Impacts of Olive Waste-Derived Biochar on Hydro-Physical Properties of Sandy Soil

In this study, waste olive leaves and branches were pyrolyzed to produced biochar, and their impacts on physical and chemical properties of a sandy soil were evaluated. Pyrolytic temperatures of 300 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C were used for biochar production. After evaluating the physio-chemical properties, the produced biochars were added to the top 10 cm layer of the soil at rates of 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% in a column experiment at 25 °C. Biochar was mixed with a sandy soil into the top 10 cm of the columns. For all treatments, cumulative evaporation was reduced; however, treatments with 5% biochar prepared at the highest temperatures showed the highest impact. The available water contents were increased by 153.33% and 151.11% when olive branch-derived biochar and olive leaves-derived biochars produced at 500 °C were applied at 5% rate, respectively. No impact of available water was observed for 1% biochar contribution. Biochar application decreased both cumulative infiltration and infiltration rate. Biochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C most intensely improved hydro-physical properties of a sandy soil. However, its application as a soil supplement in arid environments should be adopted with constraints due to its high pH (9.69 and 9.29 for biochar pyrolyzed at the highest temperatures) and salinity (up to electrical conductivity = 5.07 dS m−1). However, the salinity of biochar prepared from olive branches (5%, pyrolyzed at 500 °C) was low (0.79 dS m−1); therefore, it can be used safely as a supplement in saline and acidic soils, but with restriction in alkaline soils.