In situ effects of biochar on aggregation, water retention and porosity in light-textured tropical soils
•Biochar of various particle sizes was applied to light-textured tropical soils.•Biochar increased aggregate stability more strongly under soybeans than under maize.•Percent stable soil aggregates levelled off at high biochar content of aggregates.•Biochar altered soil pore-size distribution causing...
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| Published in: | Soil & tillage research 2016-01, Vol.155, p.35-44 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | •Biochar of various particle sizes was applied to light-textured tropical soils.•Biochar increased aggregate stability more strongly under soybeans than under maize.•Percent stable soil aggregates levelled off at high biochar content of aggregates.•Biochar altered soil pore-size distribution causing an increase in available water.•Biochar reduced soil bulk density due to soil aggregation and weight dilution.
Biochar (BC) has been reported to improve soil physical properties mainly in laboratory and greenhouse pot experiments. Here we study, under field conditions, the effect of BC and its particle sizes on soil aggregate stability, bulk density (BD), water retention, and pore size distribution in two experiments in Zambia. A) Farmer practice experiment in sandy loam with maize cob BC in conservation farming planting basins under maize and soybeans crops. B) Maize cob and rice husk BC particle size experiments (≤0.5, 0.5–1 and 1–5mm particle sizes) in loamy sand and sand. In the farmer practice experiment, BC increased aggregate stability by 7–9% and 17–20% per percent BC added under maize and soybeans crops respectively (p |
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| ISSN: | 0167-1987 1879-3444 1879-3444 |