Pyrolysis Temperature Affects Biochar Properties in a Soil–Plant System
Lisa Caturegli | Giacomo Bianchini | Alice Trivellini | Giulia Carmassi | Rita Maggini | Silvia Tavarini | Roberto Cardelli | Raffaele Ragucci | Paola Giudicianni | Corinna Maria Grottola | Giovanni Battista Ariemma | Davide Amato | Luciana Gabriella Angelini
Biochar, produced by pyrolyzing biomass under limited oxygen, can improve soil quality while supporting long-term carbon sequestration. This study compared two wheat-straw biochars (BC) made at 450 °C (BC1) and 600 °C (BC2), with a commercial hardwood biochar produced at 1280 °C (BC3) using lettuce in a sandy, nutrient-poor soil under a carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) perspective. Higher pyrolysis temperature increased fixed carbon, ash, and alkalinity and reduced volatile matter, indicating greater carbon stability (BC2 > BC1). Germination tests showed good compatibility, with BC1 performing best, likely because moderate temperatures retain more labile organic fractions. In growth-chamber trials (0.75% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>), biochar boosted lettuce biomass and root development mainly when combined with mineral fertilization, with BC2 (25% and 59%, respectively) and BC3 (18% and 52%, respectively) yielding the strongest gains; unfertilized plants responded little, confirming that biochar is mainly a soil conditioner rather than a nutrient source. Biochar also stimulated soil enzymes linked to C, N, and P cycling and improved leaf chlorophyll, nitrogen status, and antioxidant capacity under fertilization. The nutrient profiles differed by biochar: BC1 increased K and nitrate, while BC2/BC3 lowered nitrate and BC3 enhanced Ca, Mg, and P uptake. Overall, agronomic outcomes depend on feedstock and pyrolysis temperature: mid-temperature biochars enhance productivity and soil biological activity, whereas high-temperature biochars maximize carbon permanence.
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