Biochar Effects on Soil Chemical Properties and Corn Yield.

The application of bio-char to soil is proposed as a novel approach to establish a long-term sink for carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems.  In 2012, an experiment was established at the University of Tennessee’s Milan Research and Education Center in Milan, TN to determine the effects of bio-char and nitrogen rate on soil chemical properties and corn yield.  The experimental design was a split plot with nitrogen rate as the main plot and bio-char rate as the split plot.  Nitrogen rates used were 134 kg ha^-1 and 202 kg ha^-1, and bio-char rates were 0, 13.28, 26.56, and 66.44 Mg ha^-1.  The treatments were replicated four times on a Grenada silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Oxyaquic Fraglossudalfs) with a 0-2% slope. The bio-char was applied dry using a drop spreader and then incorporated using a chisel plow followed by a disc to prepare the seedbed.  Due to the extreme drought in 2012, no corn yield data were taken.  In 2013, the corn was planted in no-tillage into the previous year’s residue.  Corn yields in 2013 were significantly affected by N-rates with the 202 kg ha^-1 rate being higher, but there were no significant differences between bio-char rates.  Soil organic carbon increased significantly with bio-char application rate.  Changes in pH relative to treatments will also be shown.