Biochars impact on soil-moisture storage in an ultisol and two aridisols

dc.contributor.author	Novak, JM	en
dc.contributor.author	Busscher, WJ	en
dc.contributor.author	Watts, DW	en
dc.contributor.author	Amonette, JE	en
dc.contributor.author	Ippolito, JA	en
dc.contributor.author	Lima, IM	en
dc.contributor.author	Gaskin, J	en
dc.contributor.author	Das, KC	en
dc.contributor.author	Steiner, C	en
dc.contributor.author	Ahmedna, M	en
dc.contributor.author	Rehrah, D	en
dc.contributor.author	Schomberg, H	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-06-06T06:51:39Z
dc.date.available	2014-06-06T06:51:39Z
dc.date.issued	2012	en
dc.identifier.issn	0038075X	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SS.0b013e31824e5593	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://62.217.125.90/xmlui/handle/123456789/5620
dc.subject	Aridisol	en
dc.subject	biochar	en
dc.subject	GRACEnet	en
dc.subject	soil moisture	en
dc.subject	Ultisol	en
dc.subject.other	Aridosol	en
dc.subject.other	bulk density	en
dc.subject.other	charcoal	en
dc.subject.other	loamy sand	en
dc.subject.other	moisture content	en
dc.subject.other	physicochemical property	en
dc.subject.other	pyrolysis	en
dc.subject.other	silt	en
dc.subject.other	soil amendment	en
dc.subject.other	soil moisture	en
dc.subject.other	soil temperature	en
dc.subject.other	Ultisol	en
dc.subject.other	water storage	en
dc.subject.other	England	en
dc.subject.other	Norfolk [England]	en
dc.subject.other	United Kingdom	en
dc.subject.other	Panicum virgatum	en
dc.title	Biochars impact on soil-moisture storage in an ultisol and two aridisols	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1097/SS.0b013e31824e5593	en
heal.publicationDate	2012	en
heal.abstract	Biochar additions to soils can improve soil-water storage capability; however, there is sparse information identifying feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions that maximize this improvement. Nine biochars were pyrolyzed from five feedstocks at two temperatures, and their physical and chemical properties were characterized. Biochars were mixed at 2% wt wt -1 into a Norfolk loamy sand (Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kandiudult), a Declo silt loam (Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic xeric Haplocalcid), or a Warden silt loam (Coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic xeric Haplocambid). Untreated soils served as controls. Soils were laboratory incubated in pots for 127 days and were leached about every 30 days with deionized water. Soil bulk densities were measured before each leaching event. For 6 days thereafter, pot-holding capacities (PHC) for water were determined gravimetrically and were used as a surrogate for soil-moisture contents. Water tension curves were also measured on the biochar-treated and untreated Norfolk soil. Biochar surface area, surface tension, ash, C, and Si contents, in general, increased when produced under higher pyrolytic temperatures (≥500°C). Both switchgrass biochars caused the most significant water PHC improvements in the Norfolk, Declo, and Warden soils compared with the controls. Norfolk soil-water tension results at 5 and 60 kPa corroborated that biochar from switchgrass caused the most significant moisture storage improvements. Significant correlation occurred between the PHC for water with soil bulk densities. In general, biochar amendments enhanced the moisture storage capacity of Ultisols and Aridisols, but the effect varied with feedstock selection and pyrolysis temperature. Copyright © 2012 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.	en
heal.journalName	Soil Science	en
dc.identifier.issue	5	en
dc.identifier.volume	177	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1097/SS.0b013e31824e5593	en
dc.identifier.spage	310	en
dc.identifier.epage	320	en