Abstract
Effects of banded biochar application on dryland wheat production and fertiliser use in 4 experiments in Western Australia and South Australia suggest that biochar has the potential to reduce fertiliser requirement while crop productivity is maintained, and biochar additions can increase crop yields at lower rates of fertiliser use. Banding was used to minimise wind erosion risk and place biochar close to crop roots. The biochars/metallurgical chars used in this study were made at relatively high temperatures from woody materials, forming stable, low-nutrient chars. The results suggest that a low biochar application rate (~1 t/ha) by banding may provide significant positive effects on yield and fertiliser requirement. Benefits are likely to result from improved crop nutrient and water uptake and crop water supply from increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation during dry seasons and in low P soils, rather than through direct nutrient or water supply from biochars. Financial analysis using farm cash flow over 12 years suggests that a break-even total cost of initial biochar use can range from AU$40 to 190/ha if the benefits decline linearly to nil over 12 years, taking into account a P fertiliser saving of 50% or a yield increase of 10%, or both, assuming long-term soil fertility is not compromised. Accreditation of biochar for carbon trading may assist cost reduction.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Banded biochar may reduce fertilizer requirement while maintaining wheat productivity.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume1 - Treatment
- biochare0
- Outcome
- fertiliser requiremente0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Qualifier
- while crop productivity is maintainede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar has the potential to reduce fertiliser requirement while crop productivity is maintained”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar additions increased wheat yield at lower fertilizer rates.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- biochar additionse0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- lower rates of fertiliser usee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“biochar additions can increase crop yields at lower rates of fertiliser use”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
A banded biochar rate near 1 t/ha may improve wheat yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- low biochar application rate (~1 t/ha) by bandinge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- positivee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a low biochar application rate (~1 t/ha) by banding may provide significant positive effects on yield and fertiliser requirement”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
A banded biochar rate near 1 t/ha may improve fertilizer requirement.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- low biochar application rate (~1 t/ha) by bandinge0
- Outcome
- fertiliser requiremente0
- Direction
- positivee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a low biochar application rate (~1 t/ha) by banding may provide significant positive effects on yield and fertiliser requirement”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attributed potential benefits to improved nutrient and water uptake and water supply associated with increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Interactor
- arbuscular mycorrhizal fungale0symbiont
- Outcome
- crop nutrient and water uptake and crop water supplye0
- Qualifier
- increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation during dry seasons and in low P soilse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Benefits are likely to result from improved crop nutrient and water uptake and crop water supply from increased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation during dry seasons and in low P soils”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
Financial modeling estimated break-even initial biochar costs at AU$40 to 190/ha under specified benefit and decline assumptions.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Outcome
- break-even total cost of initial biochar usee0
- Value
- AU$40 to 190/hae0
- Qualifier
- if the benefits decline linearly to nil over 12 years, taking into account a P fertiliser saving of 50% or a yield increase of 10%, or both, assuming long-term soil fertility is not compromisede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a break-even total cost of initial biochar use can range from AU$40 to 190/ha if the benefits decline linearly to nil over 12 years, taking into account a P fertiliser saving of 50% or a yield increase of 10%, or both, assuming long-term soil fertility is not compromised”
e1“dryland wheat production”
Claim · model-written summary
Carbon-trading accreditation may reduce biochar costs.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Outcome
- Accreditation of biochar for carbon trading may assist cost reductione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Accreditation of biochar for carbon trading may assist cost reduction”
e1“dryland wheat production”
The same questions in other papers
biochar · yield · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
110 papers in the same direction as this paper · 10 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
117 papers more in this group
See all 121 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.