The overall aim is to study the feasibility of using biochar as a soil amendment to improve growth and N use efficiency in upland rice and sugarcane grown in rotation with sugarcane production system in NE Thailand. The specific objectives are to study the properties of biochar and the effects of different rates of biochar applications in a field experiment along with chemical fertilizers on (i) mineral N, microbial biomass C and N dynamics and nitrous oxide emission during upland rice planting (ii) N use efficiency of pre-sugarcane upland rice (iii) physical and chemical soil properties at final upland rice harvest, (iv) growth, yield and N use efficiency of succeeding sugarcane (v) physical and chemical soil properties at final succeeding sugarcane harvest.
