Rice Husk and Its Biochar Have Contrasting Effects on Water-Soluble Organic Matter and the Microbial Community in a Bamboo Forest Soil

Converting rice husk to biochar is one of the solutions to manage crop residues by transforming waste into a value-added material that has broad benefits to the environment when biochar is applied to the soil. This study investigated the impact of the application of rice husk and its biochar at different doses (i.e., 0, 10, and 30 t ha−1) on soil carbon stability, the property of water-soluble soil organic matter, and the abundance and diversity of microbial communities in a Lei bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) forest soil 262 days after their application. The application of rice husk, especially at 30 t ha−1, increased dissolved organic carbon due to the high labile carbon (C) (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, polysaccharides) content in the rice husk. The biochar treatments stimulated the release of humic-like substances (e.g., (poly) phenols) into the soil solution, increased the aromatic C content by 412–557%, and increased the relative abundance of Chloroflexi, Planctomycetota, and Proteobacteria compared to the control. This study shows that biochar application, particularly at 30 t ha−1, enhanced the C stability by turning organic C into recalcitrant forms in the soil, demonstrating the merit of converting rice husk into biochar before its application to the soil.