Figure 2. Total soil nitrogen, carbon, and respiration rates for soil mixtures under the tropical climate
of Aceh up to 12 months after incubation. A= soil only; B=soil+BC; C=Soil+manure;
D=soil+manure+BC; E=soil+stubble; F=soil+stubble+BC. This graph represents only mixture with
poultry litter biochar; data from rice husk biochar is presented in the poster presentation (this
conference) .
Conclusion
Adding
organic
matter,
increases
soil
respiration. In the temperate climate in
Tamworth, the poultry litter biochar has no effect
on soil respiration at 6 months after incubation.
In the the tropical climate in Indonesia, biochar
could double soil respiration at 6 months after
incubation, and soil respiration increased
dramatically after 12 months, but at this time the
difference is much smaller between mixtures
with and without biochar.
Soil C, N and P increased with the addition of
organic matter, particularly when manure is
combined with biochar.
In the tropic, N mineralization was slower on
mixture containing biochar at 6 months after
incubation, but the same trend was not observed
at 12 months after incubation.
Acknowledgements
This study is funded by the Australian Centre for
International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) and
the Department of Primary Industries NSW,
Australia.
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