Effects of biochar amendment on root traits and contaminant availability of maize plants in a copper and arsenic impacted soil

• Published in: Plant and soil 2014-06, Vol.379 (1-2), p.351-360
• Main Authors: Brennan, Aoife, Jiménez, Eduardo Moreno, Puschenreiter, Markus, Alburquerque, José Antonio, Switzer, Christine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid soils; Agricultural research; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Ammonium; ammonium sulfate; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Arsenic; Biochar; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Charcoal; Contaminants; Copper; Corn; Ecology; Environmental aspects; Fruit trees; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Life Sciences; Olea; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; phytoremediation; Pine trees; Plant extracts; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; planting; Plants; pollutants; Polluted soils; Pollution control; Pruning; Regular Article; roots; shoots; Soil amendment; Soil amendments; Soil and water pollution; Soil conditioners; Soil contamination; Soil pollution; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil stabilization; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; trees; wood chips; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-014-2074-0

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Biochar has been proposed as a tool to enhance phytostabilisation of contaminated soils but little data are available to illustrate the direct effect on roots in contaminated soils. This work aimed to investigate specific root traits and to assess the effect of biochar amendment on contaminant availability. METHODS: Amendment with two different types of biochar, pine woodchip and olive tree pruning, was assessed in a rhizobox experiment with maize planted in a soil contaminated with significant levels of copper and arsenic. RESULTS: Amendment was found to significantly improve root traits compared to the control soil, particularly root mass density and root length density. Copper uptake to plants and ammonium sulphate extractable copper was significantly less in the biochar amended soils. Arsenic uptake and extractability varied with type of biochar used but was not considered to be the limiting factor affecting root and shoot development. CONCLUSIONS: Root establishment in contaminated soils can be enhanced by biochar amendment but choice of biochar is key to maximising soil improvement and controlling contaminant availability.