Abstract
Abstract The use of biochar as a soil amendment is gaining interest to mitigate climate change and improve soil fertility and crop productivity. However, studies to date show a great variability in the results depending on raw materials and pyrolysis conditions, soil characteristics, and plant species. In this study, we evaluated the effects of biochars produced from five agricultural and forestry wastes on the properties of an organic‐C‐poor, slightly acidic, and loamy sand soil and on sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth. The addition of biochar, especially at high application rates, decreased soil bulk density and increased soil field capacity, which should impact positively on plant growth and water economy. Furthermore, biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C (wheat‐straw and olive‐tree‐pruning biochars), available P (wheat‐straw biochar), and seed germination, and decreased soil nitrate concentration in all cases. The effects of biochar addition on plant dry biomass were greatly dependent upon the biochar‐application rate and biochar type, mainly associated to its nutrient content due to the low fertility of the soil used. As a result, the addition of ash‐rich biochars (produced from wheat straw and olive‐tree pruning) increased total plant dry biomass. On the other hand, the addition of biochar increased the leaf biomass allocation and decreased the stem biomass allocation. Therefore, biochar can improve soil properties and increase crop production with a consequent benefit to agriculture. However, the use of biochar as an amendment to agricultural soils should take into account its high heterogeneity, particularly in terms of nutrient availability.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition, especially at high rates, decreased soil bulk density.
- Treatment
- addition of biochare1
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Qualifier
- especially at high application ratese1
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e1“The addition of biochar, especially at high application rates, decreased soil bulk density and increased soil field capacity, which should impact positively on plant growth and water economy”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition, especially at high rates, increased soil field capacity.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e1“The addition of biochar, especially at high application rates, decreased soil bulk density and increased soil field capacity, which should impact positively on plant growth and water economy”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e2“biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition increased available P, mainly for wheat-straw biochar.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e2“biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C”
e3“available P”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition increased seed germination of sunflower.
- Taxon
- Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuuse0 - Treatment
- biochar additione2
- Outcome
- seed germinatione4
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth”
e2“biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C”
e4“and seed germination, and decreased soil nitrate concentration in all cases”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition decreased soil nitrate concentration.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e2“biochar addition to soil increased dissolved organic C”
e4“and seed germination, and decreased soil nitrate concentration in all cases”
Claim · model-written summary
The effect of biochar addition on plant dry biomass depended greatly on biochar rate and type.
- Taxon
- Helianthus annuusHelianthus annuuse0
- Treatment
- biochar additione5
- Outcome
- plant dry biomasse5
- Qualifier
- greatly dependent upone5
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth”
e5“The effects of biochar addition on plant dry biomass were greatly dependent upon the biochar”
Claim · model-written summary
Ash-rich biochar addition increased total plant dry biomass of sunflower.
- Taxon
- Helianthus annuusHelianthus annuuse0
- Treatment
- addition of ashe6
- Outcome
- total plant dry biomasse7
- Direction
- increasede7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth”
e6“As a result, the addition of ash”
e7“increased total plant dry biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition increased the leaf biomass allocation of sunflower.
- Taxon
- Helianthus annuusHelianthus annuuse0
- Treatment
- addition of biochare1
- Outcome
- leaf biomass allocatione1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth”
e1“the addition of biochar increased the leaf biomass allocation and decreased the stem biomass allocation”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar addition decreased the stem biomass allocation of sunflower.
- Taxon
- Helianthus annuusHelianthus annuuse0
- Treatment
- addition of biochare1
- Outcome
- stem biomass allocatione1
- Direction
- decreasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) growth”
e1“the addition of biochar increased the leaf biomass allocation and decreased the stem biomass allocation”
The same questions in other papers
biochar · soil: physics · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results agree
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- positive
- positive
biochar · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results agree
7 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
4 papers more in this group
See all 8 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.