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Rice yield and carbon dioxide emissions in a paddy soil: A comparison of biochar and polystyrene microplastics
Summary
Researchers compared the effects of biochar and polystyrene microplastics on rice growth and carbon dioxide emissions in paddy soil. Both materials increased CO2 emissions, but biochar improved rice yield while microplastics did not provide the same benefits. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in rice paddies could worsen greenhouse gas emissions without the soil-improvement benefits that biochar offers.
Abstract Biochar has been suggested as a soil supplement to improve soil fertility. The world is covered in microplastics (MPs). A pot greenhouse experiment was carried out to examine the effects of polystyrene (PS), sugarcane bagasse biochar (SBB), and their interactions (PS × SBB) on the CO 2 emission and rice yield in a rice paddy calcareous soil. The largest CO 2 emissions occurred 35–40 days following rice planting, which corresponds to the tillering stages of rice growth. Higher CO 2 emissions were detected after SBB treatment. Our findings showed that applying PS increased CO 2 emissions in our soil samples. Our research revealed that adding SBB can boosted the negative effects of PS in the soil. The co‐application of SBB and PS increased PS's stimulation of the CO 2 emissions. We infer that PS‐SBB interactions have an impact on global warming potential, microbial community activity, and CO 2 emissions. Both SBB rates resulted in a significant increase in biomass and rice grain. Our research indicates that PS has a detrimental effect on rice grain output and biomass, but that the addition of SBB can slightly lessen these effects.