Abstract
Aim
To investigate the effects of biochar on biological and chemical phosphorus (P) processes and identify potential interactive effects between P fertilizer and biochar on P bioavailability in the rhizosphere of maize.
Methods
We conducted a pot-experiment with maize in a sandy loam soil with two fertilizer levels (0 and 100 mg P kg −1) and three biochars produced from soft wood (SW), rice husk (RH) and oil seed rape (OSR). Sequential P fractionation was performed on biochar, bulk soil, and rhizosphere soil samples. Acid and alkaline phosphatase activity and root exudates of citrate, glucose, fructose, and sucrose in the rhizosphere were determined.
Results
RH and OSR increased readily available soil P, whereas SW had no effect. However, over time available P from the biochars moved to less available P pools (Al-P and Fe-P). There were no interactive effects between P fertilizer and biochar on P bioavailability. Exudates of glucose and fructose were strongly affected by especially RH, whereas sucrose was mostly affected by P fertilizer. Alkaline phosphatase activity was positively correlated with pH, and citrate was positively correlated with readily available P.
Conclusion
Biochar effects on biological and chemical P processes in the rhizosphere are driven by biochar properties.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abiven S, Hund A, Martinsen V, Cornelissen G (2015) Biochar amendment increases maize root surface areas and branching: a shovelomics study in Zambia. Plant Soil 395:45–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2533-2
Ahmed F, Arthur E, Plauborg F et al (2017) Biochar amendment of fluvio-glacial temperate sandy subsoil : Effects on maize water uptake , growth and physiology. J Agron Crop Sci 204:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jac.12252
Azaizeh HA, Marschner H, Römheld V, Wittenmayer L (1995) Effects of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and other soil microorganisms on growth, mineral nutrient acquisition and root exudation of soil-grown maize plants. Mycorrhiza 5:321–327
Bera T, Collins HP, Alva AK et al (2016) Biochar and manure effluent effects on soil biochemical properties under corn production. Appl Soil Ecol 107:360–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.07.011
Bornø ML, Müller-stöver DS, Liu F (2018) Contrasting effects of biochar on phosphorus dynamics and bioavailability in different soil types. Sci Total Environ 627:963–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.283
Brockhoff SR, Christians NE, Killorn RJ et al (2010) Physical and mineral-nutrition properties of sand-based Turfgrass root zones amended with biochar. Agron J 102:1627–1631. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2010.0188
Carvalhais LC, Dennis PG, Fedoseyenko D et al (2011) Root exudation of sugars , amino acids , and organic acids by maize as affected by nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium , and iron deficiency. 174:3–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201000085
Chowdhury RB, Moore GA, Weatherley AJ, Arora M (2017) Key sustainability challenges for the global phosphorus resource, their implications for global food security, and options for mitigation. J Clean Prod 140:945–963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.012
Cross A, Sohi SP (2013) A method for screening the relative long-term stability of biochar. Glob Chang Biol 44:215–220
Dessaux Y, Grandclément C, Faure D (2016) Engineering the Rhizosphere. Trends Plant Sci 21:266–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2016.01.002
Farrell M, Macdonald LM, Butler G et al (2014) Biochar and fertiliser applications influence phosphorus fractionation and wheat yield. Biol Fertil Soils 50:169–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-013-0845-z
Farrell M, Macdonald LM, Baldock JA (2015) Biochar differentially affects the cycling and partitioning of low molecular weight carbon in contrasting soils. Soil Biol Biochem 80:79–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.09.018
Faucon, M. P., Houben, D., Reynoird, J. P., Mercadal-Dulaurent, A. M., Armand, R., & Lambers, H. (2015) Advances and perspectives to improve the phosphorus availability in cropping systems for agroecological phosphorus management. In Advances in Agronomy Academic Press Inc 134:51–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2015.06.003
Foster EJ, Hansen N, Wallenstein M, Cotrufo MF (2016) Biochar and manure amendments impact soil nutrients and microbial enzymatic activities in a semi-arid irrigated maize cropping system. Agric Ecosyst Environ 233:404–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.09.029
Freixes S, Thibaud M, Tardieu F, Muller B (2002) Root elongation and branching is related to local hexose concentration in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Plant, Cell Environ 25(10):1357–1366
Gaume A, Mächler F, De León C et al (2001) Low-P tolerance by maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes: significance of root growth, and organic acids and acid phosphatase root exudation. Plant Soil 228:253–264. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004824019289
Geelhoed JS, Hiemstra T, Van Riemsdijk WH (1998) Competitive interaction between phosphate and citrate on goethite. Environ Sci Technol 32:2119–2123. https://doi.org/10.1021/es970908y
Gerke J (2015) The acquisition of phosphate by higher plants: effect of carboxylate release by the roots. A critical review. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 178:351–364
Gul S, Whalen JK, Thomas BW et al (2015) Physico-chemical properties and microbial responses in biochar-amended soils: mechanisms and future directions. Agric Ecosyst Environ 206:46–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2015.03.015
Hammond JP, White PJ (2008) Sucrose transport in the phloem : integrating root responses to phosphorus starvation. J Exp Bot 59:93–109. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erm221
Hedley MJ, Stewart JWB, Chauhan BS (1982) Changes in inorganic and organic soil phosphorus fractions induced by cultivation practices and by laboratory Incubations1. Soil Sci Soc Am J 46:970. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1982.03615995004600050017x
Jiang J, Yuan M, Xu R, Bish DL (2015) Mobilization of phosphate in variable-charge soils amended with biochars derived from crop straws. Soil Tillage Res 146:139–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2014.10.009
Jones D (1998) Organic acids in the rhizosphere – a critical review - 02e7e537737bb95f68000000.pdf. Plant Soil 205:25–44. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004356007312
Jones DL, Darrah PR (1995) Influx and effiux of organic acids across the soil-root interface of Zea mays L . and its implications in rhizosphere C flow. Plant Soil 173:103–109
Jones DL, Hodge A, Kuzyakov Y (2004) Plant and mycorrhizal regulation of rhizodeposition. New Phytol 163:459–480. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2004.01130.x
Lehmann J, Joseph S (2015) Biochar for environmental management: an introduction. In: Lehmann J, Joseph S (eds) Biochar for environmental management, science, technology and implementation, 2nd edn. Routledge, New York, pp 1–13
Lehmann J, Rillig MC, Thies J et al (2011) Biochar effects on soil biota - a review. Soil Biol Biochem 43:1812–1836
Li S, Liang C, Shangguan Z (2017) Effects of apple branch biochar on soil C mineralization and nutrient cycling under two levels of N. Sci Total Environ 607–608:109–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.275
Liu S, Meng J, Jiang L et al (2017) Rice husk biochar impacts soil phosphorous availability, phosphatase activities and bacterial community characteristics in three different soil types. Appl Soil Ecol 116:12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.03.020
Manolikaki II, Mangolis A, Diamadopoulos E (2016) The impact of biochars prepared from agricultural residues on phosphorus release and availability in two fertile soils. J Environ Manag 181:536–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.07.012
Margalef O, Sardans J, Janssens IA (2017) Global patterns of phosphatase activity in natural soils:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01418-8
Marzooqi AF, Yousef LF (2017) Biological response of a sandy soil treated with biochar derived from a halophyte (Salicornia bigelovii). Appl Soil Ecol 114:9–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.02.012
Mašek O, Buss W, Roy-poirier A et al (2018) Consistency of biochar properties over time and production scales: a characterisation of standard materials. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 132:200–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2018.02.020
Mukherjee A, Zimmerman AR, Harris W (2011) Surface chemistry variations among a series of laboratory-produced biochars. Geoderma 163:247–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.04.021
Muller B, Stosser M, Tardieu F (1998) Spatial distributions of tissue expansion and cell division rates are related to irradiance and to sugar content in the growing zone of maize roots. Plant, Cell Environ 21:149–158
Müller J, Gödde V, Niehaus K, Zörb C (2015) Metabolic adaptations of white Lupin roots and shoots under phosphorus deficiency. Front Plant Sci 6:1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.01014
Nannipieri P, Giagnoni L, Landi L, Renella G (2011) Role of phosphatase enzymes in soil. In: Bünemann EK, Oberson A, Frossard E (eds) Phosphorus in action. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 215–244
Oburger E, Dell’mour M, Hann S et al (2013) Evaluation of a novel tool for sampling root exudates from soil-grown plants compared to conventional techniques. Environ Exp Bot 87:235–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2012.11.007
Parfitt RL (1978) Anion adsorption by soils and soil materials. Adv Agron 30:1–50
Parvage MM, Ulén B, Eriksson J et al (2012) Phosphorus availability in soils amended with wheat residue char. Biol Fertil Soils 49:245–250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-012-0746-6
Pearse SJ, Veneklaas EJ, Cawthray G et al (2007) Carboxylate composition of root exudates does not relate consistently to a crop species’ ability to use phosphorus from aluminium, iron or calcium phosphate sources. New Phytol 173:181–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01897.x
Prendergast-Miller MT, Duvall M, Sohi SP (2014) Biochar-root interactions are mediated by biochar nutrient content and impacts on soil nutrient availability. Eur J Soil Sci 65:173–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12079
Raghothama KG (1999) Phosphate acquisition. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 50:665–693. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-004-2005-6
Richards JE, Bates TE, Sheppard SC (1995) Changes in the forms and distribution of soil phosphorus due to long-term corn production. Can J Soil Sci 75:311–318
Schmalenberger A, Fox A (2016) Bacterial Mobilization of Nutrients From Biochar-Amended Soils. Adv Appl Microbiol 94:109–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aambs.2015.10.001
Schneider F, Haderlein SB (2016) Potential effects of biochar on the availability of phosphorus - mechanistic insights. Geoderma 277:83–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.05.007
Shen J, Yuan L, Zhang J et al (2011) Phosphorus dynamics: from soil to plant. Plant Physiol 156:997–1005. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.111.175232
Sicher RC (2005) Interactive effects of inorganic phosphate nutrition and carbon dioxide enrichment on assimilate partitioning in barley roots:219–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.2004.00451.x
Singh B, Raven MD (2017) X-ray analysis of biochar. In: Singh B, Camps-Arbestain M, Lehmann J (eds) Biochar: a guide to analytical methods. Csiro Publishing
Sturm A (1999) Invertases . Primary structures, functions, and roles in plant development and sucrose partitioning. Plant Physiol 121:1–7
Tabatabai MA (1994) Soil enzymes. In: Weaver RW, Angle JS, Bottomley PS (eds) Methods of soil analysis part 2 - microbiological and biochemical properties. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, pp 775–833
Tiessen H, Moir JO (1993) Characterization of available P by sequential extraction. Soil Sampl Methods Anal:75–86
UKBRC (2013) UK Biochar Research Centre - reducing and removing CO2 while improving soils: a significant and sustainable response to climate change. In: Stand. biochars. https://www.biochar.ac.uk/standard_materials.php. Accessed 6 Jun 2017
Van Der Bom F, Magid J, Jensen LS (2017) Long-term P and K fertilisation strategies and balances affect soil availability indices, crop yield depression risk and N use. Eur J Agron 86:12–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2017.02.006
Ventura M, Zhang C, Baldi E et al (2014) Effect of biochar addition on soil respiration partitioning and root dynamics in an apple orchard. Eur J Soil Sci 65:186–195. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12095
Vu DT, Tang C, Armstrong RD (2009) Transformations and availability of phosphorus in three contrasting soil types from native and farming systems: a study using fractionation and isotopic labeling techniques. J Soils Sediments 10:18–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-009-0068-y
Wang T, Camps-Arbestain M, Hedley M (2014) The fate of phosphorus of ash-rich biochars in a soil-plant system. Plant Soil 375:61–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1938-z
Wang Y, Krogstad T, Clarke JL et al (2016) Rhizosphere organic anions play a minor role in improving crop species’ ability to take up residual phosphorus (P) in agricultural soils low in P availability. Front Plant Sci 7:1664. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01664
Wouterlood M, Lambers H, Veneklaas EJ (2006) Rhizosphere carboxylate concentrations of chickpea are affected by soil bulk density. Plant Biol 8:198–203. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-923858
Wu H, Che X, Ding Z et al (2016) Release of soluble elements from biochars derived from various biomass feedstocks:1905–1915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5451-1
Xu G, Sun J, Shao H, Chang SX (2014) Biochar had effects on phosphorus sorption and desorption in three soils with differing acidity. Ecol Eng 62:54–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.10.027
Xu G, Zhang Y, Shao H, Sun J (2016a) Pyrolysis temperature affects phosphorus transformation in biochar : chemical fractionation and 31 P NMR analysis. Sci Total Environ 569–570:65–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.081
Xu G, Zhang Y, Sun J, Shao H (2016b) Negative interactive effects between biochar and phosphorus fertilization on phosphorus availability and plant yield in saline sodic soil. Sci Total Environ 568:910–915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.079
Yamato M, Okimori Y, Wibowo IF et al (2006) Effects of the application of charred bark of Acacia mangium on the yield of maize, cowpea and peanut, and soil chemical properties in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 52:489–495. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0765.2006.00065.x
Zhang M, Cheng G, Feng H et al (2017) Effects of straw and biochar amendments on aggregate stability, soil organic carbon, and enzyme activities in the loess plateau, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:10108–10120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8505-8
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the UK Biochar Research Center (UKBRC), University of Edinburgh, School of GeoSciences, UK, for providing the standard biochars used in this study. We would like to thank Dr. Tonci Balic Zunic for conducting the XRD analysis, Laboratory Technician Lena Asta Byrgesen for conducting the digestions and ICP analysis, and Laboratory Technician Lene Korsholm for helping with the ion chromatography measurements. We highly acknowledge Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC) for supporting Marie Louise Bornø in her pursuit of the Ph.D. degree and for funding this research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Erik J. Joner
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 75 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bornø, M.L., Eduah, J.O., Müller-Stöver, D.S. et al. Effect of different biochars on phosphorus (P) dynamics in the rhizosphere of Zea mays L. (maize). Plant Soil 431, 257–272 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3762-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3762-y