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Volume 12
Issue 1
10.3390/horticulturae12010004
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Physicochemical Properties of Biochar Produced from Grapevine-Pruning Residues of 12 Cultivars

by
Danko Cvitan
1,
Dominik Anđelini
1,
Melissa Prelac
1,
Qaiser Javed
1,*,
Zoran Užila
1,
Igor Pasković
1,
Nikola Major
1,
Marko Černe
1,
Smiljana Goreta Ban
1,
Marijan Bubola
1,
Ana Jeromel
2,
Tomislav Karažija
3,
Marko Petek
3,
Ivan Nemet
4 and
Igor Palčić
1,*
1
Department of Agriculture and Nutrition, Institute of Agriculture and Tourism, Karla Huguesa 8, 52440 Poreč, Croatia
2
Department of Viticulture and Enology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
3
Department of Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
4
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Bijenička Cesta 30, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Horticulturae 2026, 12(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010004
Submission received: 21 November 2025 / Revised: 15 December 2025 / Accepted: 17 December 2025 / Published: 19 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Driving Sustainable Agriculture Through Scientific Innovation)
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Abstract

The valorization of grapevine pruning residues through pyrolysis provides a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management, producing biochar with agricultural use potential and carbon sink functionality. This study investigated pruning residues from 12 grapevine cultivars to evaluate the cultivar effects on biochar properties. Samples were collected along the Croatian coast from Istria to Dalmatia and included six indigenous cultivars (Malvazija istarska, Pošip, Maraština, Teran, Plavina, and Plavac mali) and six introduced cultivars (Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah). For each cultivar, residues were collected from three distinct vineyards with three replicates per vineyard. Pyrolysis was conducted in a muffle furnace at 400 °C. The pruning residues showed acidic pH (4.79–5.45), moderate electrical conductivity (1694–2390 µS cm−1), and ash contents of 2.65–3.49% among all cultivars. Significant differences were observed among cultivars in residue carbon content and ash fraction, which were reflected in the resulting biochar. Biochar yield ranged from 32% to 35%, while pH values were alkaline, ranging from 10.20 to 11.13. Total carbon increased from 43.77 to 45.36% in grapevine-pruning residues to 65.88–71.57% in biochar. FT-IR spectra revealed cultivar-dependent variation in aromatic C=C intensification, while SEM analysis indicated differences in pore abundance and surface area (1.63–4.13 m2 g−1) between cultivars. These results demonstrate that carbon-dense cultivars produced biochars with greater structural stability, indicating enhanced resistance to decomposition. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses consistently showed increased aromatic condensation, reduced aliphatic functionality, and greater porosity following pyrolysis. These cultivar-dependent differences highlight pruning residues as a chemically heterogeneous but predictable feedstock, with biochar properties primarily governed by the intrinsic characteristics of the source material.
Keywords: biomass; circular economy; nutrients; pyrolysis; variety biomass; circular economy; nutrients; pyrolysis; variety
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MDPI and ACS Style

Cvitan, D.; Anđelini, D.; Prelac, M.; Javed, Q.; Užila, Z.; Pasković, I.; Major, N.; Černe, M.; Goreta Ban, S.; Bubola, M.; et al. Physicochemical Properties of Biochar Produced from Grapevine-Pruning Residues of 12 Cultivars. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010004

AMA Style

Cvitan D, Anđelini D, Prelac M, Javed Q, Užila Z, Pasković I, Major N, Černe M, Goreta Ban S, Bubola M, et al. Physicochemical Properties of Biochar Produced from Grapevine-Pruning Residues of 12 Cultivars. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(1):4. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010004

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cvitan, Danko, Dominik Anđelini, Melissa Prelac, Qaiser Javed, Zoran Užila, Igor Pasković, Nikola Major, Marko Černe, Smiljana Goreta Ban, Marijan Bubola, and et al. 2026. "Physicochemical Properties of Biochar Produced from Grapevine-Pruning Residues of 12 Cultivars" Horticulturae 12, no. 1: 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010004

APA Style

Cvitan, D., Anđelini, D., Prelac, M., Javed, Q., Užila, Z., Pasković, I., Major, N., Černe, M., Goreta Ban, S., Bubola, M., Jeromel, A., Karažija, T., Petek, M., Nemet, I., & Palčić, I. (2026). Physicochemical Properties of Biochar Produced from Grapevine-Pruning Residues of 12 Cultivars. Horticulturae, 12(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010004

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