الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract ABSTRACT In the present study, samples of agricultural soil were collected from twelve different Egyptian sites and were analyzed to determine the total and available concentrations of some elements. Based on survey study results, the soil collected from “Al-Hawamdia” which recorded the highest concentrations for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) was chosen to be used in the next part of the experiment. Then, biochar was prepared from two types of agricultural residues, which are corncobs and sugar cane at two different pyrolysis temperatures, 450 and 650ºC. The two types of biochar prepared at 450ºC were chosen as they showed the best characterization results with the advantage of lower production cost. The soil was amended by each of the two biochar types at rates of 0% (control), 1.25% (T1), 2.5% (T2), 5.0% (T3) and 10% (T4). The pots were incubated for 30 days without direct exposure to sunlight. After the incubation period the soil samples were analyzed. The results showed that there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in soil pH, EC and CEC due to addition two types of biochar. Biochar addition to soil resulted in significantly (P <0.05) greater soil total carbon and organic matter content compared to the control soil. Also, the biochar addition significantly (P < 0.05) increased moisture content and water holding capacity of soil. |