The Effect of Different Rates of Biochar and Biochar in Combination with N Fertilizer on the Parameters of Soil Organic Matter and Soil Structure

Abstract

Since biochar is considered to be a significant source of carbon, in this work we have evaluated the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) and soil structure due to application of biochar and biochar with N fertilization, and have considered the interrelationships between the SOM parameters and the soil structure. The soil samples were collected from Haplic Luvisol at the locality of Doln Malanta (Slovakia) during 2017. The field experiment included three rates of biochar application (B0 -no biochar, B10 -biochar at the rate of 10 t ha -1 , B20 -biochar at the rate of 20 t ha -1 ) and three levels of N fertilization (N0 -no nitrogen, N160 -nitrogen at the rate of 160 kg ha -1 , N240 -nitrogen at the rate of 240 kg ha -1 ). The rate of biochar at 20 t ha -1 caused an increase in the organic carbon (C org ) content. The combination of both rates of biochar with 160 and 240 kg N ha -1 also caused an increase in C org .