Effect of the biochar and manure application on the soil carbon dioxide emission

AGUILAR, MILAGROS GINEBRA; MUÑOZ, CRISTINA; VERGARA, MARCELA; ZAGAL, ERICK

Rio de Janeiro

Congreso; 21st World Congress of Soil Science; 2018

Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo; International Union of Soil Sciences

Soil degradation is defined as the loss of productivity. The management of animal manure can be an alternative to modify soil fertility and induce changes in greenhouse gas emissions. Biochar application in agricultural soils is an ancestral practice. Biochar is chemically and biologically more stable than its original sources. At present, biochar is produced by the pyrolysis of natural organic materials under oxygen limited conditions. Biochar has gained international research attention, but few studies have investigated the potential of biochar from manure in mitigation of climate change in Chilean agriculture. The objective of this study was to comparebiochar and manure application effect on soil carbon dioxide emissions. Two Chilean soils (Ultic Palexeralfs (Alfisol) from Cauquenes, Maule region and Typic Rhodoxeralfs (Alfisol) from Collipulli Araucania Region) were incubated with two manure (cow and pig) and two biochar from cow and pig manure. Carbon dioxide emission was evaluated during 56 days. The emissions of carbon dioxide did not increase significantly with the application of biochar in any soil. While soil-manure treatment had seven times more emissions than the soil alone. No significant differences were found between soil-biochar-manure and soil-manure treatments. Carbon dioxide emissions were higher in the first ten days. Soil- biochar treatment emissions were stabilized at the end of the study and soil organic carbon increased. Conversion of animal manure to biochar and its application to the soil is a promising alternative to increase soil organic carbon without increasing carbon dioxide emissions.