Pyrolysis Temperature Affects Dissolved Phosphorus and Carbon Levels in Alkali-Enhanced Biochar and Its Soil Applications

Meng Wang; Jim J. Wang; Jong-Hwan Park; Jian Wang; Xudong Wang; Zuoping Zhao; Fengmin Song; Bo Tang

doi:10.3390/agronomy12081923

Agronomy (Aug 2022)

Pyrolysis Temperature Affects Dissolved Phosphorus and Carbon Levels in Alkali-Enhanced Biochar and Its Soil Applications

Meng Wang,
Jim J. Wang,
Jong-Hwan Park,
Jian Wang,
Xudong Wang,
Zuoping Zhao,
Fengmin Song,
Bo Tang

Affiliations

Meng Wang: College of Chemical and Environment Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, China
Jim J. Wang: School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Science, Louisiana State University, 104 Sturgis Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Jong-Hwan Park: School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Science, Louisiana State University, 104 Sturgis Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Jian Wang: School of Humanities, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, China
Xudong Wang: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Zuoping Zhao: College of Chemical and Environment Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, China
Fengmin Song: College of Chemical and Environment Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, China
Bo Tang: College of Chemical and Environment Science, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723001, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081923
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 8
p. 1923

Abstract

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Alkali-enhanced biochars, as an environment-friendly material, combine the advantages of biomass nutrients and carbon fixation. In this study, rice-residue-derived biochars were evaluated for P and C solubility and their amendment upon plant P uptake. Biochars from rice straw (RS) and husk (RH), including raw biochar without alkaline pretreatment (0B), alkali-enhanced biochars with KOH (5KB, 5 g KOH per 100 g feedstock;10KB, 10 g KOH per 100 g feedstock), K2CO3 (5K2B, 5 g K2CO3 per 100 g feedstock; 10K2B, 10 g K2CO3 per 100 g feedstock), and CaO (5CB, 5 g CaO per 100 g feedstock; 10CB,10 g CaO per 100 g feedstock) were prepared at 350 °C~550 °C pyrolysis conditions. Alkali-enhanced biochars on soil water soluble P(WSP) and C(WSC) levels were assessed through a soil-biochar incubation experiment. The effect of alkali-enhanced biochar on rice P uptake was evaluated in a greenhouse pot study. The WSP content in KOH- and K2CO3-enhanced biochars produced at 550 °C was significantly increased by up to 144% compared with that produced by the corresponding biochars at 350 °C, while the WSC content in all alkali-enhanced biochars (except for RS-5CB) prepared at 550 °C significantly decreased by up to 6426% compared with that produced by the corresponding biochars at 350 °C. The application of 3% 10KB and 10K2B rice straw biochars (produced at 550 °C) significantly elevated the WSP content in soils. Rice grown in the RH-10K2B-550 treated soil significantly increased the grain P uptake by 15% and 8% compared with RH-0B-350 and RH-10K2B-350, respectively. The water soluble P of the KOH- and K2CO3-enhanced biochars increased with increasing the pyrolysis temperature. RS-10KB and RS-10K2B increased the soil WSP and WSC content compared with the unenhanced biochar (RS-0B), and showed a clear positive effect on increasing the rice P uptake. Overall, KOH- and K2CO3-enhanced biochars pyrolyzed at 550 °C as Si sources could also serve as a potential P pool with multi-functions in C sequestration and K nutrition.

Published in Agronomy

ISSN: 2073-4395 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy

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