Coupling of Biochar and Manure Improves Soil Carbon Pool Stability, Pore Structure, and Microbial Diversity
Jing Sun | Shuxin Tu | Xinrui Lu | Xiujun Li
Albic soils in Northeast China are characterized by low fertility due to factors such as high viscosity, acidity, and carbon depletion. To address these challenges and promote sustainable crop production, biochar and manure have been suggested as soil amendments. However, the mechanisms behind these improvements remain unclear. This study involved a pot experiment to explore how varying levels of biochar application (0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%), alone or combined with cow manure (0.5%), affect soil properties. The dual application of biochar (2.0%) and manure (0.5%) elicited synergistic improvements in soil functionality, surpassing individual treatments. The total organic carbon (TOC) increased by 10.4% and 54.9% relative to that associated with biochar-only (2.0%) and manure-only (0.5%) amendments, respectively, with concurrent structural shifts toward stabilized carbon forms—evidenced by elevated alkyl C content (16.3%) and alkyl C/O–alkyl C ratios (22.8%). Soil physical structure was enhanced, as total porosity (5.64%) rose by 2.0% and pH (6.0) increased by 4.7% compared to sole biochar application. Microbial community analysis revealed that the combined treatment amplified bacterial diversity (Chao1 index 26.9%) and catalase activity (67.0%) while reducing <i>Acidobacteria</i> dominance (24.0%), which was indicative of improved metabolic adaptation. These findings demonstrate that biochar–manure coupling drives carbon sequestration through dual mechanisms: (1) physical stabilization via pore architecture modification and (2) biochemical modulation through microbial network complexity.
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