Priyanka Saxena1, Himani Bhargav2, Nidhi2, Dinesh Mohan3, Sanjeev Kumar Goyal4
1Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, (CSIR-NEERI) Delhi Zonal Centre, New Delhi. Registered for PhD (Sciences) from Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
2Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Biosciences and Biotechnology Domain, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh
3School of Environmental Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
4Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, (CSIR-NEERI) Delhi Zonal Centre, New Delhi. Professor, Academy of Scientific and 5Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
Saxena, P., Bhargav, H., Nidhi., Mohan, D., Goyal, S.K., 2026.Sustainable biochar: A review on agronomic applications of Biochar produced from Plant residues. J. Appl. Sci. Innov. Technol. 5 (1), 6-21.
Abstract
Disparity in the use of chemical fertilizers affects the quality of soil, which in long term, has severe implications. Biochar mimics the benefit of chemical fertilizers in a sustainable way without harming the surroundings, rather it improves soil quality and helps in climate mitigation. Biochar has emerged as a promising solution for achieving sustainability and has attracted significant interest in recent years owing to its diverse range of agronomic applications. Numerous plant-based materials have been explored for the production of biochar via techniques such as pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization and gasification. Biochar can be applied for various agronomic applications such as for suppression of greenhouse gases, stimulating crop growth and microbial population and for the amendment of soil properties. Biochar can combat the detrimental gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane with great efficiency. Biochar has also been known as a highly effective soil amendment that can enhance soil fertility and increase crop yield. The application of biochar has been found to enhance soil quality by increasing its cation exchange capacity, water retention ability, and nutrient absorption. Furthermore, it can also stimulate microorganisms and alter their population dynamics for better outcomes. Extensive studies done on biochar have proved its diverse applicability in the agronomic sector and appraised biochar as a potent tool to emerge as a sustainable and powerful tool to combat the present environmental health conditions. This review article gathers extensive information on the biochar prepared from variety of plant residues only and its overall effect on plant-soil-microbiome system. This review serves as a knowledge repository for the beginners in the field of biochar.
Keywords: Pyrolysis, Plant residue, Soil, Rice stubble, Biochar
Scope: Environmental Science & Technology
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