Publication detail

Humic Acid Mitigates the Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar Application on Microbial Activity

Holatko, Jiri Hammerschmiedt, Tereza Datta, Rahul Baltazar, Tivadar Kintl, Antonin Latal, Oldrich Pecina, Vaclav Sarec, Petr Novak, Petr Balakova, Ludmila Danish, Subhan Zafar-ul-Hye, Muhammad Fahad, Shah Brtnicky, Martin

Original Title

Humic Acid Mitigates the Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar Application on Microbial Activity

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Objective: Biochar and a commercial humic acid-rich product, Humac (modified leonardite), represent soil amendments with the broad and beneficial effects on various soil properties. Their combination has been scarcely tested so far, although the positive impact of their interaction might be desirable. Materials and Methods: The dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass carbon (C-mic), soil respiration (basal and substrate-induced), enzyme activities, total carbon (C-tot), and both shoot and root biomass yield were measured and compared in the short-term pot experiment with the lettuce seedlings. The following treatments were tested: the unamended soil (control), the Humac-amended soil (0.8 g center dot kg(-1)), the biochar-amended soil (low biochar 32 g center dot kg(-1), high biochar 80 g center dot kg(-1)), and the soil-amended with biochar + Humac. Results: The effect of both amendments on the soil pH was insignificant. The highest average values of C-tot and C-mic were detected in high biochar treatment and the highest average values of basal and substrate-induced respiration (glucose, glucosamine, alanine) were detected in the low biochar treatment. The phosphatase activity and fresh and dry lettuce aboveground biomass were the highest in the low biochar + Humac treatment. Conclusions: Even though the combination of both biochar + Humac decreased the microbial activities in the amended soil (C-mic, DHA, enzymes, substrate-induced respiration) at the low biochar dose, they mitigated the detrimental effect of the high biochar dose on respiration (all the types) and the enzyme (phosphatase, arylsulphatase) activities. In contrast to the previously published research in this issue, the effects could not be attributed to the change of the soil pH.

Keywords

organic amendment; priming effect; soil dehydrogenase; microbial biomass carbon; respiration; enzymes; plant biomass; soil health

Authors

Holatko, Jiri; Hammerschmiedt, Tereza; Datta, Rahul; Baltazar, Tivadar; Kintl, Antonin; Latal, Oldrich; Pecina, Vaclav; Sarec, Petr; Novak, Petr; Balakova, Ludmila; Danish, Subhan; Zafar-ul-Hye, Muhammad; Fahad, Shah; Brtnicky, Martin

Released

20. 11. 2020

Publisher

MDPI

Location

BASEL

ISBN

2071-1050

Periodical

Sustainability

Year of study

12

Number

9524

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

19

Pages count

19

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9524

BibTex

@article{BUT167928,
  author="Holatko, Jiri and Hammerschmiedt, Tereza and Datta, Rahul and Baltazar, Tivadar and Kintl, Antonin and Latal, Oldrich and Pecina, Vaclav and Sarec, Petr and Novak, Petr and Balakova, Ludmila and Danish, Subhan and Zafar-ul-Hye, Muhammad and Fahad, Shah and Brtnicky, Martin",
  title="Humic Acid Mitigates the Negative Effects of High Rates of Biochar Application on Microbial Activity",
  journal="Sustainability",
  year="2020",
  volume="12",
  number="9524",
  pages="1--19",
  doi="10.3390/su12229524",
  issn="2071-1050",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9524"
}