Paper · 2020 · Sustainability

Humic Acid Mitigates the Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar Application on Microbial Activity

Jiri Holatko; Tereza Hammerschmiedt; Rahul Datta; et al.

10
claims
23
verbatim quotes
30
citations
2
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

Objective: Biochar and a commercial humic acid-rich product, Humac (modified leonardite), represent soil amendments with the broad and beneficial effects on various soil properties. Their combination has been scarcely tested so far, although the positive impact of their interaction might be desirable. Materials and Methods: The dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), soil respiration (basal and substrate-induced), enzyme activities, total carbon (Ctot), and both shoot and root biomass yield were measured and compared in the short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings. The following treatments were tested: the unamended soil (control), the Humac-amended soil (0.8 g·kg−1), the biochar-amended soil (low biochar 32 g·kg−1, high biochar 80 g·kg−1), and the soil-amended with biochar + Humac. Results: The effect of both amendments on the soil pH was insignificant. The highest average values of Ctot and Cmic were detected in high biochar treatment and the highest average values of basal and substrate-induced respiration (glucose, glucosamine, alanine) were detected in the low biochar treatment. The phosphatase activity and fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomass were the highest in the low biochar + Humac treatment. Conclusions: Even though the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (Cmic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose, they mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration (all the types) and the enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activities. In contrast to the previously published research in this issue, the effects could not be attributed to the change of the soil pH.

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Claims 10

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultno effectnot significant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Humac and biochar amendments did not change soil pH in lettuce pot experiment.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
both amendmentse1
Outcome
soil pHe1
Direction
no_changeinferrede1
Comparator
the unamended soil (control)e3
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“The effect of both amendments on the soil pH was insignificant”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 838–900 · show in text ↑
e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e3

“the unamended soil (control)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 645–673 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

High biochar treatment had the highest Ctot and Cmic values in lettuce pot experiment.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
high biochar treatmente4
Outcome
Ctot and Cmice4
Direction
higheste4
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e4

“The highest average values of Ctot and Cmic were detected in high biochar treatment”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 902–985 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Basal and substrate-induced respiration was highest in the low biochar treatment in lettuce pot experiment.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
low biochar treatmente5
Outcome
basal and substrate-induced respiratione5
Direction
higheste5
Qualifier
(glucose, glucosamine, alanine)e5
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e5

“the highest average values of basal and substrate-induced respiration (glucose, glucosamine, alanine) were detected in the low biochar treatment”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 990–1134 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Low biochar combined with Humac gave the highest phosphatase activity in lettuce pot experiment.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae6
Treatment
low biochar + Humac treatmente6
Outcome
phosphatase activitye6
Direction
higheste6
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e6

“The phosphatase activity and fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomass were the highest in the low biochar + Humac treatment”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1136–1260 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Low biochar combined with Humac gave the highest fresh and dry aboveground lettuce biomass.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae6
Organ / stage
abovegrounde6
Treatment
low biochar + Humac treatmente6
Outcome
fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomasse6
Direction
higheste6
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e6

“The phosphatase activity and fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomass were the highest in the low biochar + Humac treatment”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1136–1260 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combination of biochar and Humac decreased Cmic, DHA and enzyme activities at the low biochar dose.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
combination of both biochar + Humace7
Outcome
Cmic, DHA, enzymese7
Direction
decreasede7
Qualifier
at the low biochar dosee7
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e7

“the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (Cmic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1287–1457 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combination of biochar and Humac decreased substrate-induced respiration at the low biochar dose.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
combination of both biochar + Humace7
Outcome
substrate-induced respiratione7
Direction
decreasede7
Qualifier
at the low biochar dosee7
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Not reportedComparator

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e7

“the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (Cmic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1287–1457 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combination of biochar and Humac mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
combination of both biochar + Humace0
Outcome
respiration (all the types)e1
Direction
mitigatede1
Comparator
the high biochar dosee1
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e0

“the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (Cmic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1287–1457 · show in text ↑
e1

“they mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration (all the types) and the enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activities”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1459–1608 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The combination of biochar and Humac mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on enzyme activities.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Treatment
combination of both biochar + Humace0
Outcome
enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activitiese1
Direction
mitigatede1
Comparator
the high biochar dosee1
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e0

“the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (Cmic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1287–1457 · show in text ↑
e1

“they mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration (all the types) and the enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activities”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1459–1608 · show in text ↑
Mechanismauthor interpretationoriginal resultno effectbasis n/a

Claim · model-written summary

The effects of the amendments could not be attributed to the change of soil pH.

Taxon
lettuceLactuca sativae2
Outcome
the effectse0
Qualifier
could not be attributed to the change of the soil pHe0
Setting
short-term pot experimente2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lactuca sativa
Lactuca sativa · Taxonen:User:Geographer · CC BY 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e2

“short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 553–605 · show in text ↑
e0

“the effects could not be attributed to the change of the soil pH”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1674–1738 · show in text ↑

biochar · growth · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Results differ

52 papers: 41 positive, 11 negative or no effect

40 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

48 papers more in this group

See all 52 papers →

other · soil: chemistry · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results

5 papers: 3 positive, 2 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

1 paper more in this group

See all 5 papers →

biochar · soil: biology · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results

11 papers: 9 positive, 2 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 9 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

7 papers more in this group

See all 11 papers →

biochar · physiology: enzyme activity · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Results agree

2 papers: 2 positive, 0 negative or no effect

1 paper in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
See all 2 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.