Effects of wastewater sludge, urea and charcoal on greenhouse gas emissions in pots planted with wheat

Agriculture is an important source of greenhouse gases (GHG), mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Application of charcoal to agricultural soils is known to reduce GHG emissions while application of fertilizer or wastewater sludge increases them. Therefore, the objective of this work was to study the effect of charcoal application on GHG emissions from soil planted with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and amended with wastewater sludge or urea, or left unamended. Wheat fertilized with urea or wastewater sludge, at a rate of 150 kg N ha−1, was cultivated in soil amended with or without 2% (w/w) charcoal, a biochar used mostly for heating, in a greenhouse. Emission of CO2, CH4 and N2O, soil characteristics and plant development were monitored. Charcoal had no significant effect on the emission of CO2, CH4 and N2O in wastewater sludge or urea-amended soil. The wheat development and yields, and soil pH and electrolytic conductivity were also not affected by charcoal application. It was found that charcoal did not affect the emissions of the monitored GHG, wheat or soil characteristics.