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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Biochar increases soil enzyme activities in two contrasting pastoral soils under different grazing management

Stanislav Garbuz A , Alec Mackay B , Marta Camps-Arbestain A , Brian DeVantier B and Maria Minor https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2095-5456 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, PB 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

B AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand.

* Correspondence to: m.a.minor@massey.ac.nz

Handling Editor: Zakaria Solaiman

Crop & Pasture Science - https://doi.org/10.1071/CP21790
Submitted: 2 December 2021  Accepted: 18 July 2022   Published online: 12 August 2022

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC)

Abstract

Context: Soil enzyme activities are key regulators of carbon and nutrient cycling in grazed pastures.

Aims: We investigated the effect of biochar addition on the activity of seven enzymes involved in the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in a Sil-andic Andosol and a Dystric Cambisol under permanent pastures.

Methods: The study consisted of a one-year field-based mesocosm experiment involving four pastures under different nutrient and livestock practices: with and without effluent under dairy cow grazing on the Andosol, and with either nil or high phosphorus fertiliser input under sheep grazing on the Cambisol. Soil treatments were: (1) willow biochar added at 1% w/w; (2) lime added at the liming equivalence of biochar (positive control); (3) no amendments (negative control).

Key results: Compared with the Cambisol, the Andosol had higher dehydrogenase, urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase and, especially, nitrate-reductase activities, aligning with its higher pH and fertility. In both soils, biochar addition increased the activity of all enzymes, except for acid phosphatase and peroxidase; lime addition increased peroxidase and nitrate-reductase activity.

Conclusions: The increased enzyme activity was strongly positively correlated with soil biological activity following biochar addition. Biochar caused a 40–45% increase in cellulase activity, attributed to increased root biomass following biochar addition. The response in acid and alkaline phosphatase activity can be attributed to the impact of biochar and lime addition on soil pH.

Implications: The results provide more insights in realising the potential benefits of biochar to the provision of ecosystem services for grazed pastures.

Keywords: Andosol, biochar, biological activity, Cambisol, fertility, nutrient cycling, pasture, soil enzymes.


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