Long-term soil properties after different biochar feedstock treatments in a Southwest Virginia Pasture, 2024

Biochar is an agricultural amendment that can improve soil health and promote carbon (C) sequestration. Effects of biochar can vary and depend on the biochar feedstock, method of production, soil conditions, and amendment method and frequency. These data include soil physicochemical properties from plots amended with hay, softwood, and hardwood biochar types produced under similar conditions (479°C – 522°C for 3.5-10.2 hours) with and without a nitrogen addition (porcine blood meal) in a randomized complete block design after 4.5 years. Plots were first established at the Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center in Catawba, VA in June of 2019 and sampled in March 2024. Soil measurements include total nitrogen, total carbon, carbon:nitrogen ratios, gravimetric moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NO3 and NH4), bulk density, and moisture from bulk density measurements. These data contribute to a long-term understanding of different biochar feedstock effects on Southwest Virginia pasture soils.