WHAT TO CHANGE
Biochar Dose: Apply biochar created from coffee pulp to your soil. Experiment with different doses, particularly around 8 to 16 tons per hectare (t ha−1).
Chemical Fertilization: Integrate the biochar application with varying levels of chemical fertilization. The study suggests levels of 0, 33, 66, and 100% of the nutritional requirements for your coffee trees.
WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE
Physical Properties:
Bulk Density: Applying biochar at doses of 8 or 16 t ha−1 could reduce your soil's bulk density to around 0.82 to 0.83 g cm−3.
Soil Aggregation: Expect to see an increase in the soil's aggregation status, up to around 96.5% to 96.84%.
2. Chemical Properties:
Exchangeable Acidity: Applying 16 t ha−1 of biochar can decrease exchangeable acidity by about 60% compared to soil with no biochar.
Soil pH and Organic Carbon: You can expect a modest rise in soil pH (up to around 4.96) and organic carbon content (up to around 4.59%).
3. Biological Properties:
Soil Respiration: There could be a substantial increase in soil respiration, around 50-60%, especially when 66% chemical fertilization is combined with biochar doses of 8 to 16 t ha−1.
Alefsi David Sánchez‐Reinoso · Edgar Álvaro Ávila‐Pedraza, Leonardo Lombardini, Hermann Restrepo‐Díaz
Original paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01208-4