Biochar amendment reduces paddy soil nitrogen leaching but increases net global warming potential in Ningxia irrigation, China

The efficacy of biochar as an environmentally friendly agent for non-point source and climate change mitigation remains uncertain. Our goal was to test the impact of biochar amendment on paddy rice nitrogen (N) uptake, soil N leaching, and soil CH(4) and N(2)O fluxes in northwest China. Biochar was applied at four rates (0, 4.5, 9 and13.5 t ha(−1) yr(−1)). Biochar amendment significantly increased rice N uptake, soil total N concentration and the abundance of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), but it significantly reduced the soil NO(3) (−)-N concentration and soil bulk density. Biochar significantly reduced NO(3) (−)-N and NH(4) (+)-N leaching. The C2 and C3 treatments significantly increased the soil CH(4) flux and reduced the soil N(2)O flux, leading to significantly increased net global warming potential (GWP). Soil NO(3) (−)-N rather than NH(4) (+)-N was the key integrator of the soil CH(4) and N(2)O fluxes. Our results indicate that a shift in abundance of the AOA community and increased rice N uptake are closely linked to the reduced soil NO(3) (−)-N concentration under biochar amendment. Furthermore, soil NO(3) (−)-N availability plays an important role in regulating soil inorganic N leaching and net GWP in rice paddies in northwest China.