Mg fertilizer and biochar improved soil quality, tea quality and yield: A 2-year field experiment in strongly acidic tea plantation

Abstract

Soil acidification and magnesium (Mg) deficiency are common problems in tea plantations. The application of biochar and Mg fertilizer has been believed to alleviate soil acidification and improve soil Mg nutrient. However, it is unclear how co-application of biochar and Mg fertilizer improve soil pH, nutrients, and microbial communities, and then enhance tea quality and yield. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of co-application of biochar and Mg on soil properties, microbial community, tea quality and yield in a strongly acidic tea plantation. The results showed that Mg fertilizer with biochar was conducive to alleviate soil acidification, with pH increased from 4.25 to 4.72. Soil total carbon, total nitrogen, available potassium and exchangeable magnesium contents and bacterial community diversity significantly enhanced. In addition, the relative abundance of some potential beneficial bacteria, including Devosia, Bacillariophyta, Gaiella increased. The contents of amino acid and caffeine in tea were significantly increased, and the yield was increased by 39.40% with biochar and Mg fertilizer co-application. In general, biochar and Mg fertilizer co-application is beneficial to soil acidification and the promotion of tea quality and yield, which may be a visionary fertilizer management strategy for strongly acidic tea plantations.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

tea plantation / fertilizer management / biochar / magnesium / tea quality / microbial community

Highlight

	● Co-application of Mg fertilizer and biochar alleviated soil acidification and improved soil quality.
	● Co-application of Mg fertilizer and biochar improved the microbial community and enhanced potential beneficial microbes.
	● Co-application of Mg fertilizer and biochar significantly improved the tea quality and yield.

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