@article{fdi:010091920,
  title = {{C}omposted biochar versus compost with biochar : effects on soil properties and plant growth},
  author = {{M}ikajlo, {I}rina and {L}erch, {T}. {Z}. and {L}ouvel, {B}. and {H}ynst, {J}. and {Z}ahora, {J}. and {P}ourrut, {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}iochar is widely recognized as an amendment that enhances soil properties and sequesters carbon, particularly in degraded soils. {H}owever, biochar applied solely to soil may also hinder plant development due to toxic by-products generated during pyrolysis or nutrient retention. {T}o mitigate these adverse effects, it has been suggested to either mix biochar with compost or to process it by composting with fresh organic materials. {T}o date, there is a lack of comparative studies evaluating the performance of these two approaches. {I}n this study, three types of biochar, differing in their initial feedstocks (beech wood, hornbeam/beech/oak mixture, and digestate/cereal straw mixture), were investigated. {T}hese biochars were applied solely, mixed with green waste compost, or processed as composted biochar in two soils of different fertility (a {L}uvisol and a gleyic {F}luvisol). {A} pot experiment was conducted under controlled conditions where lettuce was grown for three months. {A}fter harvesting, plant biomass, and soil microbial and physicochemical properties were measured. {C}omposted biochar and compost additives maintained a neutral soil p{H}, contrary to biochar applied solely or mixed with compost. {T}he dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen were higher in composted biochar treatments, leading to a higher proportion of humified material with a high degree of condensed aromatic groups compared to other treatments. {M}icrobial activities were higher in the composted biochar treatments compared to those in the compost with biochar, and more specifically in the less fertile {L}uvisol. {F}inally, composted biochar increased plant growth by almost six times compared to the control without amendments, whereas the mix of biochar and compost increased it by only three times. {S}olely applied biochars did not affect lettuce growth. {T}his study demonstrates that biochar composting is more beneficial than mixing biochar with compost in terms of improving soil fertility and mitigating the negative effects associated with pure biochar application. {T}he positive effects of composted biochar application on soil properties and plant growth are higher than biochar and compost co-application.{T}he composting process lessened the initial properties' differences among biochars differing in initial feedstock and physicochemical qualities.{T}he beneficial effects of composted biochar on soil properties were more pronounced when applied to less fertile soils.},
  keywords = {{B}iochar ; {C}ompost ; {C}omposted biochar ; {L}ettuce ; {S}oil},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{B}iochar},
  volume = {6},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {85 [17 p.]},
  ISSN = {2524-7972},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1007/s42773-024-00379-2},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010091920},
}