Using Poultry Litter Biochar and Rock Dust MB-4 on Release Available Phosphorus to Soils

Abstract

Highly weathered soils in areas from Brazil are acidic soils, typically characterized by poor fertility, particularly with low soil phosphorus level. This laboratory experiment was carried out to evaluate the influences of biochar, made from the poultry litter and MB-4, rock dust from grinding of silicate rocks in increasing the available soil phosphorus on Ultisol, Oxisol and Entisol. Thus, one experiment involving soils incubation was conducted in laboratory, during 100 days. The treatments consisted of rock powder, MB-4 and poultry litter, biochar, evaluated by the base saturation method, with correction levels from 40% to 80% for Ultisol and Entisol and from 20% to 80% for Oxisol and three replicates. After the incubation period, the soil samples were analyzed in relation to available phosphorus in the soil. The results of this study confirmed that the biochar prepared from the poultry litter through slow pyrolysis was a potential source of phosphorus, particularly to weathered soils. Biochar released phosphorus into the soils. The biochar could be used in the improvement of available phosphorus for the three soils analyzed. During the incubation period, 100 days, the application of increasing doses of MB-4 in soils there was no improvement in the available soil phosphorus. MB-4 was not a source of phosphorus to the soil in a short term.