In generally, we apply biochar as a treatment for soil amendment. Is it possible to take it as parameter (as soil quality indicator) not as treatment. need valuable guideline, any protocol?
Dear Dr. Ahmad Ali
"Biochar content" is not an inherent property of soils, like for example soil texture or soil P content. It is something that we add as soil amendment to the soil, and it is not naturally available in soils (except in rare situations after a long time such as Tera petra soils or after a forest burning). Therefore, it is not a soil quality indicator either in general. However, due to its persistance in soil for a long time, and its valuable physical and chemical properties, it can affect soil quality index, by affecting other inherent properties of soils.
Regards.
Biochar improve soil physical properties because of its high specific surface area .let biochar held or sorption of ions .besides its ability of hold water that improve water holding capacity of soil.
Yes biochar has the ability to impart its effects to be considered as soil quality indicators. We need to define minimum dataset out of different soil parameters with regard to a given crop.But biochar has all ability to add over the baseline quality indicators under a wide range of soil conditions
for biochar it slef I am sure it will not, but if you are taking the biochar charactaristics, it may!
Dear Dr. Ahmad Ali
"Biochar content" is not an inherent property of soils, like for example soil texture or soil P content. It is something that we add as soil amendment to the soil, and it is not naturally available in soils (except in rare situations after a long time such as Tera petra soils or after a forest burning). Therefore, it is not a soil quality indicator either in general. However, due to its persistance in soil for a long time, and its valuable physical and chemical properties, it can affect soil quality index, by affecting other inherent properties of soils.
Regards.
Yes biochar itself in soil cannot be a soil quality indicator..
Hi All. How about soil carbon content, could it be the parameter here? I mean after the application of biochar, maybe in a long-term study, would biochar application be a core unit for changes in soil carbon (parameter)?
This topic has been discussed in depth in a year time. Biochar is a soil amendment derived from any organic feedstock through pyrolysis under the absence or restricted oxygen. It is a recalcitrant material that can be sequestered in the soil for centuries without being decomposed by soil microorganisms. So like any other organic amendment the biophysical and chemical properties of biochar can be determined in a laboratory. Its carbon content, pH, nutrient content and its other physical attributes can be characterized. In fact, its physical and chemical properties are mainly dependent on the source of the feedstock and pyrolysing temperature. You can get additional information from the paper attached here.
In addition to the answer of Dr. Khorsandi, biochar content is rather a property of tree/wood from which biochar is sourced and not that of the soil. Therefore, a researcher who wishes to compare the biochar yields of different tree/wood species may consider it a parameter.
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