Effects of Two Types of Straw Biochar on the Mineralization of Soil Organic Carbon in Farmland

Abstract

To investigate the effects of biochar on soil carbon composition and transformation, the effects of 1%, 2%, and 5% mass ratios of banana and cassava straw biochar on carbon dioxide release, total organic carbon (TOC), soluble organic carbon (SOC), and enzyme activity in soil were studied in incubation experiments at a constant temperature in the laboratory. The results showed that the cumulative CO2 emissions from cassava straw were 15.82 (1% addition ratio) and 28.14 μg·kg−1 (2%), which were lower than those from banana straw, i.e., 46.77 (1%) and 59.26 μg·kg−1 (2%). After culture, the total organic carbon contents of cassava straw were 8.55 (5%), 5.27 (2%), and 3.98 μg·kg−1 (1%), which were higher than those of banana straw, i.e., 6.31 (5%), 4.23 (2%), and 3.16 μg·kg−1 (1%). The organic carbon mineralization rate in each treatment showed a trend of increasing first, then decreasing, and finally stabilizing. There was a very significant positive correlation between catalase and urease activity in soil with cassava straw biochar and between catalase activity and SOC mineralization with banana straw biochar. It plays an important role in the transformation and decomposition of organic carbon. These results show that the application of biomass carbon can significantly improve the organic carbon content and enzyme activity of farmland soil, increase the cumulative mineralization amount and mineralization rate of SOC, and thus increase the carbon sequestration capacity of soil.