The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance
Impacts of biochar application in combination with organic fertilizer, such as compost, are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the effects of biochar amendment, compost addition, and their combination on lettuce plants grown in a soil poor in nutrients; soil microbiological, chemical, an...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Agronomy |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/3158207 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850220890541785088 |
|---|---|
| author | Dalila Trupiano Claudia Cocozza Silvia Baronti Carla Amendola Francesco Primo Vaccari Giuseppe Lustrato Sara Di Lonardo Francesca Fantasma Roberto Tognetti Gabriella Stefania Scippa |
| author_facet | Dalila Trupiano Claudia Cocozza Silvia Baronti Carla Amendola Francesco Primo Vaccari Giuseppe Lustrato Sara Di Lonardo Francesca Fantasma Roberto Tognetti Gabriella Stefania Scippa |
| author_sort | Dalila Trupiano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Impacts of biochar application in combination with organic fertilizer, such as compost, are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the effects of biochar amendment, compost addition, and their combination on lettuce plants grown in a soil poor in nutrients; soil microbiological, chemical, and physical characteristics were analyzed, together with plant growth and physiology. An initial screening was also done to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost toxicity, using cress plants and earthworms. Results showed that compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield and on soil chemical characteristics. However, we demonstrated that also the biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass, improving soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbon, and enhancing related microbial communities. Nevertheless, combining biochar and compost, no positive synergic and summative effects were observed. Our results thus demonstrate that in a soil poor in nutrients the biochar alone could be effectively used to enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yield. However, we can speculate that the combination of compost and biochar may enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7bfb68b9fb8c4965a8b8ca491233dde4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1687-8159 1687-8167 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-7bfb68b9fb8c4965a8b8ca491233dde42025-08-20T02:06:53ZengWileyInternational Journal of Agronomy1687-81591687-81672017-01-01201710.1155/2017/31582073158207The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and AbundanceDalila Trupiano0Claudia Cocozza1Silvia Baronti2Carla Amendola3Francesco Primo Vaccari4Giuseppe Lustrato5Sara Di Lonardo6Francesca Fantasma7Roberto Tognetti8Gabriella Stefania Scippa9Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyIstituto di Biometeorologia-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBIMET-CNR), 50145 Firenze, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyIstituto di Biometeorologia-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBIMET-CNR), 50145 Firenze, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyIstituto di Biometeorologia-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IBIMET-CNR), 50145 Firenze, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyDipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, 86090 Pesche, ItalyImpacts of biochar application in combination with organic fertilizer, such as compost, are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the effects of biochar amendment, compost addition, and their combination on lettuce plants grown in a soil poor in nutrients; soil microbiological, chemical, and physical characteristics were analyzed, together with plant growth and physiology. An initial screening was also done to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost toxicity, using cress plants and earthworms. Results showed that compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield and on soil chemical characteristics. However, we demonstrated that also the biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass, improving soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbon, and enhancing related microbial communities. Nevertheless, combining biochar and compost, no positive synergic and summative effects were observed. Our results thus demonstrate that in a soil poor in nutrients the biochar alone could be effectively used to enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yield. However, we can speculate that the combination of compost and biochar may enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over time.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/3158207 |
| spellingShingle | Dalila Trupiano Claudia Cocozza Silvia Baronti Carla Amendola Francesco Primo Vaccari Giuseppe Lustrato Sara Di Lonardo Francesca Fantasma Roberto Tognetti Gabriella Stefania Scippa The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance International Journal of Agronomy |
| title | The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance |
| title_full | The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance |
| title_short | The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance |
| title_sort | effects of biochar and its combination with compost on lettuce lactuca sativa l growth soil properties and soil microbial activity and abundance |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/3158207 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dalilatrupiano theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT claudiacocozza theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT silviabaronti theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT carlaamendola theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT francescoprimovaccari theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT giuseppelustrato theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT saradilonardo theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT francescafantasma theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT robertotognetti theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT gabriellastefaniascippa theeffectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT dalilatrupiano effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT claudiacocozza effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT silviabaronti effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT carlaamendola effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT francescoprimovaccari effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT giuseppelustrato effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT saradilonardo effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT francescafantasma effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT robertotognetti effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance AT gabriellastefaniascippa effectsofbiocharanditscombinationwithcompostonlettucelactucasativalgrowthsoilpropertiesandsoilmicrobialactivityandabundance |