Grants and residencies

Research

The short-term and long-term effects of biochar and other soil amendment materials on soil biota

Application summary

Biochar as a soil amendment shows promising results in improving soil and crop quality and increasing crop yields, however, there is a lack of field-scale evidence of its effects on soil biota. Hence, in this proposal, the objective is to study short and long-term underlying processes in biochar amended soils and their effects on earthworms and microbial community composition, and greenhouse gas emissions. While all the data is already collected, and one manuscript will be submitted shortly, data for the two remaining manuscripts still has to be analyzed and the results need to be published.

In this project we investigated how biochars and recycled organic fertilizers influence the health and functioning of agricultural soils. Biochars are carbon-rich materials made by heating organic matter, and it has been proposed as a way to store carbon in soils while also improving soil fertility. Recycled fertilizers such as composts, digested sludges, and vermicompost represent sustainable alternatives to mineral fertilizers, but their combined effects with biochar on soil life are still poorly understood.

We focused on long-term field experiments in Finland and a complementary site in Estonia to examine how these amendments affect greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon, microbes, and earthworms. These soil organisms are essential for nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and the overall resilience of agroecosystems. Our results are still in the process of being published, but preliminary results show that biochars and organic fertilizers can shift microbial community composition and alter greenhouse gas fluxes.

By combining ecological and agronomic perspectives, this project provides new knowledge on the potential of biochars and recycled fertilizers to contribute to climate-friendly farming. This research supports the sustainable use of recycled resources in agriculture and offers insights into how farming systems can adapt to environmental challenges while reducing their climate footprint.

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