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The use of biochar is an important tool to improve soil fertility, reduce the negative environmental impacts of agriculture, and build up terrestrial carbon sinks. However, crop yield increases by biochar amendment were not shown consistently for fertile soils under temperate climate. Recent studies show that biochar is more likely to increase crop yields when applied in combination with nutrients to prepare biochar-based fertilizers. Here, we focused on the root-zone amendment of biochar combined with mineral fertilizers in a greenhouse trial with white cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. Capitata var. Alba) cultivated in a nutrient-rich silt loam soil originating from the temperate climate zone (Bavaria, Germany). Biochar was applied at a low dosage (1.3 t ha−1). The biochar was placed either as a concentrated hotspot below the seedling or it was mixed into the soil in the root zone representing a mixture of biochar and soil in the planting basin. The nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate or urea) was either applied on the soil surface or loaded onto the biochar representing a nitrogen-enhanced biochar. On average, a 12% yield increase in dry cabbage heads was achieved with biochar plus fertilizer compared to the fertilized control without biochar. Most consistent positive yield responses were observed with a hotspot root-zone application of nitrogen-enhanced biochar, showing a maximum 21% dry cabbage-head yield increase. Belowground biomass and root-architecture suggested a decrease in the fine root content in these treatments compared to treatments without biochar and with soil-mixed biochar. We conclude that the hotspot amendment of a nitrogen-enhanced biochar in the root zone can optimize the growth of white cabbage by providing a nutrient depot in close proximity to the plant, enabling efficient nutrient supply. The amendment of low doses in the root zone of annual crops could become an economically interesting application option for biochar in the temperate climate zone.
Micronization of biochar (BC) may ease its application in agriculture. For example, fine biochar powders can be applied as suspensions via drip-irrigation systems or can be used to produce grnulated fertilizers. However, micronization may effect important physical biochar properties like the water holding capacity (WHC) or the porosity.
A Validated Quantification of Sudan Red Dyes in Spicery using TLC and a 16-bit Flatbed Scanner
(2018)
We present a video-densitometric quantification method for Sudan red dyes in spices and spice mixtures, separated by TLC. Application was done band-wise in small dots using a 5 μL glass pipette. For separation, the RP-18 plates (20 × 20 cm with fluorescent dye; Merck, Germany, 1.05559) were developed in a vertical developing chamber without vapor saturation from the starting point to a distance of 70 mm by using acetonitrile, methanol, and aqueous ammonia solution (25%; 8 + 1.8 + 0.2, v/v) as mobile phase. The quantification is based on direct measurements using an inexpensive 16-bit flatbed scanner for color measurements (in red, green, and blue). Evaluation of only the green channel makes the measurements very specific. For linearization, an extended Kubelka-Munk expression for data transformation was used. The range of linearity covers more than two magnitudes and lies between 20 and 500 ng. The extraction from a 2 g sample with acetonitrile, evaporation, and reconstitution to 200 μL with methanol and the band-wise application (7 mm) of a 10 μL sample allows a statistically defined LOD of less than 500 ppb of Sudan red dyes. To perform the analysis, a separation chamber, RP-18 plates, 5 μL glass pipettes, and a 16-bit flatbed scanner for 105 € are needed; therefore, the separation method is inexpensive, fast, and reliable.