Effect of Biochar on Soil Health and Crop Productivity: A Review

Abstract

Biochar has been recently proposed as a management strategy to improve crop productivity and global warming mitigation. Biochar may be added to soils with the goal to improve the soil properties and relocate an amount of conventional fossil fuel based fertilizers and sequester carbon. Biochar production and incorporation in soil must play a role in climate change mitigation. The need for further clarity on optimizing biochar application to various crop yields is necessary if it is to gain widespread acceptance as a soil amendment. There is urgent need to intensify agricultural production to secure food supply for the ever increasing population especially in developing country like India of the tropics. Biochar proponents have placed on biochar stability in soil and it also includes increased soil fertility and water holding capacity, increased crop production and remediation of contaminated soils. The biochar have potential to feasibly and sustainably sequester/offset over 1 Pg of CO2-carbon equivalents annually. Current carbon market incentives are not sufficient to rapidly increase or maximize the initiation and development of biochar implementation.