The Rate of Crop Residue Decomposition as a Function of the Chemical Composition of Field Crops

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different plant-based feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms in the fall of 2008. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried in July of 2011 below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a uncharred wood-pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Overall, these findings indicate that no significant alteration in the microbial dynamics of the soil decomposer communities occurred as a consequence of the application of plant-based biochars evaluated here.

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Effect of Crop-Residue Decomposition Products on Plant Roots

Annual Review of Phytopathology ◽

10.1146/annurev.py.02.090164.001411 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 267-292 ◽

Cited By ~ 73

Author(s):

Z A Patrick ◽

T A Toussoun ◽

L W Koch

Keyword(s):

Crop Residue ◽

Plant Roots ◽

Decomposition Products ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition

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Estimating Crop Residue Decomposition from Air Temperature, Initial Nitrogen Content, and Residue Placement

Soil Science Society of America Journal ◽

10.2136/sssaj1992.03615995005600010042x ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 272-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 88

Author(s):

C. L. Douglas ◽

R. W. Rickman

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Content ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition

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Characterization of microbial community response to cover crop residue decomposition

Soil Biology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.09.015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 127 ◽

pp. 39-49 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Clayton J. Nevins ◽

Cindy Nakatsu ◽

Shalamar Armstrong

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Community Response ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition

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Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar amended plots

Solid Earth Discussions ◽

10.5194/sed-6-599-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 599-617 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S. L. Weyers ◽

K. A. Spokas

Keyword(s):

Microbial Biomass ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Wood Pellet ◽

First Order ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Continuous Corn ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition ◽

Charred Wood

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms prior to the start of this study. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a non-charred wood pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Though no significant impacts were observed with field-weathered biochars, effective soil management may yet have to account for repeat applications of biochar.

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CROP RESIDUE DECOMPOSITION AS AFFECTED BY GROWTH UNDER ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2

Soil Science ◽

10.1097/00010694-199805000-00009 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 163 (5) ◽

pp. 412-419 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

H. A. Torbert ◽

S. A. Prior ◽

H. H. Rogers ◽

G. B. Runion

Keyword(s):

Crop Residue ◽

Atmospheric Co2 ◽

Elevated Atmospheric Co2 ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition

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Particulate soil organic carbon and stratification ratio increases in response to crop residue decomposition under no-till

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo ◽

10.1590/s0100-06832012000500012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (5) ◽

pp. 1483-1490 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Clever Briedis ◽

João Carlos de Moraes Sá ◽

Roberto Simão De-Carli ◽

Erielton Aparecido Pupo Antunes ◽

Lucas Simon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Residue Decomposition ◽

No Till ◽

Dry Biomass ◽

Particulate Soil ◽

Crop Residue Decomposition ◽

Biomass Decomposition

In soils under no-tillage (NT), the continuous crop residue input to the surface layer leads to carbon (C) accumulation. This study evaluated a soil under NT in Ponta Grossa (State of Paraná, Brazil) for: 1) the decomposition of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) residues, 2) relation of the biomass decomposition effect with the soil organic carbon (SOC) content, the particulate organic carbon (POC) content, and the soil carbon stratification ratio (SR) of an Inceptisol. The assessments were based on seven samplings (t0 to t6) in a period of 160 days of three transects with six sampling points each. The oat dry biomass was 5.02 Mg ha-1 at t0, however, after 160 days, only 17.8 % of the initial dry biomass was left on the soil surface. The SOC in the 0-5 cm layer varied from 27.56 (t0) to 30.07 g dm-3 (t6). The SR increased from 1.33 to 1.43 in 160 days. There was also an increase in the POC pool in this period, from 8.1 to 10.7 Mg ha-1. The increase in SOC in the 0-5 cm layer in the 160 days was mainly due to the increase of POC derived from oat residue decomposition. The linear relationship between SOC and POC showed that 21 % of SOC was due to the more labile fraction. The results indicated that the continuous input of residues could be intensified to increase the C pool and sequestration in soils under NT.

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