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22 December 2022 Biochar applications to boreal podzol improve soil hydraulic properties and control nitrogen dynamics
Ratnajit Saha, Raymond Thomas, Kelly Hawboldt, Muhammad Nadeem, Mumtaz Cheema, Lakshman Galagedara
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The study aimed to investigate the effects of biochar (BC) application on hydraulic properties and nitrogen (N) transport in a podzolic soil profile. Soil samples were collected from an agricultural research field in Pasadena, Newfoundland, Canada. The following three types of leaching columns were prepared: (i) topsoil, (ii) top and E-horizon soil, and (iii) mixed soil (2:1 ratio of topsoil and E-horizon soil). Granular biochar (GBC) and powder biochar (PBC) were mixed with soils at the rate of 0%, 1% and 2% (w/w). BC’s morphological structure and pore size distribution were examined using a scanning electron microscope, and the specific surface area was assessed by the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller method. Soil physical and hydraulic properties (bulk density, porosity, field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point, plant available water (PAW)), leaching concentration of nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4+), and volume of leachate were measured through a total of 378 experiments under laboratory conditions. GBC and PBC showed hydrophobic and hydrophilic characteristics, respectively. With the 2% PBC amendment, porosity increased by 3%, FC by 10%, and PAW by 13% in the mixed soil and reduced NO3 leaching by 36% in top and E-horizon soil and NH4+ leaching by 72% in mixed soil. On the other hand, NO3 and NH4+ leaching was reduced by 26% and 33% in mixed soil when treated with 2% GBC. A 2% application rate for both BC (GBC and PBC) showed the best performance to enhance soil hydraulic properties and retain significant amounts of NO3 and NH4+ in the boreal podzol.

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Ratnajit Saha, Raymond Thomas, Kelly Hawboldt, Muhammad Nadeem, Mumtaz Cheema, and Lakshman Galagedara "Biochar applications to boreal podzol improve soil hydraulic properties and control nitrogen dynamics," Canadian Journal of Soil Science 103(2), 353-371, (22 December 2022). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjss-2022-0086
Received: 14 July 2022; Accepted: 30 November 2022; Published: 22 December 2022
JOURNAL ARTICLE
19 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
Granular biochar
hydraulic properties
nitrogen retention
podzolic soil
powder biochar
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