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In this field study, under the soil conditions of southern Slovakia (Dolná Streda, sandy Haplic Arenosol), there were quantified the effects of biochar substrates (1. Effeco 50:50; 2. Effeco 33:33:33) in two rates (10 and 20 t.ha−1) applied alone or in combination with mineral fertilization on soil organic matter (SOM) content and crop yields for period of 3 years (2018-2020) but also the linear relationships between SOM and crop yields depending on the application of biochar substrates and its combination with mineral fertilizers. The results showed that the content of soil organic carbon (SOC) increased from 8.5 g.kg−1 in unfertilized control to 13.8 g.kg−1 in Effeco 33:33:33 at 20 t ha−1. However, SOC decreased from 13.6 g.kg−1 in fertilized control to 10.1 g.kg-1 in Effeco 50:50 at 10 t.ha−1. Biochar substrates and their combination with mineral fertilizers did not have a significant effect on changes in labile carbon in the soil. The effect on the crop yields was diametrically different in the first year after the application of biochar substrates compared to the second and third year. In the second and third year, the same trend was observed in the reaction to substrates – including a more robust effect on the increase in crop yields in the third year after the application of biochar substrates and also biochar substrates with mineral fertilizers. The linear relationships between SOC and crop yields were found only in biochar substrates alone treatments.

Scientific studies show that the efficiency of biochar can be improved by its combination with other fertilisers. For this reason, fertiliser manufacturers are working to create products that combine biochar with other soil fertility enhancers suitable for different soil-climatic conditions. In this study, two types of biochar substrates (1. biochar blended with farmyard manure, and 2. biochar blended with farmyard manure as well as with digestate) at rates of 10 and 20 t/ha were applied alone or in combination with other manure and mineral fertilisers. These were added to Arenosol (sandy soil, Dolná Streda, Slovakia) and Chernozem (loamy soil, Veľké Úľany, Slovakia) to evaluate the soil physical properties to test the potential of these amendments for soil amelioration in texturally different soils. The results showed that the application of biochar substrates alone increased soil moisture, the volume of capillary pores, and decreased aeration and volume of non-capillary pores. The application of biochar substrates with mineral fertilisers increased aeration, content of water-stable macro-aggregates (WSAma), total porosity, and decreased soil moisture and the content of water-stable micro-aggregates (WSAmi) in sandy soil. In loamy soil, when compared to unfertilised control, the biochar treatments increased content of WSAma, content of dry-sieved macro-aggregates, and decreased content of WSAmi and content of dry-sieved micro-aggregates. The combination of biochar substrates together with manure had no effect on changes in the physical properties of loamy soil.

If we want to develop farming on soil effectively and ecologically, we have to know the soil characteristics, the reasons for the potential low fertility and the ways how to eliminate them. Only this approach allows the rational utilization of the soil fund and achievement of the high effectiveness of the costs needed for the stabilization and increase of fertility and land capability. Recently, many scientific teams have focused their attention on the biochar, a lot of recommendations have been published which are dealing with its application into soil. However, the principal attention has been drawn to the impact of biochar on the particular soils and under the particular conditions. Far less information has been presented about the mutual interactions between the further significant agronomical factors in the combination with biochar. In this primary study, we analyze two new experiments established in the southwest part of Slovakia at the 1 Dolná Streda (sandy soil) and 2 Veľké Uľany (loamy soil) Localities. We discussed (1) the impact of the individual factors on the changes of soil characteristics, and (2) the impact of the individual interactions, such as: soil class – fertilization – biochar on the changes of the soil characteristics. The results indicated that the most significant factor, which influences the monitored soil parameters, is the soil class. The fertilization proved to be a factor which has a negative impact on the humus parameters; on the other hand, it improved the soil sorption. Biochar increased the content of the organic substances in soil and also its environmental effect of retention and immobilization of harmful elements and its positive effect on the soil structure was indicated. The highest frequency of the interactions between the monitored parameters related to the changes of soil characteristics was recorded in the combination fertilization x biochar, and also the soil class x fertilization x biochar.

Recent studies show that biochar improves physical properties of soils and contributes to the carbon sequestration. In contrast to most other studies on biochar, the present study comprise a long-term field experiment with a special focus on the simultaneous impact of N-fertilizer to soil structure parameters and content of soil organic carbon (SOC) since SOC has been linked to improved aggregate stability. However, the question remains: how does the content of water-stable aggregates change with the content of organic matter? In this paper we investigate the effects of biochar alone and in a combination with N-fertilizer (i) on the content of water-stable macro- (WSAma ) and micro-aggregates (WSAmi ) as well as soil structure parameters; and (ii) on the contents of SOC and labile carbon (CL) in water-stable aggregates (WSA). A field experiment was conducted with different biochar application rates: B0 control (0 t ha−1), B10 (10 t ha−1) and B20 (20 t ha−1) and 0 (no N), 1st and 2nd level of nitrogen fertilization. The doses of level 1 were calculated on required average crop production using the balance method. The level 2 included an application of additional 100% of N in 2014 and additional 50% of N in the years 2015–2016 on silty loam Haplic Luvisol at the study site located at Dolná Malanta (Slovakia). The effects were investigated after the growing season of spring barley, maize and spring wheat in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The results indicate that the B10N0 treatment significantly decreased the structure vulnerability by 25% compared to B0N0. Overall, the lower level of N combined with lower doses of biochar and the higher level of N showed positive effects on the average contents of higher classes of WSAma and other soil structure parameters. The content of SOC in WSA in all size classes and the content of CL in WSAma 3–1 mm significantly increased after applying 20 t ha–1 of biochar compared to B0N0. In the case of the B20N1 treatment, the content of SOC in WSAma within the size classes >5 mm (8%), 5–3 mm (19%), 3–2 mm (12%), 2–1 mm (16%), 1–0.5 mm (14%), 0.5–0.25 mm (9%) and WSAmi (12%) was higher than in B0N1. We also observed a considerably higher content of SOC in WSAma 5–0.5 mm and WSAmi with the B10N1 treatment as compared to B0N1. Doses of 20 t biochar ha−1 combined with second level of N fertilization had significant effect on the increase of WSAma and WSAmi compared to the B0N2 treatment. A significant increase of CL in WSA was determined for size classes of 2–0.25 mm and WSAmi in the B20N2 treatment. Our findings showed that biochar might have beneficial effects on soil structure parameters, SOC, CL in WSA and carbon sequestration, depending on the applied amounts of biochar and nitrogen.

The effects of biochar and biochar combined with N-fertilizer on the content of soil organic matter in water-stable aggregates were investigated. A field experiment was conducted with different biochar application rates: B0 control (0 t ha-1), B10 (10 t ha-1) and B20 (20 t ha-1) and 0 (no N), 1st and 2nd levels of nitrogen fertilization on silt loam Haplic Luvisol (Dolna Malanta, Slovakia), in 2014. The N doses of level 1 were calculated on required average crop production using balance method. Level 2 included additional 100% of N in year 2014 and additional 50% of N in year 2016. The effects were investigated during the growing seasons of spring barley and spring wheat in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Results indicate that the B20N2 treatment significantly increased the proportion of water-stable macro-aggregates (WSAma) and reduced water-stable micro-aggregates (WSAmi). Aggregate stability increased only in the B20N1 treatment. The B20N2 treatment showed a robust decrease by 27% in the WSAma of 0.5-0.25 mm. On the other hand, an increase by 56% was observed in the content of WSAma with fractions 3-2 mm compared to the B0N0 treatment. The effect of N fertilizer on WSAma was confirmed only in the case of the B10N2 treatment. The proportion of WSAma with fractions 3-2 mm decreased by 42%, while the size fraction of 0.5-0.25 mm increased by 30% compared to the B10N0 treatment. The content of WSAma with fractions 1-0.5 mm decreased with time. On the contrary, the content of WSAma with particle sizes above 5 mm increased with time in all treatments except the B10N2 and B20N2 treatments. A statistically significant trend was identified in the proportion of WSA in the B10N2 and B20N2 treatments, which indicates that biochar with higher application levels of N fertilizer stabilizes the proportion of water-stable aggregates. 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