Summary
This lysimeter study evaluated slow pyrolysis wood chip biochar applied to two contrasting temperate soils under intensive arable management. Whilst biochar reduced N2O emissions by 15% and leaching by 43% relative to controls, it had no detectable effect on nitrogen use efficiency, crop yields, or nitrogen uptake across the rotation. The findings suggest that biochar may offer selective environmental benefits in temperate high-input systems without substantially altering overall nitrogen cycling dynamics or productivity.
UK applicability
The findings are directly applicable to UK arable systems, as the study used temperate soils with intensive fertilisation regimes similar to UK practice. The modest environmental gains (reduced N2O and leaching) without yield improvements may inform UK biochar policy and farmer decision-making, though site-specific soil type and management factors would require consideration.
Key measures
Nitrogen fertiliser use efficiency; crop yield; plant nitrogen uptake; nitrogen leaching losses; nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions; 15N recovery in plants, soil, and leachate
Outcomes reported
The study measured nitrogen use efficiency, crop yields, nitrogen uptake, leaching losses, and nitrous oxide emissions across two soil types under a winter wheat–cover crop–sorghum rotation with and without biochar amendment. Nitrogen fate was tracked using 15N-labelled fertiliser applied to the first crop.
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