Effect of biochar application method and amount on the soil quality and maize yield in Mollisols of Northeast China

Abstract There have been many studies on soil quality and crop yield using different biochar application amounts, but few focused the combination of methods amounts in moderately degraded Mollisols. In this study, mixing evenly with plough layer (0–20 cm depth) [homogeneous (HO)] burying above plow pan (under 20 (heterogeneous (HE)) were used to reveal how influenced quality, agronomic characteristics Mollisols (soil organic matter (SOM), 30.33 g kg −1 ). The 0 (control), 10 (level 1), 2), 40 3) t ha both HO HE treatments. results showed that, compared control, HO3 significantly increased maize first year, HO2, HO3, HE2 HE3 continuously next three years not significantly. HO1 HE1 had lowest yield. HO2 tended delay leaf senescence. was a positive linear relationship between index (SQI) amount HO. Compared other treatments, pH, EC, SOM, available phosphorus, sucrase catalase activities highest HO3. However, effects productivity limited at gradually time. Overall, beneficial for improving short-term cultivation (3-year), while an effect over Graphical