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Effects of biochar application on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration and crop growth in coastal saline soil
Author(s) -
Lin X. W.,
Xie Z. B.,
Zheng J. Y.,
Liu Q.,
Bei Q. C.,
Zhu J. G.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 1351-0754
DOI - 10.1111/ejss.12225
Subject(s) - biochar , carbon sequestration , greenhouse gas , soil carbon , environmental science , agronomy , slash and char , stalk , chemistry , soil water , carbon dioxide , soil science , horticulture , ecology , biology , organic chemistry , pyrolysis
Summary To evaluate the benefits of application of biochar to coastal saline soil for climate change mitigation, the effects on soil organic carbon ( SOC ), greenhouse gases ( GHGs ) and crop yields were investigated. Biochar was applied at 16 t ha −1 to study its effects on crop growth ( E xperiment I ). The effects of biochar (0, 3.2, 16 and 32 t ha −1 ) and corn stalk (7.8 t ha −1 ) on SOC and GHGs were studied using 13 C stable isotope technology and a static chamber method, respectively ( E xperiment II ). Biochar increased grain mass per plant of the wheat by 27.7% and increased SOC without influencing non‐biochar SOC . On average, 92.3% of the biochar carbon and 16.8% of corn‐stalk carbon were sequestered into the soil within 1 year. The cumulative emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O were not affected significantly by biochar but cornstalk application increased N 2 O emissions by 17.5%. The global warming mitigation potential of the biochar treatments (−3.84 to −3.17 t CO 2 ‐eq. ha −1 t −1 C ) was greater than that of the corn stalk treatment (−0.11 t CO 2 ‐eq ha −1 t −1 C ). These results suggest that biochar application improves saline soil productivity and soil carbon sequestration without increasing GHG emissions.