Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
3.3
Journals
Agriculture
Special Issues
Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use...
share announcement

Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Soils".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 14055

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Primo Vaccari

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Institute of BioEconomy, National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Via Caproni 8, 50145 Firenze, Italy
Interests: plant ecology; climate change impact and mitigation; effects of high CO2 on crops and natural ecosystems; biosphere atmosphere interactions; biochar
Dr. Silvia Baronti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of BioEconomy, National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Via Caproni 8, 50145 Firenze, Italy
Interests: plant ecology; plant water relation; biochar; soil science; effects of high CO2 on crops and natural ecosystems
Dr. Nicolas Greggio

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences Department (BiGeA) and Interdepartmental Centre for Environmental Sciences Research, Alma Mater Studiorum – Bologna University, Operative Unit of Ravenna, Via S. Alberto, 163 - 48123 Ravenna, Italy
Interests: environmental geochemistry; potential harmful elements (PHEs) in sediment, soil and water; geoinformatics (GIS); water science; soil science; irrigation and water management; environmental monitoring and impact assessment; circular economy; agricultural residual biomasses (ARB)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Diego Marazza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Alma Mater Studiorum – Bologna University, Via Irnerio, 46, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Interests: long term experiment (LTE); biochar; biochar–compost mix; biochar effects; long-term research; soil carbon modelling; stock and flow modelling; biochar aging; biochar persistence; life-cycle and techno-economic assessment; carbon sequestration in integrated assessment models; biochar production; economic impacts of biochar technology; education of students; living labs and citizens engagement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil is the planetary layer offering the majority of the ecosystem services. It is undergoing unprecedent threats such as erosion, desertification, pollution, and salinization. The international initiative called "4 per 1000" and many recent studies aimed to demonstrate that agriculture, and in particular agricultural soils, can play a crucial role in food security and climate mitigation. In particular, the increase of soil carbon storage through amending medium such as biochar is indicated by IPCC (2018) as most effective and ready-to-adopt negative emission technology.

In recent years, biochar has been widely accepted as a soil improver increasing fertility and organic matter content, promoting soil microorganisms and pedofauna biodiversity. Moreover, biochar has also recently been proposed as medium for reducing soil GHGs emission, for remediating polluted soils and for reducing crop water-footprint, increasing soil’s water retention capacity (Agegnehu et al., 2017).

However, the first disorienting aspect is that the majority of these studies are often executed in conditioned environments that do not represent the real field situation. The second aspect is related to the experiment duration, which is usually extremely limited in time, missing the long-term outputs.

This Special Issue is open to contributions (research papers and a reduced number of reviews) exploring the effect of biochar and its blend with other biowaste products (compost, digestate, sludge) on soil fertility and crop yield, posing particular attention on the interaction among soil, plant and microorganisms occurring in the rhizosphere. In particular, the SI will focus on medium–long term effects of biochar and its blend on:

  • Biochar effects on plant ecophysiology and phenology;
  • Interaction of biochar with other routes based on the use of biowaste such as composting, anaerobic digestion etc., in order to produce innovative amending media able to increase soil C storage;
  • Soil C modelling including, among others, biochar;
  • Potential harmful elements (PHEs) and related bioavailability in soils, along with PHEs distribution in plant tissues;
  • Biogeochemical soil cycle for nutrients and PHEs as well as physico-chemical and hydrological profiles of biochar amended soils;
  • Effects of biochar on phytohormones and other bio-stimulants in the rhizosphere;
  • Biochar effects on soil macro e microbiota.

Dr. Francesco Primo Vaccari
Dr. Silvia Baronti
Dr. Nicolas Greggio
Dr. Diego Marazza
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biochar
  • Biochar blends
  • Soil amendment
  • Fertilizer
  • Rhizosphere
  • Potential Harmful Elements (PHEs)
  • Nutrients
  • Plant ecophysiology
  • Plant phenology
  • Biowaste
  • Composted biochar
  • Soil
  • Carbon
  • Modelling
  • SOC
  • Long Term Experiment
  • Long Term Experiment Platform (LTEP)
  • Phytohormones
  • Bio-stimulants
  • Macro e microbiota
  • Soil hydrology

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 745 KiB  
Communication
The Long-Term Experiment Platform for the Study of Agronomical and Environmental Effects of the Biochar: Methodological Framework
by Diego Marazza, Simone Pesce, Nicolas Greggio, Francesco Primo Vaccari, Enrico Balugani and Alessandro Buscaroli
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1244; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081244 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1843
Abstract
In this communication, a wide overview of historical Long-Term Experimental Platforms (LTEP) regarding changes in soil organic matter is presented for the purpose of networking, data sharing, experience sharing and the coordinated design of experiments in the area of Earth system science. This [...] Read more.
In this communication, a wide overview of historical Long-Term Experimental Platforms (LTEP) regarding changes in soil organic matter is presented for the purpose of networking, data sharing, experience sharing and the coordinated design of experiments in the area of Earth system science. This serves to introduce a specific platform of experiments regarding biochar application to soil (LTEP-BIOCHAR) and its use for agronomic and environmental purposes (e.g., carbon sequestration, soil erosion, soil biodiversity) in real conditions and over a significative timeframe for pedosphere dynamics. The methodological framework, including the goals, geographical scope and eligibility rules of such a new platform, is discussed. Currently, the LTEP-BIOCHAR is the first of its kind, a community-driven resource dedicated to biochar, and displays around 20 long-term experiments from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The selected field experiments take place under dynamically, meteorologically and biologically different conditions. The purposes of the platform are (1) listing the field experiments that are currently active, (2) uncovering methodological gaps in the current experiments and allowing specific metadata analysis, (3) suggesting the testing of new hypotheses without unnecessary duplications while establishing a minimum standard of analysis and methods to make experiments comparable, (4) creating a network of expert researchers working on the agronomical and environmental effects of biochar, (5) supporting the design of coordinated experiments and (6) promoting the platform at a wider international level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 8644 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Chicken Manure Biochar on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Chicken Manure Composting
by Kamalya Karamova, Natalia Danilova, Svetlana Selivanovskaya and Polina Galitskaya
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1158; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081158 - 4 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2841
Abstract
One way to increase yields in agriculture using organic alternative methods is the introduction of manure-based composts into the soil. However, the use of such composts carries a risk of soil contamination with antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) from the gut and manure of [...] Read more.
One way to increase yields in agriculture using organic alternative methods is the introduction of manure-based composts into the soil. However, the use of such composts carries a risk of soil contamination with antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) from the gut and manure of the livestock. The contamination of the composts with heavy metals or antibiotics can increase this risk, while the addition of porous materials, such as biochar, to the composts has the potential to decrease it. This study is devoted to revealing the fate of ARGs in bedding chicken manure composted with the addition of oxytetracycline (OTC), heavy metals, and chicken manure biochar. It was revealed that the additives did not affect the physicochemical parameters of the compost. The bacterial communities in different composting mixtures had similar structures and dynamics. It was revealed that the shifts of the bacterial compositions of the composting mixtures were mainly determined by the duration of the process. However, some minor differences in the OTU (operational taxonomic unit) levels were observed between the variants. The addition of biochar and metals led to 26.7% and 34.5% decreases, respectively, in the number of tet(A) gene copies, while the addition of oxytetracycline led to a 43.7% increase. The number of copies of the int1 gene increased by 45.9% after the addition of oxytetracycline. The correlation between the abundance levels of different bacterial OTU and ARG contents was estimated, and biochar’s impact on those OTUs was analyzed. It was assumed that some OTUs might be carriers of ARGs (such as Natronobacillus, Luteimonas, and Trichococcus), and their abundance in the presence of the biochar decreased due to competitive exclusion by noncarriers (such as Corynebacterium, Clostridia, and Halorhodospira). The use of biochar in composting can be considered a way to reduce the contamination of the final composts with ARGs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 894 KiB  
Article
Biochar Enhances Plant Growth, Fruit Yield, and Antioxidant Content of Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in a Soilless Substrate
by Melissa Simiele, Oriana Argentino, Silvia Baronti, Gabriella Stefania Scippa, Donato Chiatante, Mattia Terzaghi and Antonio Montagnoli
Agriculture 2022, 12(8), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081135 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3381
Abstract
Biochar soil amendment can improve growing medium water and nutrient status and crop productivity. A pot experiment was conducted using Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme plants to investigate the effects of biochar amendment (20% application rate) on a soilless substrate, as well as on [...] Read more.
Biochar soil amendment can improve growing medium water and nutrient status and crop productivity. A pot experiment was conducted using Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme plants to investigate the effects of biochar amendment (20% application rate) on a soilless substrate, as well as on plant growth, fruit yield, and quality. During the experiment, substrate characteristics, plant morphological traits, and root and leaf C/N content were analyzed at three sampling points defined as early stage (36 days after germination), vegetative stage (84 days a. g.), and fruit stage (140 days a. g.). Fruit morphological traits, titratable acidity, lycopene, and solid soluble content were measured at the end of the experiment. Biochar ameliorated substrate characteristics (Nav increase of 17% and Ctot increase of 13% at the beginning of the study), resulting in a promotion effect on plant root, shoot, and leaf morphology mainly at the vegetative and fruit stages. Indeed, at these two sampling points, the biochar-treated plants had a greater number of leaves (38 and 68 at the vegetative and fruit stages, respectively) than the untreated plants (32 and 49, respectively). The biochar also increased leaf area with a rise of 26% and 36% compared with the values measured in the untreated plants. Moreover, the amendment increased twofold root length, root surface area, and root, stem, and leaf biomasses in comparison with untreated plants. Regarding plant productivity, although fruit morphology remained unchanged, biochar increased flower and fruit numbers (six times and two times, respectively), acidity (75%), lycopene (28%), and solid soluble content (16%). By unveiling promoting changes in morphological traits, fruit number, and antioxidant content occurring in cherry tomato plants growing in a biochar-treated soilless substrate, it could be possible to highlight the importance of biochar for future applications in the field for enhancing plant production and fruit quality in a sustainable agriculture framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3185 KiB  
Article
Agroenvironmental Performances of Biochar Application in the Mineral and Organic Fertilization Strategies of a Maize–Ryegrass Forage System
by Carla Scotti, Chiara Bertora, Massimo Valagussa, Lamberto Borrelli, Giovanni Cabassi and Alberto Tosca
Agriculture 2022, 12(7), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12070925 - 26 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1825
Abstract
Biochar, included as a soil amendment by EU Regulation 2019/1009, has been shown to increase soil organic C stock and nutrient retention. We investigated the effect of biochar incorporation alone (B) and in association with mineral (BMin), digestate (BDig) and slurry (BSlu) fertilization, [...] Read more.
Biochar, included as a soil amendment by EU Regulation 2019/1009, has been shown to increase soil organic C stock and nutrient retention. We investigated the effect of biochar incorporation alone (B) and in association with mineral (BMin), digestate (BDig) and slurry (BSlu) fertilization, compared to the respective controls without biochar (C, Min, Dig and Slu), in a silage maize–Italian ryegrass rotation, on yield, soil fertility parameters and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Two types of biochar in three doses (0.2, 0.45, 0.9%) were tested in two cropping seasons. Biochar did not significantly affect maize yield; however, BDig tended to increase silage yield and the ear component compared to Dig, while BMin tended to reduce maize N uptake compared to Min. Biochar incorporation significantly increased soil organic C (+31%) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (+13%) in all the fertilization treatments; BMin and BDig also showed an increase compared to biochar alone (B). Emission of N2O was mainly driven by fertilization, digestate exhibiting the highest emissions. Biochar addition decreased the cumulative N2O emissions consistently in all the fertilization treatments, though not significantly. The association of biochar with organic fertilizers, in particular digestate, appears promising in increasing the fertilizer efficiency and reducing N2O emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4070 KiB  
Article
Changes in Physicochemical Properties of Biochar after Addition to Soil
by Guido Fellet, Pellegrino Conte, Villiam Bortolotti, Fabiana Zama, Germana Landi, Delia Francesca Chillura Martino, Vito Ferro, Luca Marchiol and Paolo Lo Meo
Agriculture 2022, 12(3), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030320 - 22 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2528
Abstract
It is recognized that biochar undergoes changes when it is applied to soils. However, the mechanisms of biochar alterations are not fully understood yet. To this purpose, the present study is designed to investigate the transformations in the soil of two different biochars [...] Read more.
It is recognized that biochar undergoes changes when it is applied to soils. However, the mechanisms of biochar alterations are not fully understood yet. To this purpose, the present study is designed to investigate the transformations in the soil of two different biochars obtained from pyrolysis of fir-wood pellets. The production of the biochars differed for the dry and wet quenching procedures used to terminate the pyrolysis. Both biochars were applied to clay soil (26% sand, 6% silt, and 68% clay) placed into lysimeters. After water saturation and 15 days of equilibration, seeds of watercress (Lepidium sativum) were cultivated. After a further 7 weeks, the biochars were manually separated from the systems. A total of four samples were collected. They were analyzed for chemical–physical characteristics by using an innovative technique referred to as fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. The results showed that the dry−quenching produced a material that was mainly chemically altered after application to soil compared to the biochar obtained by the wet−quenching. Indeed, the latter was both chemically and physically modified. In particular, results showed that water was better retained in the soil treated with the dry−quenched material. Consequently, we may suggest that crop productivity and environmental remediation may be modulated by applying either the dry−quenched or the wet−quenched biochar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Long Term Agronomical, Physiological and Environmental Implications of Biochar Use in Agricultural Soils)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop