Heterogeneous global crop yield response to biochar: a meta-regression analysis
TLDR
In this article, the authors employ meta-analytical, missing data, and semiparametric statistical methods to explain heterogeneity in crop yield responses across different soils, biochars, and agricultural management factors, and then estimate potential changes in yield across different soil environments globally.Abstract:
Biochar may contribute to climate change mitigation at negative cost by sequestering photosynthetically fixed carbon in soil while increasing crop yields. The magnitude of biochar's potential in this regard will depend on crop yield benefits, which have not been well-characterized across different soils and biochars. Using data from 84 studies, we employ meta-analytical, missing data, and semiparametric statistical methods to explain heterogeneity in crop yield responses across different soils, biochars, and agricultural management factors, and then estimate potential changes in yield across different soil environments globally. We find that soil cation exchange capacity and organic carbon were strong predictors of yield response, with low cation exchange and low carbon associated with positive response. We also find that yield response increases over time since initial application, compared to non-biochar controls. High reported soil clay content and low soil pH were weaker predictors of higher yield response. No biochar parameters in our dataset—biochar pH, percentage carbon content, or temperature of pyrolysis—were significant predictors of yield impacts. Projecting our fitted model onto a global soil database, we find the largest potential increases in areas with highly weathered soils, such as those characterizing much of the humid tropics. Richer soils characterizing much of the world's important agricultural areas appear to be less likely to benefit from biochar.read more
Citations
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Phytolith‐rich biochar: a potential Si fertilizer in desilicated soils
Zimin Li,Bruno Delvaux +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the global potential of biochar produced from major crop residues and manures in terms of phytogenic Si (PhSi) supply and concluded that using phytolithic biochar as a Si fertilizer offers undeniable potential to mitigate desilication and to enhance Si ecological services.
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Biochar by design
TL;DR: In this article, environmental and social circumstances should both be considered for biochar's application, in order to get the most benefit from its application, environmental conditions should be taken into account.
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Influence of biochars on the accessibility of organochlorine pesticides and microbial community in contaminated soils.
TL;DR: The results indicated that biochar-amendments had strong effects upon OCP accessibility over time and can act as super sorbent, and the findings from total phospholipid acid (PLFA) and Illumina next-generation sequencing revealed that the incorporation of biochar have altered the soil microbial community structure over time.
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Root development of non-accumulating and hyperaccumulating plants in metal-contaminated soils amended with biochar
TL;DR: Biochar can have antagonist effects on plant metal uptake by decreasing metal availability, on one hand, and by increasing root surface and inducing root proliferation, on the other hand.
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Biochar enhances nut quality of Torreya grandis and soil fertility under simulated nitrogen deposition
TL;DR: It is suggested, for the first time, that the ‘win-win’ can be achieved, both nut quality of T. grandis and soil fertility can be improved by biochar application to soils suffering from N deposition.
References
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