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Impact of biochar and manure application on in-situ carbon dioxide flux, microbial activity, and carbon budget in degraded cropland soil of southern India
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  • Mayuko Seki,
  • Soh Sugihara,
  • Hidetoshi Miyazaki,
  • Muniandi Jegadeesan,
  • Pandian Kannan,
  • Isabelle Bertrand,
  • Haruo Tanaka
Mayuko Seki
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Soh Sugihara
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
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Hidetoshi Miyazaki
Global Environmental Forum, 3-17-3 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0051, Japan
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Muniandi Jegadeesan
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
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Pandian Kannan
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
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Isabelle Bertrand
INRAE
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Haruo Tanaka
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
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Abstract

Biochar application is currently considered to be an effective soil organic carbon (SOC) management to prevent land degradation by enhancing SOC stock. However, quantitative information on the impact of biochar application on carbon dioxide (CO2) flux and associated microbial responses is still scarce, especially in degraded tropical agroecosystems. Here, we evaluated the impact of land management (control (C), biochar (B; 8.2 Mg C ha−1), farmyard manure (FYM) (M; 1.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), and a mixture of both (BM; 8.2 Mg biochar-C ha−1 and 1.1 Mg FYM-C ha−1 yr−1)) on CO2 flux, SOC stock, microbial biomass C (MBC), and metabolic quotient (qCO2) in degraded tropical alkaline cropland of southern India, based on a 27-month field experiment. Cumulative CO2 flux over the experiment was 2.4, 2.7, 4.0, and 3.7 Mg C ha−1 in the C, B, M, and BM treatments, respectively. Biochar application increased soil moisture and SOC stock, though did not affect CO2 flux, MBC, and qCO2, indicating the limited response of microbes to increased soil moisture because of small amount of SOC. Combined application of biochar and FYM did not increase CO2 flux compared with FYM alone, due to little difference of microbial responses between the M and BM treatments. Additionally, SOC increment (8.9 Mg C ha−1) and the rate of C-input retention in soil (0.78) was most significant in the BM treatment. Hence, the combined application of biochar and FYM could be sustainable land management by efficient increase of SOC stock in the tropical degraded cropland.
20 Jul 2021Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
21 Jul 2021Submission Checks Completed
21 Jul 2021Assigned to Editor
30 Jul 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
21 Nov 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Nov 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Major
17 Dec 20211st Revision Received
22 Dec 2021Submission Checks Completed
22 Dec 2021Assigned to Editor
14 Jan 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Jan 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
04 Feb 20222nd Revision Received
04 Feb 2022Submission Checks Completed
04 Feb 2022Assigned to Editor
05 Feb 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Feb 2022Editorial Decision: Accept
16 Mar 2022Published in Land Degradation & Development. 10.1002/ldr.4234