 |
| Titel |
Biochar as a growing media additive and peat substitute |
| VerfasserIn |
C. Steiner, T. Harttung |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1869-9510
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Solid Earth ; 5, no. 2 ; Nr. 5, no. 2 (2014-09-22), S.995-999 |
| Datensatznummer |
250115340
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/se-5-995-2014.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
Environmental concerns raised the demand for alternative growing media
substituting Sphagnum peat. However growing media formulations still depend
on peat and alternatives are limited. Biochar is carbonized plant material
and could be an appropriate additive or even substitute for Sphagnum peat.
Freshly produced, it is free from pathogens, has a low nutrient content (if
produced from nutrient-poor feedstock), a very high structural stability and
likely other favourable properties such as air capacity and water-holding
capacity.
Preliminary tests were conducted to compare biochar with other growing media
and growing media additives. The growth of a miniature sunflower, pH and
electrical conductivity (EC) was measured in different growing media such as
biochar, perlite, clay granules, Sphagnum peat and peat mixed with biochar
in the ratios 1 : 4, 1 : 1 and 4 : 1 (25, 50 and 75%, by volume).
Fresh biochar has a similar EC to peat which is even lower after rinsing
with water. Due to the relatively high pH of biochar, it could be added to
peat instead of lime in a concentration of up to 75%. The growth of the
sunflower was similar in all growing media. Only the plant weight was
slightly higher of plants that grew in perlite or peat. There is a large
potential for optimization such as selection of particle size and feedstock
for biochar production and growing media formulations for specific plant
requirements. |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|