Abstract
Excessive, long-term chemical fertilizer application adversely affects soil quality and maize yield. The combined application of biochar with chemical fertilizer can increase maize yield and improve soil fertility. A four-year field experiment was conducted to determine soil physio-biochemical properties and maize yield under a soybean–maize rotation in the black soils of Northeast China. There were five treatments, including no fertilization (CK), fertilizer (NPK), fertilizer + biochar (15.75 t·hm−2, BC1), fertilizer + biochar (31.50 t·hm−2, BC2), and fertilizer + biochar (47.25 t·hm−2, BC3). Compared with CK, the number of macroaggregates and the average weight diameter of soil aggregates in BC2 treatment increased significantly by 10.3% and 24.5%, respectively. The soil pH in the study area was 7.03, and it increased in all treatments except for BC1. The highest pH of 7.17 was recorded in NPK and BC2 treatments, which was around the optimal soil pH. In contrast to the CK and NPK treatments, the biochar application increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content. The BC2 treatment improved soil C/N and increased the copy number of soil bacteria by 25.6% compared to CK. The combined application of chemical fertilizer and biochar was better than NPK treatment alone, and improved soil mechanical composition and fine soil particle contents (powder and clay). Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer application also significantly increased maize yield and the weight of 100 grains increased from 9.5% to 10.9% compared to CK. The maize yield of the three fertilizer and biochar treatments was higher than treatments with applied chemical fertilizer alone, in the order of BC2 > BC3 > BC1 > NPK > CK (BC2 treatment increased by 34.8%). Additionally, the maize yield was significantly and positively correlated with soil aggregates, organic carbon and total nitrogen (p < 0.05) as well as the 100-grain weight (p < 0.01). The application of 31.50 t·hm−2 (BC2 treatment) of biochar can enhance soil physicochemical properties and improve maize yield.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
BC2 biochar treatment increased the number of soil macroaggregates by 10.3% compared with CK.
- Treatment
- BC2 treatmente1
- Outcome
- number of macroaggregatese1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 10.3%e1
- Comparator
- CKe1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“Compared with CK, the number of macroaggregates and the average weight diameter of soil aggregates in BC2 treatment increased significantly by 10.3% and 24.5%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
BC2 biochar treatment increased the average weight diameter of soil aggregates by 24.5% compared with CK.
- Treatment
- BC2 treatmente1
- Outcome
- average weight diameter of soil aggregatese1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 24.5%e1
- Comparator
- CKe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“Compared with CK, the number of macroaggregates and the average weight diameter of soil aggregates in BC2 treatment increased significantly by 10.3% and 24.5%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil pH increased in all biochar treatments except BC1 relative to the initial 7.03.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e2“The soil pH in the study area was 7.03, and it increased in all treatments except for BC1”
Claim · model-written summary
The highest soil pH of 7.17 was recorded in the NPK and BC2 treatments.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e3“The highest pH of 7.17 was recorded in NPK and BC2 treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar application increased soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content compared with CK and NPK treatments.
- Treatment
- biochar applicatione4
- Outcome
- soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contente4
- Direction
- increasede4
- Comparator
- CK and NPK treatmentse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e4“In contrast to the CK and NPK treatments, the biochar application increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content”
Claim · model-written summary
The BC2 treatment improved soil C/N compared with CK.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e5“The BC2 treatment improved soil C/N and increased the copy number of soil bacteria by 25.6% compared to CK”
Claim · model-written summary
The BC2 treatment increased the copy number of soil bacteria by 25.6% compared with CK.
- Treatment
- BC2 treatmente5
- Outcome
- copy number of soil bacteriae5
- Direction
- increasede5
- Value
- 25.6%e5
- Comparator
- CKe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e5“The BC2 treatment improved soil C/N and increased the copy number of soil bacteria by 25.6% compared to CK”
Claim · model-written summary
The combined chemical fertilizer and biochar application improved soil mechanical composition and fine particle contents relative to NPK alone.
- Treatment
- combined application of chemical fertilizer and biochare6
- Outcome
- soil mechanical composition and fine soil particle contentse6
- Direction
- improvede6
- Comparator
- NPK treatment alonee6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e6“The combined application of chemical fertilizer and biochar was better than NPK treatment alone, and improved soil mechanical composition and fine soil particle contents (powder and clay)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer significantly increased maize yield compared with CK.
- Treatment
- Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer applicatione7
- Outcome
- maize yielde7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Comparator
- CKe7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e7“Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer application also significantly increased maize yield and the weight of 100 grains increased from 9.5% to 10.9% compared to CK”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer increased the weight of 100 grains from 9.5% to 10.9% compared with CK.
- Treatment
- Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer applicatione7
- Outcome
- weight of 100 grainse7
- Direction
- increasede7
- Value
- from 9.5% to 10.9%e7
- Comparator
- CKe7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e7“Mixed biochar with chemical fertilizer application also significantly increased maize yield and the weight of 100 grains increased from 9.5% to 10.9% compared to CK”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar treatments with fertilizer gave higher maize yield than chemical fertilizer alone, in the order BC2 > BC3 > BC1 > NPK > CK.
- Treatment
- three fertilizer and biochar treatmentse1
- Outcome
- maize yielde1
- Direction
- highere1
- Qualifier
- in the order of BC2 > BC3 > BC1 > NPK > CKe1
- Comparator
- treatments with applied chemical fertilizer alonee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“The maize yield of the three fertilizer and biochar treatments was higher than treatments with applied chemical fertilizer alone, in the order of BC2 > BC3 > BC1 > NPK > CK (BC2 treatment increased by 34.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
BC2 biochar treatment increased maize yield by 34.8%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“The maize yield of the three fertilizer and biochar treatments was higher than treatments with applied chemical fertilizer alone, in the order of BC2 > BC3 > BC1 > NPK > CK (BC2 treatment increased by 34.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield was significantly and positively correlated with soil aggregates, organic carbon and total nitrogen.
- Compound
- organic carbon and total nitrogene1
- Outcome
- maize yielde1
- Direction
- positivelye1
- Qualifier
- p < 0.05e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“the maize yield was significantly and positively correlated with soil aggregates, organic carbon and total nitrogen (p < 0.05) as well as the 100-grain weight (p < 0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize yield was significantly and positively correlated with 100-grain weight.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Maize Yield”
e1“the maize yield was significantly and positively correlated with soil aggregates, organic carbon and total nitrogen (p < 0.05) as well as the 100-grain weight (p < 0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend applying 31.50 t·hm−2 (BC2 treatment) of biochar to improve soil properties and maize yield.
- Outcome
- application of 31.50 t·hm−2 (BC2 treatment) of biochare1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The application of 31.50 t·hm−2 (BC2 treatment) of biochar can enhance soil physicochemical properties and improve maize yield”
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