Nitrogen availability and ammonia volatilization in biochar-based fertilizers

作者：Aline Peregrina Puga, Matheus Castro de Almeida Queiroz, M. A. V. Ligo, Cristina Silva Carvalho, A. M. M. Pires, Juliana de Oliveira Santos Marcatto, Cristiano Alberto de Andrade · 发表于：Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science · 年份：2019 · DOI：10.1080/03650340.2019.1650916 · 被引用次数：68 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Clay minerals and soil interactions、Phosphorus and nutrient management

Increasing N use efficiency is an important strategy to intensify sustainable agriculture, optimize nutrient use, and reduce N loss to the environment via different routes. Owing to its physicochemical properties, biochar can be used as an additive to produce biochar-based fertilizers (BFs) with increased efficiency. We investigated N availability and ammonia loss from 17 BFs (3%–38% N). N availability and release from BFs were evaluated by water extraction experiments and soil column leaching. BFs (5%–10% N) had an average of 64% solubilized N after five extractions, whereas urea had 98% solubilized N. However, BFs produced with urea released N more slowly in soil, with the release rate 60% less than that of urea. Ammonia volatilization was evaluated using a 22-d experiment, where N was applied to soil surface (pH = 4.4). We compared urea, BF granulated with urea, and BF produced by coating urea granules with acidified or unacidified biochar. Compared to urea, biochar-based fertilizers granulated with urea and urea granules coated with acidified biochar significantly reduced (t-test at 5%) ammonia volatilization by 14%. The results demonstrated the potential of BFs as enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Therefore, BFs might be a good option to mitigate N loss.