Mitigating Soil Erosion through Biomass-Derived Biochar: Exploring the Influence of Feedstock Types and Pyrolysis Temperature
Author:
Wani Owais Ali12ORCID, Akhter Farida1, Kumar Shamal Shasang3, Babu Subhash4ORCID, Kanth Raihana Habib5, Mir Shakeel Ahmad1, Mahdi Syed Sheraz6, Malik Abdul Raouf2, Bangroo Shabir7, Gaafar Abdel-Rhman Z.8ORCID, Popescu Simona M.9ORCID, Rathore Sanjay Singh4
Affiliation:
1. Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India 2. Division of Fruit Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 190025, India 3. Department of Agronomy (Rootcrops), Ministry of Agriculture & Waterways (MOAW), Suva City P.O. Box 77, Fiji 4. Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India 5. Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India 6. Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 193201, India 7. Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir, Jammu 190025, India 8. Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh P.O. Box 11451, Saudi Arabia 9. Department of Biology and Environmental Engineering, University of Craiova, 13, A.I.Cuza, 200585 Craiova, Romania
Abstract
Soil erosion is one of the major emerging threats to the Himalayan ecosystem. There is a dearth of diverse, cost-effective erosion control measures in the region. In the Himalayan region, where agriculture plays a pivotal role in local livelihoods and environmental stability, the management of soil erosion is of paramount importance. Hence, this study investigates the impact of biochar application on soil erosion and its related indices in the temperate Himalayas of India. This study employs a combination of physicochemical analysis and field experiments to assess the influence of biochar on soil erodibility. The research objectives include an examination of the influence of different temperature pyrolyzed biomasses and varying application rates on soil erodibility indices, viz., dispersion ratio (DR), percolation ratio (PR), clay ratio (CR), erosion ratio (ER), and mean weight diameter (MWD), considering two distinct fertilizer regimes. This study yielded quantitative results that shed light on the impact of various soil amendments and application rates on soil erodibility in the temperate Himalayas. Results showed that the mean values of the DR exhibited by amendment levels NB, AB400, AB600, RAC, DW400, DW600, and RDW were 0.37, 0.35, 0.51, 0.44, 0.51, 0.47, and 0.91, respectively. The mean values of DR for different amendment levels varied, with RDW exhibiting the highest erodibility at 0.91, while DW400 and DW600 demonstrated less soil disturbance, making them promising choices for soil erosion mitigation. Notably, the application of pyrolyzed weed residue improved soil erodibility, whereas AB600 resulted in increased soil erosion due to aggregate disintegration, as indicated by the MWD. Aquatic weed residues and apple wood chips applied without pyrolysis increased the soil erodibility, while pyrolyzed residues improved soil erodibility. The DR was 0.41 at the high application rate, 0.48 at the medium rate, and 0.61 at the low application rate. Among application rates, low rates (1 t ha−1) had the highest DR, followed by medium rates (2 t ha−1) and high rates (3 t ha−1). The no-fertilizer level exhibited higher DR (0.49) compared to the fertilized level (0.38). Results inferred that the application of AB400 °C at 3 t ha−1 can be adopted to minimize soil erosion and maintain ecological security in the temperate Himalayas.
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Global and Planetary Change
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