Effects of Bamboo Biochar on the Levels of Soil Water Holding Capacity and Yields of Leaf Lettuce in a Continuous Cropping System

Abstract

Soil amendments using bamboo biochar could enhance sustainability of crop production by improving levels of water and nutrient storage capacity. In this study, we grew leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var.crispa) in the field through two continuous cropping cycles without supplemental irrigation or fertilizer, testing effects of application rates of bamboo biochar (0, 10, 20, 30, 40％ of soil volume) and organic fertilizer (100, 200 kg N ha ^-1 ) on levels of yield and water holding capacity. We found that the application of bamboo biochar increased levels of water holding capacity, while bamboo biochar’s application rates less than 10% achieved the highest yield levels. Yield levels did not decrease over two continuous cropping cycles, only for samples with 100 kg N ha ^-1 . Further research is needed for understanding effects of bamboo biochar’s particle size distributions, and effects specific to soil types.