Biochar-amended and fertilized conditions influences nitrogen retention and loss dynamics: insights from a sandy loam soil column study
A sandy-loam soil-column experiment examined urea with 1–4% corncob biochar by weight. Biochar changed pH, cation-exchange capacity, and water retention. The 3% rate maximized ammonium stabilization in subsoil, whereas 4% produced the highest soil-profile nitrate concentration and increased nitrate leaching, showing that more biochar was not automatically better.