Data from: Biochar from "Kon Tiki" flame curtain and other kilns: effects of nutrient enrichment and kiln type on crop yield and soil chemistry

Biochar application to soils has been investigated as a means of improving
soil fertility and mitigating climate change through soil carbon
sequestration. In the present work, the invasive shrub "Eupatorium
adenophorum" was utilized as a sustainable feedstock for making
biochar under different pyrolysis conditions in Nepal. Biochar was
produced using several different types of kilns; four sub types of flame
curtain kilns (deep-cone metal kiln, steel shielded soil pit, conical soil
pit and steel small cone), brick-made traditional kiln, traditional
earth-mound kiln and top lift up draft (TLUD). The resultant biochars
showed consistent pH (9.1 ± 0.3), cation exchange capacities (133 ± 37
cmolc kg-1), organic carbon contents (73.9 ± 6.4 %) and surface areas (35
to 215 m2/g) for all kiln types. A pot trial with maize was carried out to
investigate the effect on maize biomass production of the biochars made
with various kilns, applied at 1% and 4% dosages. Biochars were either
pretreated with hot or cold mineral nutrient enrichment (mixing with a
nutrient solution before or after cooling down, respectively), or added
separately from the same nutrient dosages to the soil. Significantly
higher CEC (P< 0.05), lower Al/Ca ratios (P< 0.05), and high
OC% (P<0.001) were observed for both dosages of biochar as compared
to non-amended control soils. Importantly, the study showed that biochar
made by flame curtain kilns resulted in the same agronomic effect as
biochar made by the other kilns (P > 0.05). At a dosage of 1%
biochar, the hot nutrient-enriched biochar led to significant increases of
153% in above ground biomass production compared to cold nutrient-enriched
biochar and 209% compared to biochar added separately from the nutrients.
Liquid nutrient enhancement of biochar thus improved fertilizer
effectiveness compared to separate application of biochar and fertilizer.