Inducing Inorganic Carbon Accrual in Subsoil through Biochar Application on Calcareous Topsoil.

Biochar amendments add persistent organic carbon to soil and can stabilize rhizodeposits and existing soil organic carbon (SOC), but effects of biochar on subsoil carbon stocks have been overlooked. We quantified changes in soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and SOC to 2 m depth 10 years after biochar application to calcareous soil. The total soil carbon (i.e., existing SOC, SIC, and biochar-C) increased by 71, 182, and 210% for B30, B60, and B90, respectively. Biochar application at 30, 60, and 90 t ha-1 rates significantly increased SIC by 10, 38, and 68 t ha-1, respectively, with accumulation mainly occurring in the subsoil (below 1 m). This huge increase of SIC (mainly CaCO3) is ∼100 times larger than the inorganic carbon present in the added biochar (0.3, 0.6, or 0.9 t ha-1). The benzene polycarboxylic acid method showed that the biochar-amended soil contained more black carbon particles (6.8 times higher than control soil) in the depth of 1.4-1.6 m, which provided the direct quantitative evidence for biochar migration into subsoil after a decade. Spectral and energy spectrum analysis also showed an obvious biochar structure in the biochar-amended subsoil, accompanied by a Ca/Mg carbonate cluster, which provided further evidence for downward migration of biochar after a decade. To explain SIC accumulation in subsoil with biochar amendment, the interacting mechanisms are proposed: (1) biochar amendment significantly increases subsoil pH (0.3-0.5 units) 10 years after biochar application, thus forming a favorable pH environment in the subsoil to precipitate HCO3-; and (2) the transported biochar in subsoil can act as nuclei to precipitate SIC. Biochar amendment enhanced SIC by up to 80%; thus, the effects on carbon stocks in subsoil must be understood to inform strategies for carbon dioxide removal through biochar application. Our study provided critical knowledge on the impact of biochar application to topsoil on carbon stocks in subsoil in the long term.

Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter Released from Aged Biochar: A Comparative Study of Two Feedstocks and Multiple Aging Approaches.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays important roles in environmental ecosystems. While many studies have explored the characteristics of aged biochar, limited information is available about the properties of DOM derived from aged biochar. In this study, biochar obtained from maize stalk and soybean straw were aged using farmland or vegetable-soil solution, as well as soil solution containing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Chemical composition of the extracted DOM from the aged biochar was analyzed via excitation-emission matrix coupled with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Obtained results showed that biochar aged with H2O2-enriched soil solution had higher water-soluble organic carbon, ranging from 147.26-734.13% higher than the controls. FRI analysis revealed fulvic and humic-like organics as the key components, with a considerable increase of 57.48-235.96% in the humic-like component, especially in soybean-straw-aged biochar. PARAFAC identified four humic-like substance components. Concurrently, the aromaticity and humification of the aged-biochar-derived DOM increased, while the molecular weight decreased. These findings suggest that DOM derived from aged biochar, with a high content of humic-like organics, might impact the mobility and toxicity of pollutants in soil.

Spatial-heterogeneous granulation of organic amendments and chemical fertilizer stimulated N2O emissions from agricultural soil: An microcosm study.

The promising application modes of organic fertilizer (OF) and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer (CF) could be the homogeneous granulation (HG: OF and CF are distributed spatially evenly) and spatial heterogeneous granulation (SG: OF and CF are distributed separately in space), where the N transformation processes, such as the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, are greatly influenced by the spatial distribution of the OF and CF, particularly. Currently, there is a lack of in-depth understanding about the microbial mechanisms of the SG and HG application on N2O emissions, and the related functional guilds (ammonia oxidizers and heterotrophic denitrifiers) respond to the granular fertilizer is yet not known. In the present study, we made CF (15N-(NH4)2SO4), cow compost and maize straw (2% or 8% based on the N proportion) into granular of 1 cm in diameter, in HG and SG forms, respectively, and then applied these granules in soils for 80 days incubation. Results showed that, compared with HG treatments, the SG treatment promoted the ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) intensities, and increased the N2O emissions possibly through ammonia oxidize bacteria dependent nitrification and fungal denitrification. In addition, the high maize residues proportion in organic fertilizer significantly mitigated N2O emissions by the coupled impacts of suppressed nitrification and enhanced denitrification enzyme activity with high C input. Overall, our results suggest that spatial heterogeneous granulation of and CF may induce higher risk of N2O emissions and the higher proportion of maize residues could potentially mitigate such increased emissions.

Fenton-ultrasound treatment of corn stalks enhances humification during composting by stimulating the inheritance and synthesis of polyphenolic compounds-preliminary evidence from a laboratory trial.

The impact of Fenton-ultrasound treatment on the production of polyphenols and humic acid (HA) during corn stalk composting was investigated by analyzing the potential for microbial assimilation of polysaccharides in corn stalks to generate polyphenols using a13C-glucose tracer. The results showed that Fenton-ultrasound treatment promoted the decomposition of lignocellulose and increased the HA content, degree of polymerization (DP), and humification index (HI). The primary factor could be attributed to Fenton-ultrasound treatment-induced enhanced the abundance of lignocellulose-degrading microorganisms, as Firmicutes, Actinobacteria phylum and Aspergillis genus, which serve as the primary driving forces behind polyphenol and HA formation. Additionally, the utilization of a13C isotope tracer revealed that corn stalk polysaccharide decomposition products can be assimilated by microbes and subsequently secrete polyphenolic compounds. This study highlights the potential of microbial activity to generate phenolic compounds, offering a theoretical basis for increasing polyphenol production and promoting HA formation during composting.

Distinct biophysical and chemical mechanisms governing sucrose mineralization and soil organic carbon priming in biochar amended soils: evidence from 10 years of field studies.

While many studies have examined the role of biochar in carbon (C) accrual in short-term scale, few have explored the decadal scale influences of biochar on non-biochar C, e.g., native soil organic C (SOC) and added substrate. To address this knowledge gap, soils were collected from decade-old biochar field trials located in the United Kingdom (Cambisol) and China (Fluvisol), with each site having had three application rates (25-30, 50-60 and 75-100 Mg ha-1) of biochar plus an unamended Control, applied once in 2009. We assessed physicochemical and microbial properties associated with sucrose (representing the rhizodeposits) mineralization and the priming effect (PE) on native SOC. Here, we showed both soils amended with biochar at the middle application rate (50 Mg ha-1 biochar in Cambisol and 60 Mg ha-1 biochar in Fluvisol) resulted in greater substrate mineralization. The enhanced accessibility and availability of sucrose to microorganisms, particularly fast-growing bacterial genera like Arenimonas, Spingomonas, and Paenibacillus (r-strategists belonging to the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes phyla, respectively), can be attributed to the improved physicochemical properties of the soil, including pH, porosity, and pore connectivity, as revealed by synchrotron-based micro-CT. Random forest analysis also confirmed the contribution of the microbial diversity and physical properties such as porosity on sucrose mineralization. Biochar at the middle application rate, however, resulted in the lowest PE (0.3 and 0.4 mg of CO2-C g soil-1 in Cambisol and Fluvisol, respectively) after 53 days of incubation. This result might be associated with the fact that the biochar promoted large aggregates formation, which enclosed native SOC in soil macro-aggregates (2-0.25 mm). Our study revealed a diverging pattern between substrate mineralization and SOC priming linked to the biochar application rate. This suggests distinct mechanisms, biophysical and physicochemical, driving the mineralization of non-biochar carbon in a field where biochar was applied a decade before. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42773-024-00327-0.

Dispose of Chinese cabbage waste via hydrothermal carbonization: hydrochar characterization and its potential as a soil amendment.

Landfill of waste biomass not only poses a threat to environmental protection but also leads to a great waste of biomass resources. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has been considered a promising method to convert the wet biomass into hydrochar, a high-value-added product with multiple application potentials. The cabbage waste, typical wet waste biomass with a huge production per year, was hydrothermally carbonized under 190 °C and 260 °C, respectively. The results indicated that the majority of nutrients from feedstock were dissolved in spent liquor during HTC, with only a few amounts retained on hydrochar. Temperature showed a more significant impact on hydrochar properties than retention time, which enables hydrochar to be potentially used as a soil conditioner. Particularly, the hydrochar produced at 190 °C could improve plant nutrition in the short term, while that produced at 260 °C may benefit in C sequestration. Moreover, the hydrochar dominated by meso/macropores (> 90%) would be conducive to the storage of plant-available water. But both BTX and VOCs may release during hydrochar application; thus, further field experiments are needed to test the environmental risks of hydrochar when applied as a soil amendment.

Ralstonia solanacearum Infection Disturbed the Microbiome Structure Throughout the Whole Tobacco Crop Niche as Well as the Nitrogen Metabolism in Soil.

Infections of Ralstonia solanacearum result in huge agricultural and economic losses. As known, the proposal of effective biological measures for the control of soil disease depends on the complex interactions between pathogens, soil microbiota and soil properties, which remains to be studied. Previous studies have shown that the phosphorus availability increased pathobiome abundance and infection of rhizosphere microbial networks by Ralstonia. Similarly, as a nutrient necessary for plant growth, nitrogen has also been suggested to be strongly associated with Ralstonia infection. To further reveal the relationship between soil nitrogen content, soil nitrogen metabolism and Ralstonia pathogens, we investigated the effects of R. solanacearum infection on the whole tobacco niche and its soil nitrogen metabolism. The results demonstrated that Ralstonia infection resulted in a reduction of the ammonium nitrogen in soil and the total nitrogen in plant. The microbes in rhizosphere and the plant's endophytes were also significantly disturbed by the infection. Rhodanobacter which is involved in nitrogen metabolism significantly decreased. Moreover, the load of microbial nitrogen metabolism genes in the rhizosphere soil significantly varied after the infection, resulting in a stronger denitrification process in the diseased soil. These results suggest that the application management strategies of nitrogen fertilizing and a balanced regulation of the rhizosphere and the endophytic microbes could be promising strategies in the biological control of soil-borne secondary disasters.

An exploration of manure derived N in soils using 15N after the application of biochar, straw and a mix of both.

It is common practice to apply manure onto soil as an effective way to increase soil fertility. However, the impact of different carbon sources on the transformation and fate of manure derived nitrogen (N) remains poorly understood. This study investigated the mineralization and immobilization turnover (MIT) of various manure-N fractions using sequential extractions and 15N tracing techniques combined after soil amendment with biochar, straw and mixtures thereof. Soil N was fractionated into mineral nitrogen (NH4+ and NO3-), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), hot water extractable organic nitrogen (HWDON), hydrochloric acid extractable organic nitrogen (HCl-N), and residual nitrogen (RN). Results showed that biochar addition increased the 15NH4+ content by 45% during the early stage. However, the high pH and labile C absence of biochar inhibited the remineralization of microbial immobilization N during the mid-to-late stage. Straw addition enhanced 15NH4+ assimilation by 10% to form HCl-15N. After that, microbial cellular structures and secondary metabolites were remineralized to meet crop N requirements. Adding carbon source mixtures with the organic fertilizer manifested the relationship between biochar and straw. The labile C content of the carbon sources rather than the C/N ratio was the critical factor regulating the N-MIT process. Overall, these findings offer new insights into the N transformation approaches using the co-application technique of organic amendments.

Implication of O2 dynamics for both N2O and CH4 emissions from soil during biological soil disinfestation.

Soil O2 dynamics have significant influences on greenhouse gas emissions during soil management practice. In this study, we deployed O2-specific planar optodes to visualize spatiotemporal distribution of O2 in soils treated with biological soil disinfestation (BSD). This study aimed to reveal the role of anoxia development on emissions of N2O and CH4 from soil amended with crop residues during BSD period. The incorporation of crop residues includes wheat straw only, wheat straw with biochar and early straw incorporation. The anoxia in soil developed very fast within 3 days, while the O2 in headspace decreased much slower and it became anaerobic after 5 days, which was significantly affected by straw and biochar additions. The N2O emissions were positively correlated with soil hypoxic fraction. The CH4 emissions were not significant until the anoxia dominated in both soil and headspace. The co-application of biochar with straw delayed the anoxia development and extended the hypoxic area in soil, resulting in lower emissions of N2O and CH4. Those results highlight that the soil O2 dynamic was the key variable triggering the N2O and CH4 productions. Therefore, detailed information of soil O2 availability could be highly beneficial for optimizing the strategies of organic amendments incorporation in the BSD technique.

Synthesis, characterization and application of magnetic and acid modified biochars following alkaline pretreatment of rice and cotton straws.

The development of distinct biochar from agricultural waste for soil and environment remediation is valuable. Moderate pretreatment with sodium hydroxide may open the lignocellulosic structure of crop straw and then enhance the impregnation of iron oxides and phosphates, finally leading to the production of distinct biochars. In this study, two common agricultural wastes of rice and cotton straw were first treated with a dilute NaOH solution and then soaked in either Fe-Co nitrate or H3PO4 solution. The biochars produced through a slow pyrolysis process were then analyzed with respect to their physico-chemical and adsorptive properties. The results showed that all pretreatments remarkably changed the physico-chemical properties of the feedstocks and subsequently endowed the biochars with distinct characteristics. The biochars had specific surface areas (SSAs) ranging from 12.26 to 581.13 m2/g, total pore volumes (TPVs) ranging from 0.033 to 0.3736 cm3/g and average pore volumes (APSs) ranging from 2.57 to 10.76 nm. They also contained a large amount of positive charge, an anion exchange capacity (pH 3.5) ranging from 251.78 to 810.13 mmol/kg, and a certain amount of negative charge as well, cation exchange capacity (pH 7.0) ranging from 108.22 to 464.67 mmol/kg. The adsorption capacities of the modified biochars toward both Pb2+ and Cd2+ were 23.07-82.74% and 16.90-556.33% higher than those of pristine biochars, respectively. Of the modified biochars, the Fe-Co-composite biochar showed many promising physico-chemical and adsorptive properties for adsorbing divalent metals of both Pb2+ and Cd2+ and might thus have high potential as a soil amendment and an alternative adsorbent for environmental remediation.

Biochar altered native soil organic carbon by changing soil aggregate size distribution and native SOC in aggregates based on an 8-year field experiment.

Soil aggregates play an important function in soil carbon sequestration because larger aggregates have higher soil organic carbon contents. A field experiment was set up in 2009 that included four treatments, i.e., B0, B30, B60, and B90 representing biochar application rates of 0, 30, 60, and 90 t ha-1, respectively. In 2017, we investigated the soil aggregate distribution, biochar and n-SOC contents in soil and different aggregate sizes using the ignition method, as well as the contribution of wheat and maize residues to n-SOC content in each aggregate by isotopic analysis. The results showed that, relative to B0, the n-SOC content presented an 14.0% decrease in B30, compared with an 18.8% and 8.2% increase in B60 and B90 (p < 0.05), respectively. Furthermore, the decreased n-SOC content in B30 was due to the decreased proportions of < 53 µm and 1000-250 µm aggregates. The increased n-SOC content in B60 was due to the significantly enhanced proportion of 2000-1000 µm and 1000-250 µm aggregates because the n-SOC contents of these two aggregates size classes were not changed by biochar. However, in B90, the increased n-SOC content was ascribed to the enhanced proportions of 2000-1000 µm and < 53 µm aggregates, although the n-SOC content in 2000-1000 µm aggregate was significantly decreased by biochar. Further analysis showed that the decreased n-SOC content in 2000-1000 µm aggregates was associated with decreased wheat-derived n-SOC content. In synthesis, our study showed a long-term effect of biochar on the n-SOC content by mainly changing soil aggregation and native organic carbon derived from wheat residue, and this effect was dependent on the applied amount. The biochar rate of 60 t ha-1 is recommended for carbon sequestration in terms of the more pronounced negative priming of native SOC, while the feasible combination between other biochars and soils needs further clarification.

Spatial heterogeneous granulation enhance soil nitrogen supply potential via regulating dissolved organic nitrogen.

Combined application of organic fertilizer (OF) and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer (CF) is a common fertilization practice, providing better N supply pattern for crop growth. However, few studies focused on the effect of granulation method of these two fertilizers on N supply to soil. To validate this effect, we mixed the CF (15N-(NH4)2SO4) into cow manure powders with maize straw powder at rate of 2% or 8% (dry weight), respectively, in two forms, homogeneous granulation (HG) and spatial heterogeneous granulation (SG), and applied them to soil to investigate their difference in N transformations during an 80-day incubation. Results showed that there were more NH4+, NO3- and microbial biomass N (MBN) in the SG granules and the surrounding soil, while more dissolved organic N (DON) in the HG granules and the corresponding soil after day 30. At day 80, compared to HG, SG released less CF-N into the surrounding soil, but primed more organic N into mineral N. Structural equation model (SEM) revealed that DON was the main form of N transported from fertilizer granules to the surrounding soil, and then drove the changes of soil microbial activity, which determined the amount and dynamic of mineral N in the surrounding soil. These results indicated that, in heterogeneous granulation, the spatial separation between OF and CF slow down, but more importantly enhanced up, the microbial transformation of CF in the granules. This demonstrated that the spatial heterogeneous granulation of OF and CF could change the pattern of N release from fertilizer to soil and offer a potential way to optimize N fertilizer management strategies in the future.

Using a combination of PLFA and DNA-based sequencing analyses to detect shifts in the soil microbial community composition after a simulated spring precipitation in a semi-arid grassland in China.

Increased spring precipitation in semi-arid grasslands could improve annual primary productivity. However, little is known about the responses of soil microbes to individual spring precipitation. In this study, we combined phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and DNA-based high-throughput sequencing analyses to investigate short-term (days) shifts in the soil microbial community composition after a simulated spring precipitation. Under field conditions, the soils (approx. -0.3 MPa) were exposed to either a watering of 20 cm or natural drought, and soil samples were collected at days 1, 3, 5, 8, and 12 after watering. Soil labile organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) as well as microbial biomass C (MBC) were positively correlated with soil water content (SWC). Spring watering significantly increased plant phosphorus (P) uptake, but had no impact on soil available P (AP). Watering increased the PLFA biomarkers indicative for Gram-negative (G-) bacteria and fungi. Two phyla of G- bacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, as well as the fungal phylum Ascomycota were more abundant when SWC increased. In addition to SWC and its related environmental factors such as C and N availabilities, AP appeared to be an important factor in shaping the soil microbial community composition. The study highlights the combination use of the methods based on different microbial biomarkers (PLFA vs. DNA), and the results were in line with each other. While the PLFA-based method was more sensitive to short-term shifts in soil microbial community composition in response to a precipitation event, DNA-based method could provide more information on the microbial taxa at a finer taxonomic resolution. Our results provide methodological insights for future research on short-term response of soil microbial community to changing environmental conditions.

Does soil amendment alter reactive soil N dynamics following chloropicrin fumigation?

Chloropicrin fumigation had strong inhibitory effect on soil N cycling. Knowledge gap existed about the performance of reactive N in soil applied with different amendments used to improve the fumigation function or soil quality. In this study, we employed four amendments, i.e., wheat straw residue, manure, biochar and ammonium thiosulfate, incorporated into soil at the regular application rate. Simultaneously, bare soil was selected as control (CK). Based on a three months incubation assay, soil reactive N and activity of three enzymes governing N-mineralization was measured, i.e., protease, arylamidase and l-glutaminase, as well the soil fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis, basal soil respiration, and dissolved soil organic carbon (DOC). Result showed that, compared with the bare soil, the addition of straw or manure to soil markedly enhanced the FDA and the resistance of arylamidase and l-glutaminase to the fumigation, while significantly decreased the concentration of DON, NH4+N and NO3--N. The addition of biochar to soil had no effect on the reactive N, but contrasting effects on the three enzymes, i.e., suppressed protease activity, and enhanced arylamidase activity. The ammonium thiosulfate showed an inert effect on the measured microbiological indices and reactive N except the enhanced concentration of NH4+N. DOC content of amendments governed microbial activity under fumigation condition. In synthesis, our findings suggested that under chloropicrin fumigation the use of straw or manure enhanced the microbial abundance and the activity of N-mineralization enzymes, which may lead to low reactive N by the microbial N immobilization for a longer period.

Hydrochar production from watermelon peel by hydrothermal carbonization.

Watermelon peel waste was hydrothermally carbonized under 190°C and 260°C for 1h, 6h, and 12h, respectively. The hydrochar and spent liquor were collected and assayed for their properties. The results indicated that hydrochar yield was 2-5% and 46-95% on fresh and dry matter, respectively. Low temperature (190°C) was conducive to high conversion efficiency. The hydrochar had higher C/N ratio (22.19-26.86), more alkyl C, aryl C, and carbonyl C, but lower H/C (0.98-1.22) and O/C ratios (0.13-0.38), and less O-alky C, carboxylic C, compared with feedstock. So the aliphaticity decreased, whereas aromaticity increased significantly, especially under severe conditions. It should be watchful for that the toxic compounds in hydrochar may induce environmental risk while it is amended into soil. The spent liquor with abundant nutrients could be used as a fertilizer. Further work is required for testing the application in soil.

Efficiency of sewage sludge biochar in improving urban soil properties and promoting grass growth.

It is meaningful to quickly improve poor urban soil fertility in order to establish the green land vegetation. In this study, a series rates (0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 20% and 50%, in mass ratio) of biochar derived from municipal sewage sludge was applied into an urban soil and then turf grass was grown in pots. The results showed that biochar amendment induced significant increases in soil total nitrogen, organic carbon, black carbon, and available phosphorus and potassium by more than 1.5, 1.9, 4.5, 5.6 and 0.4 times, respectively. Turf grass dry matter increased proportionally with increasing amount of added biochar (by an average of 74%), due to the improvement in plant mineral nutrition. Biochar amendment largely increased the total amounts of soil heavy metals. However, 43-97% of the heavy metals in the amended soil were concentrated in the residual fraction with low bioavailability. So the accumulation of heavy metals in turf grass aboveground biomass was highly reduced by the addition of biochar. These results indicated that sewage sludge biochar could be recommended in the poor urban raw soil as a soil conditioner at a rate of 50%. However, the environmental risk of heavy metal accumulation in soil amended with sewage sludge biochar should be carefully considered.

[Effects of applying inorganic P and wheat straw on the microbial biomass P and microbial P concentration in a calcareous soil with low concentration available P].

In an incubation test, a calcareous soil with low concentration of available P was amended with KH2PO4 (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg P x kg(-1)) and ground wheat straw (5 g C x kg(-1)), and incubated at 25 degrees C for 90 days. The aim was to investigate the change patterns of soil microbial biomass P and microbial P concentration as well as their relationships with soil available P. The results showed that both soil microbial biomass P and microbial P concentration increased with increasing inorganic P addition, with the maximum being 71.37 and 105.34 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The combined application of inorganic P (except 100 mg P x kg(-1)) and wheat straw decreased the soil microbial biomass P and microbial P concentration, being most obvious at early incubation period. Soil microbial biomass P and microbial P concentration had significant positive correlations (P < 0.05) with soil available P (R2 = 0.26 and 0.40, n = 49, respectively). The applied P could rapidly transform into microbial biomass P. The maximum apparent contribution rate of applied P to microbial biomass P was 71%. The added wheat straw could further improve the apparent contribution rate.

[Effect of straw pretreatment on soil microbial biomass and respiration activity].

Winter wheat straw particles (0.5 ~ 2.0mm) were soaked with 8.0 g.L-1 H202(pH11.0), 12.5 g.L-1 Na0H or H2S04 solution for 8 h and dried at 80 degreeC. Soils amended with the pretreated straw and inorganic N were incubated aerobically at 25 degreeC for 60 days. The C02 emission rate and soil microbial biomass C and N were measured at different time. The results showed that during the earlier stage of incubation, the pretreatments of straw increased soil microbial biomass C by 1.0 ~ 1.4 folds, but decreased soil microbial respiration activity. During the later stage of incubation, the Na0H and H2S04 pretreated straw decreased soil microbial biomass carbon by 28% and 42%, respectively, while increased the soil microbial respiration activity. The straw pretreated by H202 increased soil microbial biomass nitrogen by 90% after the 15th day of incubation. The pretreatments of straw increased the fungi/bacteria ratio at different special time. It could be concluded that soil microbial biomass and respiration activity could be changed after the pretreated straw was added into the soil.