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Abstract

The effect of macadamia nut shell biochar on nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and sodium concentrations in potting mix used to grow Eucalyptus nitens seedlings was investigated in a glasshouse experiment. The treatments combined two fertiliser rates (50 and 100% rate of the commercial mix commonly used in forestry nurseries) with eight biochar rates (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 80 and 100 t ha-1) arranged in a randomised complete block with three replicates of four sample plants. Nutrients were quantified in the potting mix and seedling leaves at four destructive harvests 135, 177, 219 and 269 days after planting. Biochar significantly increased nitrate-N, Colwell P, Colwell K and exchangeable Na and reduced ammonium-N, Mg and Ca concentrations in the potting mix. Seedling leaf concentrations of P, K and Na were increased by biochar application, while N remained dependent on fertiliser rate only. Mg and Ca leaf concentrations decreased in response to increasing biochar rates. Elevated nitrate-N and decreased ammonium-N concentrations suggest that biochar might have increased nitrification in the potting mix. We presumed that biochar mediated processes that reduced uptake of P and K when high doses of biochar were combined with full fertilisation. Changes in potting mix K, Na, Mg and Ca were consistent with selective adsorption of ions to biochar surfaces.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Wrobel-Tobiszewska, A and Boersma, M and Sargison, J and Adams, P and Singh, B and Franks, S and Birch, CJ and Close, DC
Keywords:	charcoal, forest plantation, plant nutrition, seedlings, soil chemistry
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Forestry Research
Publisher:	Dongbei Linye Daxue
ISSN:	1007-662X
DOI / ID Number:	10.1007/s11676-017-0437-0
Copyright Information:	Copyright 2017 Northeast Forestry University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany
Related URLs:	Google Scholar: Boersma, M UTAS Profile: Boersma, M Google Scholar: Close, DC UTAS Profile: Close, DC
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