Pedosphere 32(1): 107--130, 2022
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2022 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| An overview on biochar production, its implications, and mechanisms of biochar-induced amelioration of soil and plant characteristics |
Fasih Ullah HAIDER1,2, Jeffrey A. COULTER3, Liqun CAI1,2 , Saddam HUSSAIN4, Sardar Alam CHEEMA4, Jun WU1,3, Renzhi ZHANG1,3 |
1College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070(China)
2Gansu Provincial Key Lab of Arid-land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070(China)
3Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108(USA)
4Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38040(Pakistan) |
| ABSTRACT |
| The degradation of soil fertility and quality due to rapid industrialization and human activities has stimulated interest in the rehabilitation of low-fertility soils to sustainably improve crop yield. In this regard, biochar has emerged as an effective multi-beneficial additive that can be used as a medium for the amelioration of soil properties and plant growth. The current review highlights the methods and conditions for biochar production and the effects of pyrolysis temperature, feedstock type, and retention time on the physicochemical properties of biochar. We also discuss the impact of biochar as a soil amendment with respect to enhancing soil physical (e.g., surface area, porosity, ion exchange, and water-holding capacity) and chemical (e.g., pH, nutrient exchange, functional groups, and carbon sequestration) properties, improving the soil microbiome for increased plant nutrient uptake and growth, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing infectious diseases in plants, and facilitating the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. The possible mechanisms for biochar-induced amelioration of soil and plant characteristics are also described, and we consider the challenges associated with biochar utilization. The findings discussed in this review support the feasibility of expending the application of biochar to improve degraded soils in industrial and saline-alkali regions, thereby increasing the usable amount of cultivated soil. Future research should include long-term field experiments and studies on biochar production and environmental risk management to optimize biochar performance for specific soil remediation purposes. |
| Key Words: carbon sequestration,crop yield,pyrolysis,soil amendment,soil fertility,soil remediation |
| Citation: Haider F U, Coulter J A, Cai L Q, Hussain S, Cheema S A, Wu J, Zhang R Z. 2022. An overview on biochar production, its implications, and mechanisms of biochar-induced amelioration of soil and plant characteristics. Pedosphere. 32(1): 107–130. |
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