Characterizing Effects Of Charged Biochar On Soil Quality And Plant Growth In Degraded North Carolina High Country Soils

Significant land degradation and topsoil loss has threatened agricultural production, ecosystem function, and soil-based carbon sinks. Climate change threatens all ecosystems and communities on Earth. Reducing carbon emissions is not enough – carbon must be drawn down from the atmosphere and sequestered. Biochar addresses each of these issues, providing a foundation for healthy, long-term soil regeneration and sustainably sequestering carbon within the soil for millennia. While interest in biochar is rapidly increasing, the actual product itself as well as its effect on various soil types can vary, necessitating local studies on specific feedstocks, pyrolyzation methods, post-production preparation, and soil application. This study investigates biochar made in a TLUD from hardwood chips, which, alongside four organic amendments (compost, vermicompost, aerated compost tea, and anaerobic digester effluent), was applied to a degraded sandy soil in Zionville, North Carolina. A single growth of spinach was used to compare yields from the various applications. The application of biochar alone increased the yield of spinach by 66% over the control. The organic amendments further increased yields, but with different effects due to the addition of biochar. Compost and vermicompost, both solid amendments, saw reduced yields due to the addition of biochar, while aerated compost tea and anaerobic digester effluent, both liquid amendments, saw increased yields due to biochar.