An Overview of Biochar's Properties and Benefits

The chemical properties of soil are improved by the addition of biochar, including pH, organic carbon, and exchangeable cations

Biochar is a carbonaceous product formed during biomass pyrolysis. This product is then burned and added to soil as an amendment. Pyrolysis is the thermal depolymerization of biomass without the presence of oxygen at high temperatures. In the pyrolysis process, syngas, bio-oil, and char are produced. The char, also known as biochar, functions as a soil amendment and can be used as an energy source. It can be made from various organic materials, such as chicken waste, forestry and crop wastes, and sludge from paper mills. Biochar applications are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable technology that helps improve worn and deteriorated soils.

It improves the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties, including its bulk density, water-holding capacity, permeability, microbial population, earthworm, and enzyme populations. As a result, plant growth and development are improved. Its resistance to microbial breakdown ensures that soil fertility will be improved over the long run. In addition, it increases the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the topsoil in rice fields and the xylem sap, leading to higher crop yields and a better reaction to treatments with chemical fertilizers N and NP. The risk of contamination is quite low because they contain very little heavy metals or hazardous substances like As, Cd, Pb, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. They can increase agricultural yield, soil fertility, water, and nutrient usage efficiency and reduce N2O emissions. Long-term carbon storage in the soil can reduce the rising level of atmospheric CO2. Regarding this, biochar has become a practical choice for storing carbon in the soil.

Biochar applications are becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable technology that helps improve worn and deteriorated soils.

Interaction of Biochar in Soil

It is well-recognized that biochar may sequester carbon and enhance soil properties. Once incorporated into the soil, biochar quickly interacts with the soil, microorganisms, and plant roots. Feedstock composition, in particular, the overall percentage and the precise makeup of the mineral fraction, pyrolysis process conditions, biochar particle size and delivery system, soil characteristics, and regional environmental conditions are the factors that influence the different types of interactions. The aging of biochar begins before it is added to soils, and once it is, the rate is partly controlled by the soil's temperature and moisture content.

Biochar's Effect on the Physical, Chemical, and Microbial Properties of Soils

Improved soil physical, chemical, and biological qualities are desired for optimum plant growth and development. Many of the properties of soil can be significantly improved by adding biochar. A wide range of soil physical parameters, including total porosity, soil density, moisture content, water holding capacity, and hydraulic conductivity, tend to be improved by biochar's high porosity. The increased surface area and porosity of biochar, which improve soil texture and aggregation, are primarily responsible for the soil's improved ability to retain water. Higher rates of biochar application considerably improve the soil's field capacity.