Effects of Biochar Application on Subtropical Mudstone Soils in Taiwan
Journal
Soil Constraints and Productivity
ISBN
9781000879278
Date Issued
2023-01-01
Author(s)
Jien, Shih Hao
Abstract
Mudstone soils and their management are challenging issues in agricultural lands in the world. Mudstone soils possess poor physical properties and fertility problems that adversely affect the growth and yield of most crops. Meanwhile, the negative water balance in the soil leading to salinization is caused by rapid runoff losses, unmanaged use of water resources, and excessive evaporation during dry season, particularly in southern Taiwan. To increase soil fertility and improve physical properties, understanding of the effects of innovative organic amendments such as biochar is of interest in the mudstone soils. So far, a few research studies have been carried out on the effect of biochar on mudstone soils. The authors have demonstrated that biochar could not only improve the chemical and biological properties of the soil, including increasing soil pH, CEC, BS, and microbial activity, but also improve the physical properties, such as Bd, Ksat, aggregate stability, and erosion resistance. Low rates of biochar additions did not significantly impact the pH of the mudstone soil. Further, high CEC, increased by biochar application, might control the soil salinization process in agricultural lands. The chapter suggested that biochar application effectively improves poor soil physical characteristics in subtropical/tropical degraded soil and further reduce soil erosion. In future, a combination of the compost and biochar could be further investigated for the improvement of fertility and physical properties in the mudstone soils simultaneously.
SDGs
Type
book part