Comparing combined application of biochar and nitrogen fertilizer in paddy and upland soils: Processes, enhancement strategies, and agricultural implications

Recently, biochar and N fertilizers have been used to tackle low N use efficiency (NUE) in crops across diverse environmental conditions. The coupling of biochar and N fertilizer may impact crop N utilization through different pathways in various soil types. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive assessment of how coupling effects specifically influence N utilization in paddy and upland crops. We conducted a meta-analysis of 175 peer-reviewed studies to assess the responses of soil properties and crop traits in paddy and upland fields under coupling effects. The results indicate that NUE (+26.1 %) and N uptake (+15.0 %) in paddy fields increase more than in upland fields (+23.7 % and +8.0 %, respectively), with the coupling effect providing NH4+ predominantly for rice and NO3− for upland crops. NH4+ increases in paddy fields (+6.9 %) but decreases in upland fields (−0.7 %), while microbial biomass carbon (MBC) decreases in paddy fields (−2.9 %) and increases in upland fields (+36.0 %). These findings suggest that coupling effects supply soil inorganic nutrients in paddies and affect microbes in uplands, thereby positively affecting crop N utilization. Specifically, the greatest increase in paddy crop yield and N use efficiency occurs when the ratio of N fertilizer to biochar exceeds 1.5 %, and in uplands, it manifests when applying 10–20 t·ha−1 of biochar and <150 kg·ha−1 N fertilizer. In conclusion, this meta-analysis explores the differential effects of biochar and N fertilizer coupling in different arable land types, offering novel insights into the utilization strategies of biochar in agricultural fields.