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Decreased soil microbial biomass and nitrogen mineralisation with Eucalyptus biochar addition to a coarse textured soil

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Biochar has been shown to aid soil fertility and crop production in some circumstances. We investigated effects of the addition of Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) biochar to a coarse textured soil on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics.

Methods

Wheat was grown for 10 weeks, in soil treated with biochar (0, 5, or 25 t ha−1) in full factorial combination with nitrogen (N) treatments (organic N, inorganic N, or control). Samples were analysed for plant biomass, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN), N mineralisation, CO2 evolution, community level physiological profiles (CLPP) and ammonia oxidising bacterial community structure.

Results

MBC significantly decreased with biochar addition while MBN was unaltered. Net N mineralisation was highest in control soil and significantly decreased with increasing addition of biochar. These findings could not be attributed to sorption of inorganic N to biochar. CO2 evolution decreased with 5 t ha−1 biochar but not 25 t ha−1. Biochar addition at 25 t ha−1 changed the CLPP, while the ammonia oxidising bacterial community structure changed only when biochar was added with a N source.

Conclusion

We conclude that the activity of the microbial community decreased in the presence of biochar, through decreased soil organic matter decomposition and N mineralisation which may have been caused by the decreased MBC.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

AOB:

ammonia oxidising bacteria

BC:

black carbon

CLPP:

community level physiological profile

DMRT:

Duncan’s multiple range test

EC:

electrical conductivity

IRGA:

infra-red gas analyser

MBC:

microbial biomass carbon

MBN:

microbial biomass nitrogen

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

PERMANOVA:

permutational analysis of variance

T-RFLP:

terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism

WHC:

water holding capacity

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Acknowledgements

DND and DVM were funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and DBG by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant (DP0985832). DLJ was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The authors thank Prof. R.J. Gilkes for his characterisation advice and Dr Y. Sawada and Mr M.N. Smirk for their technical assistance. The authors also acknowledge Dr P.S. Blackwell, of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), for providing the soil, biochar and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Biology Group, School of Earth and Environment, UWA Institute of Agriculture, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    D. N. Dempster, D. B. Gleeson, Z. M. Solaiman & D. V. Murphy

  2. School of the Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Environment Centre Wales, Bangor University, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    D. L. Jones

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  1. D. N. Dempster
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  2. D. B. Gleeson
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  3. Z. M. Solaiman
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  4. D. L. Jones
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  5. D. V. Murphy
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Correspondence to D. N. Dempster.

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Dempster, D.N., Gleeson, D.B., Solaiman, Z.M. et al. Decreased soil microbial biomass and nitrogen mineralisation with Eucalyptus biochar addition to a coarse textured soil. Plant Soil 354, 311–324 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-1067-5

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