Biochar alters nitrogen transformations but has minimal effects on nitrous oxide emissions in an organically managed lettuce mesocosm
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We investigated the effect of biochar type on plant performance and soil nitrogen (N) transformations in mesocosms representing an organic lettuce (Lactuca sativa) production system. Five biochar materials were added to a silt loam soil: Douglas fir wood pyrolyzed at 410 °C (W410), Douglas fir wood pyrolyzed at 510 °C (W510), pine chip pyrolyzed at 550 °C (PC), hogwaste wood pyrolyzed between 600 and 700 °C (SWC), and walnut shell gasified at 900 °C (WS). Soil pH and cation exchange capacity were significantly increased by WS biochar only. Gross mineralization increased in response to biochar materials with high H/C ratio (i.e., W410, W510, and SWC), which can be favorable for organic farming systems challenged by insufficient N mineralization during plant growth. Net nitrification was increased by W510, PC, and WS without correlating with the abundance of ammonia oxidizing gene (amoA). Increases in N transformation rates did not translate into increases in plant productivity or leaf N content. WS biochar increased the abundance of amoA and nitrite reductase gene (nirK), while SWC biochar decreased the abundance of amoA and nitrous oxide gene (nosZ). Decreases in N₂O emissions were only observed in soil amended with W510 for 3 days out of the 42-day growing season without affecting total cumulative N₂O fluxes. This suggests that effects of biochar on decreasing N₂O emissions may be transient, which compromise biochar’s potential to be used as a N₂O mitigation strategy in organic systems. Overall, our results confirm that different biochar materials can distinctively affect soil properties and N turnover.
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Enhancement of N mineralization could be favourable for organic farming systems challenged by insufficient N mineralization during plant growth.
“The enhancement of N mineralization could be favourable for organic farming systems challenged by insufficient N mineralization during plant growth (Pereira et al., 2015).”
From A review on biochar modulated soil condition improvements and nutrient dynamics concerning crop yields: Pathways to climate change mitigation and global food security (2019) · cites this paper as Pereira et al., 2015
Pereira et al. (2015) reported that gross N mineralization increased in response to soil-applied biochar materials with high H/C ratios.
“Pereira et al. (2015) reported that the gross N mineralization increased in response to soil-applied biochar materials with high H/C ratios (i.e., Douglas fir wood pyrolyzed at 410 and 510°C, and hog waste wood pyrolyzed at 600 and 700°C).”
From A review on biochar modulated soil condition improvements and nutrient dynamics concerning crop yields: Pathways to climate change mitigation and global food security (2019) · cites this paper as Pereira et al., 2015
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- Authors
- Pereira, E. I. P., Suddick, E. C., Mansour, I., Mukome, F. N. D., Parikh, S. J., Scow, K., & Six, J.
- Affiliations
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Woodwell Climate Research Center (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pereira, Engil Isadora Pujol
- Venue
- Biology and Fertility of Soils
- Published
- 2015-03-19
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 573-582
- ISSN
- 0178-2762 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-0789
- OpenAlex
- W2045752977
- Cited by
- 109
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 15.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Biology and Fertility of Soils (publishedVersion)
- RERO DOC (Universität Bern) (submittedVersion)
- ScholarWorks @ UTRGV (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) (submittedVersion)
- Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- ETH Zürich Research Collection
- Funders
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- biochar, nitrous oxide emissions, soil nitrogen transformation, nitrification, ammonia oxidation, nitrite reduction, nitrous oxide reduction, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, amoA gene, nirK, nosZ, mesocosm experiment
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