Effects of Cow Bone Biochar on the Microbial Properties of Different Soil Texture at Varying Depths and Land Use.

This study investigated the effects of cowbone biochar on the microbial properties of different textures at varying depths and land use. The experiment consists of 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial combinations of two biochar sources (Biochar (20g/4kg soil) and control), two depths (0-20 and 20-40 cm), two land uses (cultivated and fallow), and two soil textures (sandy clay loam (SCL) and sandy loam (SL)) in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated three times. The data analyzed were microbial count (MC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and microbial respiration (MR). The results showed that the alkaline nature of biochar was capable of influencing soil microbial activities. The application of biochar on fallow SCL soils had the highest significant effects on soil microbial properties. The least microbial properties were observed in the deeper depths (20-40) of cultivated SL soils, which were not amended with biochar (control). The MC, MBC, MBN, and MR of the topsoil were 66.2%, 11.1%, 26.6%, and 33.9% higher than the subsoil. The SCL textures were 42.8%, 25.0%, 78.5%, and 28.3% higher than SL. The cultivated soils were 29.4%, 16.4%, 41.1%, and 20.8% lower than the fallow soils, respectively. The application of bone biochar increased MC, MBC, and MR of the soils by 10.1%, 7.9% and 9.9% respectively. In conclusion, these findings underscore the potential of cow bone-derived biochar as a suitable soil amendment that not only recycles waste but also improves soil microbial functioning, particularly in sandy soils and degraded agroecosystems.