Effectiveness of Soil-amended Biochar in Improving Crop Production, Soil Health and Environmental Aspects

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture has assumed greater importance in today’s world. Biochar has the potential to increase crop yield and soil fertility in agriculture while reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Biochar production technology and biomass type has great influence on its quality and yield which in turn is responsible for altering soil fertility status and enhancing other soil properties. Biochar is produced via thermochemical conversion of biomasses by the process of pyrolysis with different pyrolysis conditions which include heating rate, temperature or residence time that affect the product distribution and yield for biochar produced from same biomass. Biochar is produced sustainably from eco-friendly sources under manageable conditions such as agricultural woody and non-woody wastes or crop residues or animal wastes. Biochar’s acknowledgement in removing heavy toxic metals, organic solvents and pesticide residues from soil as well as in waste water management aids in environmental protection. Yield response of biochar produced from various feedstock sources on vegetable crop production is discussed to compare their relative effectiveness. Biochar is a carbonaceous substance produced that sequester carbon and remain in soil for thousands of years and thus offers stability in soil. Biochar as Negative Emissions Technology (NET) in removing CO2 from atmosphere and other greenhouse gases such as N2O and CH4 is a prominent methodology in mitigating serious concern of climate change. The objective of this review paper is to extensively justify the role and importance of biochar in agriculture and sustainable growth.