Effects of biochar and vermicompost on microorganisms and enzymatic activities in greenhouse soil

Abstract

The effects of different contents of biochar and vermicompost on the microbial and enzymatic activities of greenhouse soil were determined to provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of greenhouse soil. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using potted tomatoes. Five treatments consisted of different amount ratios of organic amendments: 1% biochar (BC1), 3% biochar (BC3), 5% biochar (BC5), 3% vermicompost (VC3), and 5% vermicompost (VC5), with no addition of organic amendments as the control (CK). Compared with CK, the pH, organic matter content, and DOC concentration increased in treatment groups. The organic matter content of BC3 and BC5 significantly increased by 54.6% and 72.8%, respectively, and DOC concentration of BC3 significantly increased by 43.9%. Biochar and vermicompost significantly increased the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in soil, as well as the abundance of Actinomycetes, Acidobacteria, Ascomycetes, and Aspergillus, and reduced the abundance of Aspergillus. The activities of urease and alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased, and the activity of nitrate reductase was inhibited in all treatment groups compared with CK. In addition, a highly significant positive correlation was observed among pH, Acidobacteria phylum abundance, and alkaline phosphatase activity in all treatments. DOC concentration was positively correlated with pH, organic matter content, Acidobacteria phylum abundance and alkaline phosphatase activity. Biochar and vermicompost were effective in improving the physicochemical properties of greenhouse soil, enhancing microbial diversity, and affecting enzymatic activities. Therefore, BC3 (3% biochar) had the most significant effect on community diversity and alkaline phosphatase and nitrate reductase activities. VC5 (5% vermicompost) had the best promotion effect on urease activity. This study highlights that biochar and vermicompost as organic amendments are recommended to improve the quality of greenhouse soils.

Effects of microplastics on soil C and N cycling with or without interactions with soil amendments or soil fauna

“…Most studies have focused on the positive effect of biochar on enzyme activity. The explanation for this is that biochar contains a large amount of nutrients, which can improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil, thereby stimulating enzyme activity (Sopena & Bending, 2013; Wu et al, 2023). Of course, it is also necessary to consider that different types and properties of biochar have different effects on enzyme activity (Futa et al, 2020).…”

Plant growth and stress-regulating metabolite response to biochar utilization boost crop traits and soil health

“…(2017) , where it was reported that phosphatase activities significantly peaked under BC applied at the rate of 20 t/hm 2 . This phenomenon is associated with the crucial role BC utilization plays in decomposing organic matter, which eventually releases organic phosphorus compounds ( Wu et al., 2023 ). However, BC-supplemented soil has also been observed to lower the enzymatic activities tied to ecological processes such as soil C mineralization ( Lehmann et al., 2011 ), primarily due to the high C content in BC ( Panwar et al., 2019 ) or the sorption of enzymes by BC ( Czimczik and Masiello, 2007 ).…”

Effects of biochar and vermicompost on growth and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper at karst yellow soil region in Southwest China

“…These views can also be confirmed by the soil fertility enhancement after pepper harvest in this study ( Table 5 ). Notably, the addition of vermicompost may further enhance the soil amendment effect of biochar because of the richness of vermicompost in beneficial microorganisms, which can further activate and colonize the pore structure of biochar ( Zhao et al., 2020 ; Wu et al., 2022 ). Furthermore, vermicompost contains beneficial microorganisms that can inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi by inducing the secretion of antibacterial substances, including antibiotics and cell wall-degrading enzymes, particularly in soils with continuous cropping barriers ( Szczech et al., 1993 ; Xiao et al., 2016 ).…”