Biochar application to soil has drawn much attention as a strategy to sequester atmospheric carbon in soil ecosystems. The applicability of this strategy as a climate change mitigation option is limited by our shallow understanding of soil responses s...
Biochar application to soil has drawn much attention as a strategy to sequester atmospheric carbon in soil ecosystems. The applicability of this strategy as a climate change mitigation option is limited by our shallow understanding of soil responses such as changes in soil structure and microbial biomass. To evaluate the possibility of biochar application to agricultural systems, we conducted a short-term laboratory incubation at field capacity in the soils from PASTURE (silt loam) and RICE PADDY (silty clay loam) sites with and without two types of biochar (biochar from poultry manure, CHAR_M and from barley stock, CHAR_B). The carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents contained in total and particulate organic matter (POM) in soils were increased by addition of CHAR_B and CHAR_M. Degree of increase was much greater in the soils amended with CHAR_M. This indicates that formation of water stable aggregates was enhanced by CHAR_M addition. This result also implies that biochar addition creates a favorable environment for microbial growth and metabolism by enhancing soil structural stability. Microbial biomass N was greatly increased by addition of CHAR_M in both soils. Soil phosphatase activity was increased in the CHAR_B soil and N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was higher in the CHAR_B soil than in CHAR_S soil.