Author(s)

Joung Du Shin^1*, Yong-Su Choi¹, Jae-Hoon Shin²

¹Department of Climate Change & Ecology, National Institute of Agricultural Science, RDA, Wanju, Korea.
²Organic Agricultural Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Korea.

Despite the ability of biochar to enhance soil fertility and to sequester soil carbon, its potential reduction of green house gas emissions and profit analysis with different organic composts and cooperated with biochar for crop cultivation have been a few evaluated. This study was conducted to estimate their greenhouse gas emission reduction and profit analysis by soil carbon sequestration with different organic composts and cooperated with biochar application during corn cultivation periods. For the experiment, the treatments were consisted of aerobic digestate of swine wastes (AD), pig compost as the control (PC), cow compost (CC) and pig compost cooperated with 1% biochar (PC + 1% biochar). The soil texture used in this study was sandy loam, and application rates of chemical fertilizer were 190-39-221 kg·ha^-1 (N-P₂O₅-K₂O) as recommended amount after soil test. The soil samples were periodically taken at every 15 day intervals during the experimental periods. It was observed that soil carbon sequestration by AD, CC and PC + 1% biochar application was estimated to be 429 kg·ha^-1, 2366 kg·ha^-1, and 3978 kg·ha^-1, and their CO₂-e emission reductions were estimated to be 0.16 tones for AD, 0.87 tones for CC, and 14.58 tones for PC + 1% biochar per hectar for corn cultivation periods. Their profits were estimated at $14.58 for lowest and $451.90 for highest. In Korea Climate Exchange, it was estimated to be $115.20 per hectar of corn cultivation with PC + 1% biochar. So, the price of CO₂ per hectar for corn cultivation with PC + 1% biochar was high at 16.8 times relative to cow compost treatment only. For the plant growth response, it was observed that plant height and fresh ear yield were not significantly different among the treatments. Therefore, these experimental results might be fundamental data for assuming a carbon trading mechanism exists for biochar soil application in agricultural practices.

Biochar, Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation, Soil Carbon Sequestration, Compost

Shin, J. , Choi, Y. and Shin, J. (2016) Profit Analysis by Soil Carbon Sequestration with Different Composts and Cooperated with Biochar during Corn (Zea mays) Cultivation Periods in Sandy Loam Soil. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 5, 107-112. doi: 10.4236/jacen.2016.53012.