Biochar persistence, priming and microbial responses to pyrolysis temperature series

• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-016-1116-6
• Publication Date: 2016-04-27T01:53:50Z
• Authors: Alice Budai; Daniel P. Rasse; Alessandra Lagoma...; Thomas Z. Lerch; Lisa Paruch
• Keywords: Charcoal; Soil carbon; Hydrothermal Carbonization; Soil conditioner

Biochar and its properties can be significantly altered according to how it is produced, this has ramifications towards biochar behaves once added soil. We produced biochars from corncob miscanthus straw via different methods (slow pyrolysis, hydrothermal flash carbonization) temperatures assess carbon cycling soil microbial communities were affected. Mineralization of biochar, parent feedstock, native organic matter monitored using 13C natural abundance during a 1-year lab incubation. Bacterial fungal community compositions studied T-RFLP ARISA, respectively. found that persistent biochar-C with half-life 60 times higher than the feedstock achieved at pyrolysis as low 370 °C, no further gains made temperatures. re-applied previously incubated our highest temperature mineralized faster when applied unamended Positive priming SOC was observed for all amendments but subsided by end Fungal bacterial composition soil-biochar mixture changed increasingly application compared Those changes (P < 0.005) related (mainly pH O/C) thus correlated temperature. In conclusion, results suggest °C utilized sequester C in more 100 years while having less impact on activities high-temperature biochars.