Biochar and its Use in Agriculture

Recently, biochar has been suggested as a soil amendment to enhance crop productivity and help address global warming. The present chapter discusses biochar, its properties, production, uses or application, its advantages and disadvantages, and its role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Biochar is typically created by heating biomass through pyrolysis within a temperature range of approximately 300-600°C. Physically, biochar is dark in colour, with high porosity, low weight, fine-grained texture, and large surface area and chemically, carbon makes up about 70% of its composition. The inclusion of biochar in soil can greatly influence the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties and ultimately enhance the soil quality. Crop growth and yield are positively impacted by biochar. It improves the crops' ability to access and utilize nutrients. Biochar is gaining significant interest because of its ability to lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhance soil fertility, and boost crop yield and crop quality. Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction are two important areas of climate change mitigation whereby biochar has played a crucial role.