Influence of Biochar Addition to Nursery Container Media: Trace Gas Efflux, Growth, and Leachate N

Biochar is a pyrolytic product generated by heating biomass in the absence of oxygen such as during bioenergy production. Biochar can be made from various feedstocks and research into its potential use in agricultural systems has examined its effects on plant growth, trace gas emissions, and N loss. However, since a paucity of work has examined biochar use in horticultural container production systems, we investigated how biochar additions to growth media impacted trace gas efflux (CO2, CH4, and N2O), plant growth, and N loss via leachate in two separate experiments: a peat-based greenhouse study using viola (Viola cornuta L. ‘Sorbet® XP Deep Orange’) and a pinebark-based outdoor study using daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘EveryDaylily Cream PBR’ L.). Biochar had little effect on viola growth, but growth inhibition was noted for daylily. Both studies clearly showed that N in leachate was reduced by biochar additions, with higher biochar rates having greater effects on reducing N loss. Reductions in N loss with biochar suggest improved N use efficiencies in agricultural systems. Biochar use also decreased N2O and CO2 fluxes in daylily, which suggests that biochar could help mitigate global climate change. Our results suggest that future studies should focus on testing lower rates of biochar in terms of growth and environmental impacts. The complexities of N management highlight the importance of developing biochar practices that increase N retention for the benefit of both agriculture and the environment. Species used in this study: viola (Viola cornuta L. ‘Sorbet® XP Deep Orange’); daylily (Hemerocallis x ‘EveryDaylily Cream PBR’ L.).