title: Biochar helps enhance maize productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions under balanced fertilization in a rainfed low fertility inceptisol.
abstract: Maize production plays an important role in global food security, especially in arid and poor-soil regions. Its production is also increasing in China in terms of both planting area and yield. However, maize productivity in rainfed croplands is constrained by low soil fertility and moisture insufficiency. To increase the maize yield, local farmers use NPK fertilizer. However, the fertilization regime (CF) they practice is unbalanced with too much nitrogen in proportion to both phosphorus and potassium, which has led to low fertilizer use efficiency and excessive greenhouse gases emissions. A two-year field experiment was conducted to assess whether a high yielding but low greenhouse gases emission system could be developed by the combination of balanced fertilization (BF) and biochar amendment in a rainfed farmland located in the Northern region of China. Biochar was applied at rates of 0, 20, and 40 t/ha. Results show that BF and biochar increased maize yield and partial nutrient productivity and decreased nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. Under BF the maize yield was 23.7% greater than under CF. N2O emissions under BF were less than half that under CF due to a reduced N fertilizer application rate. Biochar amendment decreased N2O by more than 31% under CF, while it had no effect on N2O emissions under BF. Thus BF was effective at maintaining a high maize yield and reducing greenhouse gases emissions. If combined with biochar amendment, BF would be a good way of sustaining low carbon agriculture in rainfed areas.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Dengxiao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Genxing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Grace Wanjiru
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Kibue
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Lianqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Xuhui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Jinwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Jufeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, and Center of Agricultural and Climate Change, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing 210095, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, PR China. Electronic address: xiaoyuliu@njau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D002606:Charcoal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D017752:Greenhouse Effect / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011891:Rain / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D005740:Gases; D012987:Soil; C540010:biochar; D002606:Charcoal
keywords: Balanced fertilization; Biochar; Crop yield; Greenhouse gases; Rainfed agriculture