol.‐%) and rice straw (60 vol.‐%) in randomly allocated 1 m 3 compost bins. Emissions were measured using a closed chamber system composed of a photo‐acoustic infrared gas analyser (INNOVA 1312‐5). Biochar amended composts showed higher CO 2 ‐C emission rates during the initial composting phase. Maximum CO 2 ‐C flux rates during the first week reached 15 g CO 2 ‐C m −2 h −1 in cRH and 12 g CO 2 ‐C m −2 h −1 for RH, while those from cCC were 19 g CO 2 ‐C m −2 h −1 and from CC 14 g CO 2 ‐C m −2 h −1 . Respiration significantly dropped during the last week of composting and lower rates recorded with carbonized compared with the un‐carbonized feedstocks. Total CO 2 ‐C losses were 12 kg m −2 34 d −1 for RH and 9 kg m −2 34 d −1 for cRH, resulting in a 29% reduction of CO 2 ‐C. Emissions were 9 and 10 kg CO 2 ‐C m −2 34 d −1 for cCC and CC, while cWO and WO emitted 7 and 8 kg CO 2 ‐C m −2 34 d −1 , respectively. Volatilization of NH 3 ‐N was significantly lower in compost containing cWO (89 g N m −2 34 d −1 ) compared to WO (166 g N m −2 34 d −1 ), while N 2 O‐N emissions were lower in compost mixtures containing cRH (27%), cCC (7%), and cWO (16%) compared with their un‐carbonized feedstock.