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Effects of biochar on soil aggregate spatial distribution and soil organic carbon in brown earth soil
Received:March 29, 2022  
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KeyWord:biochar application amount;soil aggregate;aggregate stability;soil organic carbon
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
SUN Qiang Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Amelioration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang 110866, China
National Biochar Institute, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Postdoctoral Station of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Land and Environment College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China 
 
YANG Xu Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Amelioration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang 110866, China
National Biochar Institute, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Postdoctoral Station of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Land and Environment College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China 
 
MENG Jun Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Amelioration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang 110866, China
National Biochar Institute, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China 
mengjun1217@syau.edu.cn 
LAN Yu Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Amelioration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang 110866, China
National Biochar Institute, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China 
 
HAN Xiaori Key Laboratory of Biochar and Soil Amelioration, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenyang 110866, China
National Biochar Institute, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Postdoctoral Station of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Land and Environment College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China 
hanxr@syau.edu.cn 
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Abstract:
      The object of this study is to explore the effects of the use of maize straw biochar on the spatial distribution of soil aggregates and organic carbon content in brown earth soil. We conducted long-term field experiments in 2013. We applied four treatments: C0(no biochar application), C1(biochar applied at a rate of 15.75 t·hm-2 at the beginning of the experiment), C2(biochar applied at a rate of 31.50 t·hm-2), and C3(biochar applied at a rate of 47.25 t·hm-2). The application of biochar enhanced the soil organic carbon(SOC)content in the plow layer by 6.81%, 11.06%, and 41.62% in the C1, C2, and C3 treatment, respectively, compared with that in the C0 treatment. With the increase in biochar application dosage, the soil aggregate stability in the plow layer first increased and then decreased but that in the C3 treatment remained substantially higher than that in the C0 treatment. In the 20-40 cm layer, the SOC content was the same as that in the plow layer. Compared with that in the C0 treatment, SOC content increased by 92.36%, 111.63%, and 123.25% in C1, C2, and C3 treatment, respectively. The silt and clay contents in the C3 treatment considerably decreased with increasing biochar application dosage, and the macroaggregate content substantially increased with increasing biochar application dosage. The mean weight diameter(MWD)and geometric mean diameter(GMD)were notably higher in the C3 treatment than in the other treatments. In the 40-60 cm layer, only the C3 treatment remarkably enhanced soil organic carbon content by 4.67%. The macroaggregate content and GMD were also considerably higher in the C3 treatment than that of CK. Our results indicated that the application of biochar enhanced not only the SOC content, macroaggregates, and soil aggregate stability, but also the organic carbon content and aggregate stability in the subsurface soil layers under the plow layer. Biochar, as a soil amendment, might have an optimal dosage; the best dosage in this study was that in the C2 treatment (31.50 t·hm-2). The effects of the application of biochar on the improvement in the deep soil layers depended on the biochar dosage, with a higher biochar application rate having notable effects.