Organic coating on biochar explains its nutrient retention and stimulation of soil fertility
Nikolas Hagemann,Stephen Joseph,Stephen Joseph,Stephen Joseph,Hans-Peter Schmidt,Claudia Kammann,Johannes Harter,Thomas Borch,Robert B. Young,Krisztina Varga,Sarasadat Taherymoosavi,K. Wade Elliott,Amy M. McKenna,Mihaela Albu,Claudia Mayrhofer,Martin Obst,Pellegrino Conte,Alba Dieguez-Alonso,Silvia Orsetti,Edisson Subdiaga,Sebastian Behrens,Andreas Kappler +21 more
TLDR
This work identifies a complex, nutrient-rich organic coating on co-composted biochar that covers the outer and inner (pore) surfaces of biochar particles using high-resolution spectro(micro)scopy and mass spectrometry, which strengthens biochar-water interactions and thus enhances nutrient retention.Abstract:
Amending soil with biochar (pyrolized biomass) is suggested as a globally applicable approach to address climate change and soil degradation by carbon sequestration, reducing soil-borne greenhouse-gas emissions and increasing soil nutrient retention. Biochar was shown to promote plant growth, especially when combined with nutrient-rich organic matter, e.g., co-composted biochar. Plant growth promotion was explained by slow release of nutrients, although a mechanistic understanding of nutrient storage in biochar is missing. Here we identify a complex, nutrient-rich organic coating on co-composted biochar that covers the outer and inner (pore) surfaces of biochar particles using high-resolution spectro(micro)scopy and mass spectrometry. Fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance, electrochemical analysis and gas adsorption demonstrated that this coating adds hydrophilicity, redox-active moieties, and additional mesoporosity, which strengthens biochar-water interactions and thus enhances nutrient retention. This implies that the functioning of biochar in soil is determined by the formation of an organic coating, rather than biochar surface oxidation, as previously suggested. Biochar promotes plant growth via a slow release of nutrients; however, a mechanistic understanding of nutrient storage in biochar is lacking. Here, using high-resolution spectromicroscopy and mass spectrometry, the authors identify an organic coating on co-composted particles that enhances nutrient retention.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Biochar, soil and land-use interactions that reduce nitrate leaching and N2O emissions: A meta-analysis.
Nils Borchard,Michael Schirrmann,Maria Luz Cayuela,Claudia Kammann,Nicole Wrage-Mönnig,J. M. Estavillo,Teresa Fuertes-Mendizábal,Gilbert C. Sigua,Kurt A. Spokas,James A. Ippolito,Jeffrey M. Novak +10 more
TL;DR: Testing biochar's impact on cumulative N2O emissions, soil NO3- concentrations and leaching in temperate, semi-arid, sub-tropical, and tropical climate provided a valuable starting point for future biochar-based N loss mitigation studies.
Journal ArticleDOI
Feedstock choice, pyrolysis temperature and type influence biochar characteristics: a comprehensive meta-data analysis review
James A. Ippolito,Liqiang Cui,Claudia Kammann,Nicole Wrage-Mönnig,J. M. Estavillo,Teresa Fuertes-Mendizábal,Maria Luz Cayuela,Gilbert C. Sigua,Jeffrey M. Novak,Kurt A. Spokas,Nils Borchard +10 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the influence of feedstock selection and pyrolysis temperature on biochar physicochemical properties, including C and specific surface area (SSA).
Journal ArticleDOI
Biochar composition-dependent impacts on soil nutrient release, carbon mineralization, and potential environmental risk: A review.
Ali El-Naggar,Ahmed H. El-Naggar,Sabry M. Shaheen,Binoy Sarkar,Scott X. Chang,Daniel C.W. Tsang,Jörg Rinklebe,Yong Sik Ok +7 more
TL;DR: The linkage between biochar composition and function is discussed, the role biochar plays in soil fertility improvement and C sequestration is evaluated, and regulations and concerns regarding biochar's negative environmental impact are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
The role of biochar in organic waste composting and soil improvement: A review.
TL;DR: This review focuses on the agronomic functions of biochar used as compost additives and soil amendments, which shows a good performance and a high agricultural value when applied to soils.
Journal ArticleDOI
Humic substances, their microbial interactions and effects on biological transformations of organic pollutants in water and soil: a review.
TL;DR: Results of many original and review papers, presented and discussed in this article, show an enormous potential for an interesting, multidisciplinary research as well as for a development of new, green technologies for biological wastewater treatment and bioremediation.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Adsorption of Gases in Multimolecular Layers
Journal ArticleDOI
Reporting physisorption data for gas/solid systems with special reference to the determination of surface area and porosity (Recommendations 1984)
TL;DR: Mise au point comportant des definitions generales et la terminologie, la methodologie utilisee, les procedes experimentaux, les interpretations des donnees d'adsorption, les determinations de l'aire superficielle, and les donnes sur la mesoporosite et la microporosite.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Determination of Pore Volume and Area Distributions in Porous Substances. I. Computations from Nitrogen Isotherms
Journal ArticleDOI
Dynamic molecular structure of plant biomass-derived black carbon (biochar)
TL;DR: A molecular-level assessment of the physical organization and chemical complexity of biomass-derived chars and, specifically, that of aromatic carbon in char structures suggests the existence of four distinct categories of char consisting of a unique mixture of chemical phases and physical states.
Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility
L. Van Zwieten,Stephen Kimber,Stephen Morris,K. Y. Chan,Adriana Downie,J. Rust,Stephen Joseph,Annette Cowie +7 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a glasshouse study of two agricultural soils with two biochars derived from the slow pyrolysis of papermill waste was assessed in a glass house study.