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Amelioration Effects of Soil Fertility and Microbial Responses on a Sandy Loam Soil in Mining Areas Treated with Biochar and Water Jet-Loom Sludge

Author

Listed:
  • Mengmeng Jiang

    (School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Xiaofang Zhu

    (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

  • Xunzheng Rao

    (School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Jiu Huang

    (School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China)

Abstract

Aiming at the remediation of soil in mining areas caused by mining activities, pot experiments were conducted using water jet-loom sludge (WJLS) and biochar as soil amendments to evaluate their potential for enhancing soil fertility and microbial communities of degraded mining soils. Six treatments with varying WJLS (0%, 5%, 15%) and biochar (0%, 3%) application rates were evaluated. Results showed that WJLS can significantly improve soil organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and microbial biomass, while reducing soil pH and enhancing ryegrass biomass by 1.6–4.1 times. However, a 3% biochar addition may increase the soil sodium absorption ratio (SAR). Moreover, the role of biochar was mainly reflected in the microbiological properties. The combining of WJLS and biochar increased the soil microbial biomass and obviously improved the diversity and abundance of bacteria and fungi in the soil ( p < 0.05) after the amendment, especially in the biochar addition groups. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria , Firmicutes , and Actinobacteriota accounted for 72.4%~84.2% of soil bacteria in all treatments, while the fungi were dominated by Ascomycota (58.30%~95.36%) and Fungi_unclassified (1.26%~38.97%), all of which were significantly related to enhanced soil properties especially OC, TN, TP, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Overall, WJLS and biochar demonstrate strong potential as sustainable amendments for improving soil fertility and biological quality in the reclamation of mining-affected lands.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengmeng Jiang & Xiaofang Zhu & Xunzheng Rao & Jiu Huang, 2025. "Amelioration Effects of Soil Fertility and Microbial Responses on a Sandy Loam Soil in Mining Areas Treated with Biochar and Water Jet-Loom Sludge," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:5:p:1066-:d:1655655
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mahmoodabadi, Majid & Yazdanpanah, Najme & Sinobas, Leonor Rodríguez & Pazira, Ebrahim & Neshat, Ali, 2013. "Reclamation of calcareous saline sodic soil with different amendments (I): Redistribution of soluble cations within the soil profile," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 30-38.
    2. Yaowei Zhan & Kaixin Jiang & Jiaquan Jiang & Lidan Zhang & Chengxiang Gao & Xiuxiu Qi & Jiayan Fan & Yuechen Li & Shaolong Sun & Xiaolin Fan, 2022. "Soil Aggregate Construction: Contribution from Functional Soil Amendment Fertilizer Derived from Dolomite," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Qadir, M. & Sposito, G. & Smith, C.J. & Oster, J.D., 2021. "Reassessing irrigation water quality guidelines for sodicity hazard," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    4. Chuning Ji & Jiu Huang & Yu Tian & Ying Liu & Joshua Bosco Barvor & Xintong Shao & Zi’ao Li, 2021. "Feasibility Study on the Application of Microbial Agent Modified Water-Jet Loom Sludge for the Restoration of Degraded Soil in Mining Areas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
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