Aug 2026· Plants· Vol 15, pp. 2637· 0 citations· 116 references
Medicine
Abstract
Biochar has emerged as a multifunctional soil amendment with the potential to mitigate soil degradation, nutrient loss, and water scarcity. However, its effectiveness depends strongly on feedstock type and production conditions, limiting consistent application across agroecosystems. This review focuses on Paulownia leaf-derived biochar (PLB) as a promising feedstock for sustainable soil management. Current knowledge on its production, physicochemical properties, and mechanisms of interaction with the soil environment is synthesized, with emphasis on nutrient storage, water dynamics, and plant responses. To link process-based understanding with practical application, a case-based approach integrates literature evidence with a previously published experimental study evaluating PLB in turfgrass systems under different fertilization and irrigation regimes. The case study illustrates how feedstock-specific properties, including alkaline pH, high cation exchange capacity, mineral enrichment, and a developed pore structure, contribute to enhanced soil functions and turfgrass performance. The combined evidence indicates that PLB may enhance nutrient storage, water availability, and fertilizer-use efficiency, particularly in intensively managed systems. Overall, this review provides an integrated framework for understanding how the physicochemical properties of Paulownia leaf-derived biochar are translated into soil functions and agronomic responses, supporting the targeted selection and application of biochar for sustainable soil management.
Biochar has traditionally been investigated as a soil amendment for improving fertility, carbon sequestration, and nutrient retention. However, recent advances in fine milling, colloidal stabilization, and nanotechnology have enabled the development of biochar-derived materials for foliar application. Unlike conventional soil application, foliar delivery enables direct interaction with leaf tissues, potentially providing faster physiological responses, improved resource-use efficiency, and complementary functions to existing plant biostimulants. This review critically evaluates the scientific basis, agronomic performance, and regulatory implications of foliar biochar applications across diverse crop systems. We synthesize and compare major formulation types, including finely milled suspensions, aqueous extracts, nano-biochar dispersions, and biochar-based composite carriers, based on their formulation characteristics, application methods, and reported biological effects. Across multiple crops, foliar biochar has been associated with enhanced chlorophyll content, improved gas exchange, strengthened antioxidant systems, better osmotic adjustment, and increased nutrient uptake, particularly under abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, and heat. Mechanistically, these responses are linked to surface deposition effects, redox-active functional groups, modulation of leaf microclimate, and delivery of soluble bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, outcomes remain highly context-dependent, influenced by feedstock origin, pyrolysis conditions, particle size, formulation chemistry, dose, and crop species. Potential risks including phytotoxicity, nanoparticle exposure, environmental fate, and regulatory ambiguity especially for nano-scale formulations pose additional challenges for large-scale adoption. By integrating physiological, agronomic, environmental, and legislative perspectives, this review also highlights key barriers to commercialization, including formulation stability, limited field-scale validation, environmental safety, and regulatory uncertainty, while identifying research priorities needed to determine whether foliar biochar can become a scalable and scientifically validated biostimulant for sustainable agriculture.
I. Palčić, Qaiser Javed, Dominik Anđelini et al.· Horticulturae· 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
Excessive application of nitrogenous fertiliser poses a significant threat to environmental sustainability. Biochar has emerged as a multifunctional amendment to mitigate this environmental risk by increasing nitrogen (N) retention and nutrient use efficiency across diverse agro ecosystems. This review critically synthesises evidence from meta-analyses, incubation and field studies to elucidate how biochar influences N transformation and different loss pathways such as denitrification, leaching and volatilisation. The large surface area, porous structure and variable surface chemistry of biochar results in increasing ammonium (NH₄+) adsorption and reduction in nitrate (NO₃-) leaching, thereby enhancing N retention in soil, which is governed by several factors, such as application rate, feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature and soil condition. To contextualise this evidence, a bibliometric review of 1026 scopus-indexed articles published between 2017–26 was carried out using bibliometrix with biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The findings indicated a rapid diversified growth of scientific production and a transition from broad subjects, e.g. soil improvement and carbon management to narrower subjects, e.g., N dynamics, microbial communities and soil health. The network analysis also indicated that the field continues to diversify into new application-oriented fields. We identified methodological inconsistencies and proposed validation through long-term studies and site-specific response models for future research.
S. Anamika, D. Bishnuprasad, K. Ajay et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
This study evaluated the agronomic potential and environmental impact of a macrophyte-based fertilizer (OMF) in maize cultivation. OMF was previously characterized in accordance with regulatory standards and applied to sandy loam and clayey soils at six rates (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 g dm⁻³). The experimental design also included a mineral fertilizer (MF) control receiving N, P, and K amounts equivalent to the 10 g dm⁻³ application, arranged in a randomized block design. After 45 days in greenhouse conditions, maize biomass and total nutrient accumulation, soil macronutrient concentrations, and the activities of arylsulfatase, β-glucosidase, and acid phosphatase were quantified. Basal soil respiration (BSR) and nutrient leaching were also evaluated through laboratoy-based analyses. OMF increased BSR, with CO₂ release in sandy loam and clayey soils highest under OMF (11.5; 10.7 mg g⁻¹), moderate under sludge compost (7.06; 7.51 mg g⁻¹), and lowest in unfertilized soil (2.34; 3.40 mg g⁻¹). OMF also promoted linear increases in soil P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, as well as in maize biomass and total N, P, and K accumulation. However, the highest OMF dose achieved only 20–31% of MF biomass. Moreover, organic fertilizers consistently reduced NO₃⁻-N, NH₄⁺-N, and K⁺ leaching compared with MF. In sandy soil, NO₃⁻-N leaching decreased by 31.2% and 38.5%, NH₄⁺-N by 45.6% and 37.4%, and K⁺ by 71.3% and 24.3% under SSC and OMF, respectively. In clayey soil, reductions reached 44.6% and 46.4% for NO₃⁻-N, 24.0% and 20.9% for NH₄⁺-N, and 35.9% and 15.7% for K⁺ under SSC and OMF, respectively. OMF offers environmental advantages by decreasing NO₃⁻-N leaching and supplying a slow-release K⁺ source, although it remains less effective than mineral fertilizer in promoting maize growth.
Paulo Sergio Costa Trindade, Andre Luiz de Freitas Espinoza, João Henrique Silva da Luz et al.· Journal of soil science and...· 0 citations
Hydroponics provides an efficient alternative to soil-based cultivation by conserving water, minimizing soil-borne diseases, and addressing land constraints. Coco peat serves as an effective growth medium due to its favorable aeration and moisture retention properties, while plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) and Azotobacter are known to enhance nutrient availability through biological mechanisms. The present study investigates the influence of coco peat enriched with PGPB on early-stage plant growth under hydroponic conditions. PSB and Azotobacter were applied individually and as a consortium using seed coat and spray methods to evaluate their effects during the initial stages of plant development. PSB facilitates the solubilization of inorganic phosphates, whereas Azotobacter contributes to nitrogen fixation, potentially supporting early seedling establishment. The experiment was conducted in a controlled hydroponic setup over a short duration, and growth-related physical parameters indicative of early plant response were monitored. The results revealed that the consortium treatment exhibited enhanced early-stage growth parameters compared to individual applications across both treatment methods. The observed improvement in seedling performance suggests an interaction between PSB and Azotobacter during the initial growth phase. As this study represents a preliminary, short-term assessment, conclusions regarding long-term plant performance, crop yield, or reduction in chemical fertilizer dependency would require further experimentation and confirmation of results. However, the findings provide foundational insights into microbial-assisted early growth responses in hydroponic systems and highlight the need for extended-duration and field-scale studies to evaluate long-term agronomic implications.
Sayali Daptardar, Ishita S. Shinde, Bhargavi M. Patil· Ecology, environment & conse...· 0 citations
Rice-based agroecosystems in Bangladesh face mounting challenges from nutrient imbalance, declining soil organic matter, climate-related stress and inefficient fertilizer management. While intensive fertilizer use has raised productivity, it has also reduced nutrient use efficiency and degraded soil quality. Nanofertilizers and organic soil amendments have emerged as complementary strategies to improve nutrient management and soil health in rice systems. This review synthesizes 85 peer-reviewed field, pot and laboratory studies (2005-2025) from Bangladesh and comparable South Asian agroecosystems, evaluating the individual and combined effects of nanofertilizers and soil amendments (biochar, compost, green manure, lime) on rice productivity, soil properties, nutrient dynamics and environmental outcomes. Nanofertilizers improve nutrient use efficiency through controlled release, while amendments enhance soil organic carbon, microbial activity and nutrient retention. Combined application produces synergistic gains, with yield improvements of approximately 25-40% reported under specific experimental conditions. These integrated strategies reduce nutrient losses, strengthen soil function and support more efficient, climate-resilient rice production aligned with SDGs 2, 6, 13 and 15. Most available evidence, however, derives from short-term field and pot trials; long-term, multi-location studies are needed to evaluate nanoparticle fate, environmental safety, economic feasibility and farmer adoption under diverse rice-growing conditions before large-scale deployment.
Ishrat Alam, Khalid Syfullah, Bijoya Saha et al.· Agricultural Science Digest...· 0 citations
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