SATREPS-EARTH Project
MENU CLOSE
Search Language
オープンキャンパス 創価大学で学びたい方
SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS
SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS
Search Language
Study at Soka University
SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS   SPECIAL CONTENTS
  1. HOME
  2. SATREPS-EARTH Project
  3. News
  4. Research Paper Led by Doctoral Student Published in Journal "Science of The Total Environment"

Research Paper Led by Doctoral Student Published in Journal "Science of The Total Environment"

#Research #Student Achievements

A research paper led by Dr. Yudai Kohira, then a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Soka University (SU), titled "Contrasting mechanisms of biochar–nitrogen interactions under inorganic and organic fertilizers: Integrated evidence from incubation, volatilization, leaching, and apparent nitrogen partitioning," has been published in Science of The Total Environment.*

Nitrogen fertilizers are essential for crop production. However, part of the applied nitrogen is lost through ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching, causing air pollution, water contamination, and reduced crop yields. Biochar has attracted attention as a soil amendment that can mitigate these nitrogen losses, but its effectiveness has been suggested to vary depending on the type of fertilizer used.

In this study, researchers comprehensively evaluated nitrogen dynamics in soils amended with water hyacinth-derived biochar and either inorganic fertilizer (urea) or organic fertilizer (anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE)) using three experimental systems and an integrated assessment framework. The results showed that the same biochar had contrasting effects depending on the fertilizer type. When combined with urea, biochar increased nitrogen losses. In contrast, when combined with ADE, it reduced ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching while enhancing nitrogen retention in the soil. These findings demonstrate that biochar is not a universal solution for mitigating nitrogen losses and highlight the importance of fertilizer-specific biochar management.

Part of this research was conducted under the SATREPS-EARTH project.

Authors: Yudai Kohira (SU / Central Region Agricultural Research Center), Desalew Fentie (SU / Injibara University), Mekuanint Lewoyehu (SU / Bahir Dar University (BDU)), Tassapak Wutisirirattanachai (SU), Ashenafei Gezahegn (BDU), Solomon Addisu (BDU), Norio Kurosawa (SU), Shinjiro Sato (SU)

* Science of The Total Environment is one of the leading international journals in the field of environmental science, publishing research on a wide range of environmental topics, including the atmosphere, water, soil, and ecosystems. The journal has an Impact Factor of 8.0, a CiteScore of 18.8, and is ranked in the 95th percentile in the Scopus subject category of Environmental Science. 

Contrasting mechanisms of biochar–nitrogen interactions under inorganic and organic fertilizers: Integrated evidence from incubation, volatilization, leaching, and apparent nitrogen partitioning
Share