Biochar Implementation in Rice Paddies for Addressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nutrient Loss: A Review

Abstract

Eco-challenges like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient depletion are key threats to the health of rice field ecosystems. Biochars (BCs) - porous, carbon-dense materials with substantial surface areas and an abundance of surface functional groups - are emerging as a viable solution for these issues, offering a way to increase rice production and address environmental concerns. Despite this potential, there is still a need for a comprehensive understanding of BCs' performance characteristics and their environmental interactions with rice paddy soils. The beneficial outcomes of using BCs, including enhanced rice growth and yield, decreased nutrient loss, and reduced GHG emissions. Factors like biomass type, pyrolysis temperature, and modification process significantly influence BCs' performance. The use of BCs can boost rice production while mitigating emissions of CO2, N2O, and CH4. They do this by improving soil properties, encouraging microbial diversity, supplying nutrients, and minimizing nutrient losses. However, the potential ecological hazards related to the use of BCs in rice paddies. These hazards include inconsistent research outcomes and the possibility of secondary pollution. Future research must address these challenges to ensure the sustainable application of BCs.