Phytolith-rich biochar increases cotton biomass and silicon-mineralomass in a highly weathered soil
(2018) Journal of Plant Nutrition — Vol. 181, n° 4, p. 537-546 (2018)
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- plants by improving photosynthetic activity and alleviating stresses. Desilication, however, takes place because of natural soil weathering and removal of harvested biomass. Pyrolysis transforms Si-rich biomass into biochar that can be used to supply bioavailable Si. Here, we applied two biochar materials differing in Si content on soils differing in weathering stage: a young Cambisol and a highly weathered Nitisol. We studied the impact of biochar supply on the bioavailability of Si, cotton biomass, and Si mineralomass. The biochar materials derived from, respectively: Miscanthus · giganteus (Mi; 34.6 g Si kg–1 in biochar) and soft woody material (SW; 0.9 g Si kg–1 in biochar). They were compared to conventional Si fertilizer wollastonite (Wo; CaSiO3). Amendments were incorporated in soils at the rate of 3% (w/w). The content of bioavailable Si in soil was determined through 0.01 M CaCl2 extraction. In the Cambisol, the proportion (CaCl2 extractable Si: total Si content) was significantly smaller for Mi (0.9%) than for Wo (5.2%). In the Nitisol, this proportion was much larger for Mi (1.4%) than for Wo (0.7%). Mi-biochar significantly increased Si-mineralomass relatively to SW-biochar in both soils. This increase was, however, much larger in the Nitisol (5.9-fold) than in the Cambisol (2.2-fold). Mi biochar is thus an alternative Si fertilizer to Wo to supply bioavailable Si, increase plant biomass, and promote the biological cycle of Si in the soil-plant system in the Nitisol. Besides, it increased soil fertility and soil organic carbon content.
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Li, Z., Delvaux, B., Yans Johan, Dufour Nicolas, Houben David, & Cornélis Jean-Thomas. (2018). Phytolith-rich biochar increases cotton biomass and silicon-mineralomass in a highly weathered soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 181(4), 537-546. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201800031 (Original work published 2018)