A three-year field study found that adding biochar made from longan wood to tropical soil causes complex, wave-like changes in soil minerals — not a simple one-time improvement. Iron and aluminum levels spiked, dipped, then rose again, and phosphorus remained locked away despite regular fertilizing.
1
Iron and aluminum in biochar-amended soil peaked at Year 1 (~3.1x and 1.75x above control), dropped at Year 2, then rose again at Year 3 — a non-linear pattern missed by short-term studies.
2
Phosphorus remained below detection limits throughout all three years despite annual fertilizer applications, indicating persistent chemical fixation by iron and aluminum.
3
The longan-wood biochar was calcium-rich (>60 wt.%), functioning as a strong liming agent, while potassium peaked at Year 2 (1.82 wt.%).
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