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" Biochar Impact on Crops and Soils in Irrigated Arid Agroecosystems "
Keller, Lindsay
Ulery, April
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1105460
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2311052123
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| Main Entry
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Keller, Lindsay
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Ulery, April
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| Title & Author
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Biochar Impact on Crops and Soils in Irrigated Arid Agroecosystems\ Keller, LindsayUlery, April
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| College
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New Mexico State University
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| Date
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2019
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| student score
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2019
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| Degree
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M.S.
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| Page No
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61
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| Abstract
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Biochar —a carbon byproduct of thermal, anaerobic decomposition of dried biomass—is being proposed as a beneficial soil amendment, capable of improving various agronomic parameters in agroecosystems. While research studies abound on biochar impacts in soils and crops of humid regions, little information exists on how biochar affects crops and soils of arid regions. In arid agroecosystems, where water is limited and coarse-textured soils are commonly found, biochar may provide improvement to soil physical properties and water retention. A two-year field study was conducted in southern New Mexico assessing biochar soil amendment on pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and sorghum-sudan (Sorghum x drummondii) growth and soil properties. Commercial biochar was applied at various rates specific to crop and incorporated prior to planting in both the 2017 and 2018 growing years. For the highest rate of biochar: R2 (11.2 Mg ha-1) in pinto beans, soil moisture content, measured with a HydraProbe moisture sensor (0-6 cm depth) was found to be higher during 2017. Prior to planting in 2018, influences of R2 were observed with increases in soil macroaggregates (> 2 mm), electrical conductivity (EC), K, Ca and Mg concentrations in the pinto bean study when compared to lowest rate of biochar R1 (2.2 Mg ha-1) and control R0 (0 Mg ha-1). The effects of biochar on sorghum-sudan included permanganate oxidizable carbon was lower in R0 plots when compared to biochar amended plots during post-harvest in 2017. Biochar did not have an influence on harvest yields of either pinto bean or sorghum-sudan. While biochar applied in this study may provide some evidence of improved soil moisture retention in sandy-loam soils, it is still unknown of biochar impacts for long periods of time in arid agroecosystems. Additionally, due to the variability in commercial biochar products, caution needs to be used when implementing biochar into arid agroecosystems due to the potential increase in salinity in a sandy-loam soil.
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Agriculture
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Environmental science
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Soil sciences
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