Biochar preparation for returning nutrients to soil

Stella Cristiani Gonçalves Matoso1; Paulo Guilherme Salvador Wadt2; Valdomiro Severino de Souza Júnior3;
Xosé Lois Otero Pérez4

INSTITUTO FEDERAL DE RONDÔNIA1; Embrapa Rondônia2; Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco3;

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela4

Mineral enriched biochars have demonstrated high stability and high nutrient content available to plants,
especially under low pyrolysis temperatures. These characteristics are similar to the properties of the
organomineral complex of Amazonian Dark Earths. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of
adding two specific soil types (sandy and clayey) to rice or coffee husk in order to generate organomineral
biochars via pyrolysis. The pyrolysis (350 °C for 2 h) of biomasses (organic biochars) and solid mixtures
(enriched biochar) of biomasses + soils (0,6:0,4 biomass-to-soil ratio), was carried out, resulting in six biochars.
Thermal analyzes (TG/DSC) and chemical analyzes were performed. The elemental composition was obtained in
elemental analyzer (N and S) and by acid digestion using HNO3, H2O2 and HCl (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn and
Cu). The available contents were extracted with solution of Mehlich 3 (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu) and
ammonium acetate at pH 7.0 (Na). The nutrients concentration was determined by colorimetry, flame photometry
and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The coffee husk gave rise to biochars more resistant to thermal degradation
than the rice husk. This effect was potentiated in the enriched biochars. The F1 axis (69.26%) of the principal
component analysis separated the biochars according to the biomass. The three biochars derived from coffee
husk were similar, presenting higher content of N, S (total), P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Cu (total and available) and
lower content of Zn and Mn (total and available), when compared to the three rice husk-derived biochars. In the
F2 axis (21.99%) it was observed that the higher Fe content (total and available) and total Mg separated the
enriched biochars from the organic biochars. The elemental composition (mg kg-1) of biochar derived from coffee
husk resulted in: N = 19.5; S = 0.9; P= 1,644.6; K = 42,200.0; Ca = 13,740.0; Mg = 900.0; Na = 84.0; Fe =
1,290.0; Zn = 16.0; Mn = 159.0 and Cu = 39.0. With available levels of (mg kg-1): P = 102.1; K = 33,893.8; Ca =
4,288.2; Mg = 420.0; Na = 0.01; Fe = 101.0; Zn = 5.5; Mn = 87.4 and Cu = 1.7. Therefore, the biochar derived
from coffee husk is a good alternative to return nutrients to soil. The enrichment with clay soil, despite decreasing
the total and available contents of most nutrients, increases the Mg, Fe and Mn contents and the thermal stability
of the biochar. Thus, enhanced potential as slow-release fertilizer is obtained.

Keywords: Biochar quality; enriched biochar; organomineral complex.

Financial Support: Capes

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