soil quality

Abstract Livestock manure amendment, a common fertilization method for agricultural practice, can exacerbate antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) pollution, thus threatening food safety and human health. On the other hand, manure can also be produced as biochar to improve soil quality, which may reduce ARGs inside manure. However, it is unclear how and why shifting manure […]

Dear Tee Cee, What exactly is “biochar”? I see it for sale and talked about as a good thing. How is it made, and what do people do with it? It seems to be some sort of wood-burning process, so I don’t understand how that can be good for the environment. — Laura Dear Laura, […]

Abstract There have been many studies on soil quality and crop yield using different biochar application amounts, but few studies have focused on the combination of different methods and amounts of biochar application in moderately degraded Mollisols. In this study, the methods of mixing biochar evenly with the soil of the plough layer (0–20 cm depth) […]

Abstract Biochar application to soil has been proposed as a potential management strategy to enhance soil carbon (C) sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emission, improve soil quality, and increase crop productivity. The effects of biochar on soil microbial and enzyme activities are integrally linked to the potential of biochar in achieving these benefits. We conducted a […]

Abstract In the Amazon region, several residues that have been misused can serve as feedstocks for biochar production with the aim of recovering soils contaminated by heavy metals. However, these biochars need to be firstly tested for their adsorption capacity as well as their physicochemical attributes prior to field application. Therefore, this study aimed to […]

Abstract Agriculture under changing climate scenario is facing major challenges of water scarcity and resource imbalances. Crop water productivity (WP) may act as an indicator of crop responses to water limitation. Organic amendments such as biochar and manure application to soil are suggested for improving soil quality and reducing water requirements from agricultural sector. However, […]