Jul 2026· Nature Environment and Pollution Technology· Vol 25, pp. B4399· 0 citations
Abstract
Burning rice straw in open fields has led to a plethora of concerns, ranging from air pollution to soil carbon losses, posing a risk to human health and disturbing the soil ecosystem. The problem of rice stubble burning has been addressed by adopting different in-situ and ex-situ conservation technologies supported by the government and private companies. Biochar production from rice straw is one such method. Biochar is a carbon-rich porous material produced by the thermochemical conversion of various biomass feedstocks and is used globally to improve soil properties. It plays a crucial role in sustainable agriculture and in environmental health. It has the potential to enhance soil fertility, water retention, and nutrient cycling, while also offering carbon sequestration benefits. However, the adoption of biochar as a soil amendment practice is still challenging owing to the limited understanding of the long-term effects on soil health, the establishment of onsite production facilities, high energy consumption in the production process, and inconsistent results depending on the variable soil types. For biochar to be applied practically for soil improvement in different climatic regions and crop production, it is important to understand the potential effects of biochar on soil properties, the factors that cause soil to change when biochar is added, and the mechanisms of biochar–soil interaction. This review provides an overview of the current research on rice straw biochar and identifies key limitations that will direct future research and policy decisions for its integration into sustainable farming practices. It underscores the potential of biochar to combat global warming, mitigate environmental damage, and its role in reversing the impacts of climate change in line with sustainable development goals.
Biochar, a carbon-rich product resulting from the thermochemical transformation of organic biomass under limited oxygen condition, is currently drawing much worldwide attention due to its multiple applications in carbon sequestration, soil improvement, environmental remediation, and biomass waste management. Initially, the focus of research was primarily on the technical possibilities of biochar production, its economic aspects, and its contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, recent research indicates the high complexity and dynamics of biochar interactions with the environment, driven by a combination of factors like feedstock type, process conditions, biochar properties, and other factors. While biochar exhibits multiple beneficial effects, including improving soil structure, enhancing nutrient retention, promoting microbial activities, and remediating contaminants, several environmental risks associated with biochar application have also been identified, namely the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metal contamination, creation of persistent free radicals, changes in soil chemistry, and modification of soil microbial community structure. Such risks are greatly related to production process parameters, treatment methods, and biochar application practices. Moreover, differences in feedstock choice, pyrolysis temperature, reactor design, biochar application rate, and analytical methods used make comparative analysis of results difficult.
O. E. Ojewumi, Gang Chen, M. Ojewumi· Green· 0 citations
Biochar has emerged as an innovative and sustainable soil amendment with significant potential to improve soil health, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate climate change. It is a stable carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of biomass under limited oxygen conditions using agricultural residues, forestry waste, animal manure, and other organic materials. Owing to its porous structure, high surface area, and strong adsorption capacity, biochar improves soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. It enhances soil aggregation, increases water-holding capacity, improves nutrient retention, reduces nutrient leaching, and stimulates beneficial microbial activity. Biochar also contributes to carbon sequestration by storing stable carbon in soils for extended periods, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting climate-smart agriculture. Numerous studies have demonstrated that biochar application improves crop growth, nutrient uptake, fertilizer-use efficiency, and resilience against drought, salinity, and other environmental stresses. Modern technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), precision agriculture, Internet of Things (IoT)-based soil monitoring, and artificial intelligence are increasingly being integrated with biochar management to optimize application rates and monitor long-term soil responses. Despite its considerable benefits, challenges including feedstock variability, production costs, quality standardization, and farmer awareness continue to influence its large-scale adoption. This paper examines the production and properties of biochar, evaluates its role in improving soil health and agricultural sustainability, discusses its contribution to climate change mitigation, and explores emerging technologies and future prospects for its wider application in sustainable farming systems..
Research Author· Europian Journal of Agricult...· 0 citations
Sustainable agriculture is increasingly challenged by soil degradation, environmental pollution, and climate change, necessitating the pragmatic and eco-friendly approach. This review systematically synthesizes the role of biochar as multifunctional soil management strategy in enhancing soil health and sustainable environmental management, with particular emphasis on the critical roles of feedstock type and pyrolysis conditions in governing biochar performance. To address existing knowledge gaps, we comprehensively evaluate recent available literature on biochar-based environmental remediation, focusing on key indicators of agricultural sustainability, including nutrients availability, soil biological activity, climate change mitigation, biochar-assisted phytostabilization, and crop productivity. Current evidence indicates that biochar application can achieve a net negative carbon footprint, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and heavy metal contamination, and improve soil structure, fertility, and overall crop productivity on sustainable-basis. However, these benefits largely depend upon the various important biochar production factors including feedstock source, pyrolysis temperature, biochar stability, residence time, rate of application, and soil pH. Beyond its function as a soil amendment, biochar also serves as a multifunctional resource contributing to bioenergy production, waste reduction, and long-term carbon sequestration. At the same time, this review identifies critical research gaps, including the long-term field performance of biochar, mechanisms underlying the interactions between biochar and agronomic practices, and the environmental and human health risks associated with large-scale agricultural applications. Overall, this work highlights the importance of feedstock selection and pyrolysis parameters in designing biochar for environmental remediation and outlines future research directions to refine biochar engineering, application guidelines, and risk assessment frameworks for its sustainable use.
Ismail Khan, Faming Wang, Abdul Rehman et al.· International journal of phy...· 0 citations
Biochar is a stable, carbon rich by product obtained from pyrolysis of agricultural biomass and its amendment in soil represents a promising ecofriendly frontier in sustainable crop production. Production of biochar using various pyrolysis techniques offers a sustainable strategy for management of agricultural residues, forestry wastes, and other organic materials. Amendment of biochar (BC) in the soil improves soil structure and nutrient retention while serving as a supportive habitat for colonization of beneficial microbial communities that enhance nutrient availability and nutrient use efficiency, resulting in reduced fertilizer dependency of crop plants. Moreover, application of biochar has also emerged as a successful approach for boosting soil carbon sequestration, immobilization of heavy metals and organic pollutants, and in mitigation of greenhouse gases, thus contributing to ecological environment protection. Biochar is currently also gaining attention as a potentially valuable input for mitigating the impact of climate change-induced abiotic and biotic stresses in agriculture. In addition, fertilization with biochar alone or combined treatment with organic matter and/or beneficial microbes represents a promising approach in sustainable crop production in nutrient deficient soils under diverse agroecological conditions. However, the effectiveness of biochar varies with feedstock type, pyrolysis conditions and soil-crop-climate interactions. Therefore, tailored approaches considering all these factors are essential to maximize the benefits from biochar amendment. This review highlights current knowledge and technological challenges by linking fundamental mechanisms with applied outcomes for translating biochar-microbial innovations into commercially viable, environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural systems. Biochar production is a sustainable strategy for management of agricultural residues. Soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency are improved by biochar application. Biochar alters microbial community in soil and alleviates environmental stresses. Biochar treatment boosts carbon sequestration and mitigates green house gases. Plant growth and crop yields are increased by biochar amendment. Biochar production is a sustainable strategy for management of agricultural residues. Soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency are improved by biochar application. Biochar alters microbial community in soil and alleviates environmental stresses. Biochar treatment boosts carbon sequestration and mitigates green house gases. Plant growth and crop yields are increased by biochar amendment.
Tanvi Bhatia, S. Mehta, S. S. Sindhu· Discover Agriculture· 0 citations
The increasing need to ensure global food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices has necessitated the development of alternative approaches to the environmental problems caused by the use of traditional mineral fertilizers. This review article, prepared within this context, comprehensively examines the development of biochar-coated controlled-release fertilizers (BCSRFs) over the last decade (2015–2025). The study evaluates in detail the production techniques of BCSRFs, the properties of coating materials, nutrient release mechanisms, and the impacts of these systems on agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, environmental gains such as increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE), reduced greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching, as well as economic feasibility and scalability are discussed. With the potential to improve soil fertility and limit environmental losses, BCSRFs stand out as an innovative and promising solution for modern agricultural systems. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature and provide a scientific framework for future research and applications.
Hasine Elçi· Selcuk journal of agricultur...· 0 citations
Biochar, a carbon-rich solid produced through oxygen-limited pyrolysis of biomass, is increasingly considered a soil amendment for sustainable soil fertility management. Indian agriculture faces continuing pressure from soil degradation, declining soil organic carbon, nutrient depletion, crop-residue burning and climate variability, all of which constrain productivity and resource-use efficiency. This review synthesises literature and field-based evidence relevant to the use of biochar in Indian soil-crop systems. It discusses biochar production through slow, fast and flash pyrolysis using crop residues, woody biomass, and livestock or poultry manure at 300–700 °C, and relates these production conditions to key properties, including porosity, specific surface area, alkaline pH, fixed carbon content and nutrient composition. The review also examines the principal mechanisms through which biochar improves soil fertility, including modification of bulk density, water-holding capacity, aggregate stability, cation exchange capacity, soil reaction, nutrient retention and microbial activity. Evidence reviewed here indicates that biochar can reduce nutrient leaching, influence nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics, contribute to soil carbon sequestration, and mitigate selected greenhouse gas emissions, although responses depend on feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, soil type and crop requirement. Field observations from India suggest that applications within the range of 5–20 t ha⁻¹ can improve the productivity of rice, wheat, maize, legumes, oilseeds, plantation crops and vegetables, with stronger responses generally reported in acidic, sandy and degraded soils. The review further identifies practical constraints to adoption, including production cost, inconsistent product quality, limited standardisation, insufficient extension support and variable soil-crop compatibility. Integrating biochar with integrated nutrient management and decentralised residue management may support more sustainable soil fertility strategies in India.
Manoj Kumar, A. Pandey, Ashutosh Singh et al.· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
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