Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from a red acidic soil by using magnesium-modified wheat straw biochar

To mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, different strategies have been proposed, including application of dolomite, crop straw and biochar, thus contributing to cope with the increasing global warming affecting the planet. In the current study, pristine wheat straw biochar (WBC) and magnesium (MgCl2.6H2O) modified wheat straw biochar (MWBC) were used. Treatments included control (CK), two WBC dosages (1% and 2.5%), and two MWBC doses (1% and 2.5%). After 90 days of incubation, WBC and MWBC improved the soil physiochemical properties, being more pronounced with increasing rates of biochar. MWBC2.5 significantly decreased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), while microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) increased when both biochar materials (WBC1 and MWBC1) were applied at low rate. Compared to control soil, Urease and Alkaline phosphatase activities increased with the increasing rate of WBC and MWBC. The activities of dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase decreased with the WBC and MWBC application, compared to CK. The fluxes of all the three GHGs evaluated (CO2, CH4 and N2O) decreased with time for both biochar amendments, while cumulative emission of CO2 increased by 58% and 45% for WBC, and by 54% and 41% for MWBC, as compared to CK. The N2O cumulative emissions decreased by 18 and 34% for WBC, and by 25 and 41% for MWBC, compared to CK, whereas cumulative methane emission showed non-significant differences among all treatments. These findings indicate that Mg-modified wheat straw biochar would be an appropriate management strategy aiding to reduce GHG emissions and improving the physiochemical properties of affected soils, and specifically of the red dry land soil investigated in the current work. •MBC decrease by both biochars while MBN increase at low rate of WBC and MWB.•Urease and phosphatase activity increased while dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase activity decreased.•WBC and MWBC increased cumulative CO2, whereas decreased the N2O emission.