- 1Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Soil Biogeochemistry, Germany (arthur.gross@landw.uni-halle.de)
- 2Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad
- 3Instituto de la Grasa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IG-CSIC),
- 4Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IRNAS-CSIC),
Biochar undergoes significant transformations in soil as a result of chemical, physical, and biological processes. These alterations can impact its initial properties, influencing both its agronomic effectiveness and its capacity for carbon sequestration. Long-term observations of biochar aging effects in soil are limited but highly relevant, as they provide a more realistic picture of the agronomic and societal benefits of biochar than short-term studies with relatively “fresh” biochar. This study aimed to describe the aging effects of biochar and their impact on a range of soil properties at a long-term biochar experiment in Bayreuth, Germany. For this purpose, soil and biochar samples were taken 13 years after application (two variants: 1. co-composted and 2. pristine biochar) and compared with a fresh variant in which the same unaged biochar was freshly mixed with the control soil.
The soil quality parameters, pH and electrical conductivity, decreased significantly (p < 0.05) during biochar aging. Specifically, the pH dropped from 7.4 in freshly biochar-amended soil to 6.8 in the pristine aged biochar variant and 6.9 in the co-composted aged biochar variant. Electrical conductivity decreased from 217.0 µS cm⁻¹ in the freshly amended soil to 81.1 µS cm⁻¹ in the pristine aged variant and 87.6 µS cm⁻¹ in the co-composted aged variant. Nitrogen retention was enhanced in the soil amended with co-composted aged biochar compared to the pristine aged biochar soil. Total nitrogen (TN) was higher at 1.94 g kg⁻¹ versus 1.57 g kg⁻¹ (p < 0.05), and ammonium-N (NH₄⁺-N) was slightly elevated at 35.7 mg kg⁻¹ versus 33.0 mg kg⁻¹, although the difference was not statistically significant. The nitrate-N (NO₃⁻-N) content was significantly lower in all biochar-amended soil variants compared to the control soil. Total carbon (TC) levels decreased during biochar aging in all soil variants. However, the reduction was significantly lower in the co-composted aged biochar soil (25.0 g kg⁻¹) compared to the pristine aged biochar soil 20.5 g kg⁻¹, p < 0.05).
This study identified multiple aging effects on biochar following 13 years of exposure in loamy soil. Importantly, the results showed that compared to the amendment of pristine biochar, co-composting did not diminish TC of the treated soil, and more N could be retained, 13 years after amendment. In fact, co-composting prior to soil application is recommended to fully realize the potential agronomic benefits.
How to cite: Gross, A., Apostolovic, T., García Rodríguez, Á. F., de la Rosa, J. M., Glaser, B., Knicker, H., and Maletic, S.: Impact of Biochar Aging on Soil Physicochemical Properties, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10162, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10162, 2025.