Jul 2026· International Journal of Environment and Climate Change· 0 citations
Abstract
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.
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
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
Sustainable soil fertility management requires amendments that improve nutrient retention while supporting nutrient recycling. This review synthesizes current evidence on how biomass type and pyrolysis conditions determine biochar properties and, consequently, the dynamics of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg in soils. The analysis integrates bibliometric screening, comparative data on feedstock groups, and mechanistic evidence on adsorption–desorption, ion exchange, precipitation, microbial transformations, aging, and nutrient release. Feedstocks were grouped into agricultural, woody, animal, urban, and aquatic biomasses, whose mineral composition and structural features produced contrasting nutrient-source potentials. Across the biochars reviewed, pyrolysis temperatures ranged from 200 to 900 °C, generating materials with pH values of 4.7–13.7, surface areas of 0.18–545.66 m2 g−1, and nutrient contents of 0.04–8.22% N, 0.02–5.30% P, and 0.15–7.01% K. Higher pyrolysis temperatures generally increased aromaticity, alkalinity, porosity, and mineral concentration, whereas mineral-rich feedstocks provided greater direct nutrient and base-cation inputs. This review shows that BC functionality is context-dependent and should be matched to soil nutrient limitations, pH, texture, and crop requirements to improve nutrient-use efficiency and support sustainable agriculture.
Karen Bibiana Quiroga-Salinas, M. Martínez-Cordón, Y. Agámez-Pertuz· Sustainability· 0 citations
Biochar has emerged as one of the most promising nature-based strategies for improving soil quality, enhancing crop productivity and supporting climate-smart agriculture. However, the agronomic performance of biochar remains highly variable because its effects are governed by complex interactions among feedstock characteristics, pyrolysis conditions, soil properties and management practices. This review synthesizes recent advances in biochar research (2019–2026), examining how production variables determine biochar physicochemical properties and how these properties subsequently influence soil functioning, plant performance and long-term agricultural sustainability. The review integrates evidence on feedstock selection, pyrolysis technologies, biochar modification strategies and the relationships between biochar properties and soil physical, chemical and biological processes. Particular attention is given to crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, stress mitigation, contaminant immobilization, greenhouse gas mitigation and long-term soil resilience. Across the literature, the most consistent agronomic benefits were observed when biochar was applied to degraded or resource-limited soils and integrated with complementary management practices, whereas responses were often limited under fertile soils, low application rates or short experimental periods. Rather than identifying a universally superior biochar, the evidence indicates that agronomic performance depends on matching biochar characteristics to specific production objectives and environmental conditions. Based on these findings, this review proposes a transition from generalized biochar application towards optimized deployment strategies supported by standardized characterization, long-term multi-site validation and integrated environmental and economic assessments. This synthesis provides a comprehensive framework for guiding future research and facilitating the effective implementation of biochar within sustainable and regenerative agricultural systems.
Á. Correia, C. Pessoa, P. Legoinha et al.· The Scientist· 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, 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
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