The influence of the prosopis wood biochar on the soil fertility: an incubation experiment

This study, the biochar material produced by the pyrolysis of prosopis wood material under high temperature is characterized. The impact of biochar on the soil characteristics was examined by conducting a laboratory closed incubation experiment. The biochar produced from prosopis was neutral in pH with an exchangeable acidity of 49 mmol kg⁻¹. The cation exchange capacity was 16 mmol kg⁻¹. It had relatively higher potassium (K) content than nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The carbon content was very high (940 g kg⁻¹). One of the major characteristics of biochar that makes it attractive as a soil amendment is its high porous structure, potentially responsible for improved water retention and increased soil surface area. Upon incorporation of different rates of biochar in a soil (pH 8.42), the pH decreased up to 7.92 during incubation; whereas, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soil was found to increase significantly due to biochar addition. The soil organic carbon (SOC) increased proportionately with the rate of application of biochar, and also increased at 90 days of incubation