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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Organic coating on biochar explains its nutrient retention and stimulation of soil fertility
Silvia OrsettiHans-peter SchmidtMartin ObstClaudia KammannAlba Dieguez-alonsoClaudia MayrhoferStephen JosephStephen JosephStephen JosephSebastian BehrensNikolas HagemannJohannes HarterSarasadat TaherymoosaviK. Wade ElliottKrisztina VargaEdisson SubdiagaPellegrino ConteThomas BorchMihaela AlbuAmy M. MckennaRobert B. YoungAndreas Kapplersubject
ScienceSettore AGR/13 - Chimica AgrariaGeneral Physics and AstronomyBiomass010501 environmental sciencesCarbon sequestrationengineering.materialcomplex mixtures01 natural sciencesArticleGeneral Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular BiologyPhysics and Astronomy (all)NutrientCoatingSoil retrogression and degradationBiocharOrganic matterlcsh:Science0105 earth and related environmental sciences2. Zero hungerchemistry.chemical_classificationBiochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all)MultidisciplinaryQChemistry (all)fungi04 agricultural and veterinary sciencesGeneral Chemistry15. Life on landchemistryAgronomy13. Climate actionEnvironmental chemistry040103 agronomy & agricultureengineering0401 agriculture forestry and fisherieslcsh:QChemistry (all); Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology (all); Physics and Astronomy (all)Soil fertilitydescription
Amending soil with biochar (pyrolized biomass) is suggested as a globally applicable approach to address climate change and soil degradation by carbon sequestration, reducing soil-borne greenhouse-gas emissions and increasing soil nutrient retention. Biochar was shown to promote plant growth, especially when combined with nutrient-rich organic matter, e.g., co-composted biochar. Plant growth promotion was explained by slow release of nutrients, although a mechanistic understanding of nutrient storage in biochar is missing. Here we identify a complex, nutrient-rich organic coating on co-composted biochar that covers the outer and inner (pore) surfaces of biochar particles using high-resolution spectro(micro)scopy and mass spectrometry. Fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance, electrochemical analysis and gas adsorption demonstrated that this coating adds hydrophilicity, redox-active moieties, and additional mesoporosity, which strengthens biochar-water interactions and thus enhances nutrient retention. This implies that the functioning of biochar in soil is determined by the formation of an organic coating, rather than biochar surface oxidation, as previously suggested.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-01 | Nature Communications |