Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel.
French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 84990, Israel.
J Environ Manage. 2020 Oct 1;271:110959. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110959. Epub 2020 Jun 20.
The conversion of poultry litter to hydrochar has been proposed for stabilization of the soils and to eliminate pathogens. Still, research on the hydrochar's effect on soil properties as a function of production temperature, and its direct use with plants is limited in general and even less so on poultry litter. We characterized poultry litter hydrochar as an amendment for sandy soils in terms of changes to the soil's bulk density, porosity, water-retention capacity, and fertility. Soil bulk density, porosity and water-retention capacity were determined in a pneumatic tension plate system for sand with hydrochar-amendment rates of 0.5, 1 and 2%, and hydrochar-production temperature of 180, 220, and 250 °C. Soil fertility was assessed by growing lettuce seedlings in a randomized block design planter experiment, consisting of 16 blocks that were sampled every 10 days. The addition of poultry litter hydrochar resulted in decreased soil bulk density. Soil porosity increased with hydrochar generated at a temperature of up to 220 °C, and decreased with hydrochar generated at 250 °C. Soil water content increased as compared to unamended sand, but decreased with increasing hydrochar-production temperature, probably due to increasing hydrophobicity of the poultry litter hydrochar. The addition of hydrochar at concentrations of 0.5 and 1% resulted in improved plant growth despite an initial delay. While increased soil moisture due to increased soil water-retention capacity was confirmed, it did not seem to be responsible for the improved plant growth. It was also demonstrated for the first time that hydrochar decreases nitrate leaching from soils. Therefore, poultry litter-derived hydrochar seems to be an adequate amendment for sandy soils.
家禽粪便已被提议转化为水热炭，以稳定土壤并消除病原体。然而，作为生产温度的函数，其对土壤性质的影响及其与植物的直接应用的研究总体上是有限的，而对于家禽粪便更是如此。我们将家禽粪便水热炭作为一种改良剂，用于研究其对沙质土壤的容重、孔隙度、持水能力和肥力的影响。通过在气动张力板系统中对水热炭添加率为 0.5%、1%和 2%、水热炭生产温度为 180°C、220°C 和 250°C 的沙质土壤进行容重、孔隙度和持水能力的测定。通过随机区组设计种植实验评估土壤肥力，实验由 16 个区组组成，每个区组每 10 天采样一次。添加家禽粪便水热炭会降低土壤容重。随着水热炭生成温度升高至 220°C，土壤孔隙度增加，而当温度升高至 250°C 时，土壤孔隙度降低。与未改良的沙质土壤相比，土壤含水量增加，但随着水热炭生产温度的升高而减少，这可能是由于家禽粪便水热炭的疏水性增加所致。尽管初始阶段存在延迟，但在 0.5%和 1%的浓度下添加水热炭仍能促进植物生长。虽然增加土壤水分保持能力会导致土壤水分增加，但似乎并不是导致植物生长改善的原因。此外，这也是首次证明水热炭可以减少土壤中硝酸盐的淋溶。因此，家禽粪便衍生的水热炭似乎是一种适宜的沙质土壤改良剂。
