0000000000671361
AUTHOR
Christoph Steiner
The impact of wood-derived biochar on the survival of Trichoderma spp. and growth of Secale cereale L. in sandy soil
The interrelations between biochar (BC) and soil microbiota remain unclear. Addressing this will be important for understanding how BC affects soil properties and plant growth. Here, we tested the ...
The impact of wood-derived biochar on the survival of Trichoderma spp. and growth of Secale cereale L. in sandy soil
The interrelations between biochar (BC) and soil microbiota remain unclear. Addressing this will be important for understanding how BC affects soil properties and plant growth. Here, we tested the influence of wood-derived BC with immobilised Trichoderma viride on rye Secale cereale L. in sandy soil. We found that the addition of BC leads to a significant (P 2+ and Mg2+, as well as a decrease in the concentration of Al3+, irrespective of BC particle size and the presence of T. viride. Plant growth was stimulated in the presence of small (<2 mm) particle-sized BC. Fungal diversity, as well as an absolute and relative abundance of Trichoderma spp., was tested by cultivation-dependent metho…
The effects of woodchip- and straw-derived biochars on the persistence of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in soils
Sorption and degradation are the primary processes controlling the efficacy and runoff contamination risk of agrochemicals. This study assessed the influence of two biochars, made from woodchips and straw at a pyrolysis temperature of 725°C and applied to a loamy sand and a sandy soil in the concentration of 5.3 g 100 g(-1) sandy soil and 4.1 g 100 g(-1) loamy sand soil, or 53 t ha(-1) for both soil types, on degradation of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). Soils were spiked with 50 mg MCPA kg(-1) soil. In the sandy soil, significantly more MCPA remained after 100 days if amended with straw-derived biochar in comparison to wood-derived biochar. Both biochars types si…