Effects of Enriched Biochars on the Availability and Fractions of Phosphorus in the Saline Soils of Lake Urmia Basin

In order to reduce the problems of biochar application in calcareous soils, by changing the surface properties of apple-grape biochar by phosphoric and chloric acids, the effects of enriched biochars on the fraction of phosphorus (P) forms in saline soils of Lake Urmia was investigated as a factorial incubation experiment in a completely randomized design with two factors: fertilizer treatments (control (Cont), biochar (BC), phosphate fertilizer (TSP), Biochar-Rock phosphate (BC-RP) and enriched-biochar (EB) types (BC-HCl-RP and BC-H3PO4-RP)) and 2 calcareous soils with different EC (2 and 15 dSm-1). Olsen-P, pH and different forms of inorganic P were determined by sequential extraction method at 7, 30 and 60 days of incubation. The results showed that on average, the BC-HCl-RP and BC-H3PO4-RP treatments reduced the pH of S1and S2 soils, 0.5 and 1 unit, respectively. BC-H3PO4-RP and BC-HCl-RP treatments increased Olsen-P of S1 soil from 6.7 to 57.5 and 55.5 mgkg-1 and soil S2 from 7.4 mgkg-1 to 71.3 and 62 mgkg-1, respectively. Enriched biochars significantly (p <0.01) altered the distribution and amount of inorganic P forms. Thus, BC-H3PO4-RP and BC-HCl-RP treatments increased the amount of Ca2-P fraction in the S1 soil by 2.9 and 2.6 times and in the S2 soils by 1.06 and 0.97 times, respectively. However, the amounts of Ca8-P, Al –P and Ca10-P fractions reduced significantly. Olsen-P positively and significantly correlated with Ca2-P, Fe-P, and Ca10-P fractions and positively but not significantly with the Al-P fraction, suggesting that in the extraction of Olsen-P, phosphorus is released from these mineral fractions. In general, EBs application may cause P to remain in the plant-available forms over the time. Therefore, it can help to improve P nutrition, reduce salinity stress, and eliminate the common problems of biochar application in these soils.