Pedosphere 25(5): 720--728, 2015
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2015 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Biochar and compost increase crop yields but the effect is short term on sandplain soils of Western Australia |
D. J. M. HALL1 and R. W. BELL2 |
1Department of Agriculture and Food, Western
Australia, PMB 50 Esperance 6450 (Australia)
2School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch
University, 90 South Street, Murdoch 6150 (Australia) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Sandplain soils on the south coast of Western Australia
have low inherent fertility, which is mainly due to poor
nutrient retention caused by insufficient clay and organic
colloidal material. Previous research has shown the
benefits in nutrient levels and retention from adding clay
to sandplain soils; however, there is almost no information
on the addition of organic amendments. A field experiment
was established at the Esperance Downs Research Station,
Western Australian, in May 2010, to assess the effects of
wheat straw (WS) and chicken manure (CM) biochars and
compost with and without phosphorus (P) addition on soil
properties and crop production over five growing seasons.
The five seasons alternated between winter and summer
crops. The CM and WS biochar and compost treatments significantly
increased crop yields and P uptake in 3, 2 and 1 of the
five seasons, respectively. The yield increases (P < 0.05)
were no more than 8%. By the end of the third season, no
differences in crop yields were found that could be
attributed to the organic amendments. The addition of P
increased crop yields in each winter cropping season.
Phosphorus addition explained more than 30% of the
variation in crop yields. Despite marginal P levels and
summer drought conditions, arbuscular mycorrhizal root
colonisation was not affected by the organic amendments.
There were no significant interactions between the organic
amendments and P addition in terms of crop yields, P uptake
or P uptake efficiency. We conclude that much of the effect
of the organic amendments was due to direct nutrient
addition which dissipated over time. |
| Key Words: mycorrhizal root colonisation, nutrient retention,
organic amendments, P addition, P uptake |
| Citation: Hall, J. M. and Bell, R. W. 2015. Biochar and compost increase crop yields but the effect is short term on sandplain soils of Western Australia. Pedosphere. 25(5): 720-728. |
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