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Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 10506

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Dr. Afeng Zhang

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College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: carbon and nitrogen cycle in farmland ecosystem; application of biochar in farmland
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Soil organic matter plays an important role in soil productivity, agricultural sustainable development, and global climate change. Biochar has demonstrated great promise in various ways. However, the long-term effects and the life cycle assessment under biochar amendment should be evaluated.

This Special Issue provides insight into the long-term effects on crop productivity, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and some other aspects using the life cycle assessment to evaluate these effects.

Cutting-edge research in this field includes the molecular composition of soil organic matter, microbial residue-C accumulation, and the microbial community structure under biochar application.

We welcome review or research papers and look forward to your wonderful contributions!

Dr. Afeng Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

biochar application
molecular composition of soil organic matter
greenhouse gas emissions
carbon sequestration
crop productivity
life cycle assessment
soil remediation
N cycling

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Related Special Issue

Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity Soil Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas Intensity in Agronomy (2 articles)

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar Supplementation of Recycled Manure Solids: Impact on Their Characteristics and Greenhouse Gas Emissions During Storage

by Ana José Pires, Catarina Esteves, Ricardo Bexiga, Manuela Oliveira and David Fangueiro

Agronomy 2025, 15(4), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15040973 - 17 Apr 2025

Viewed by 245

Abstract

Recycled manure solids (RMS) are increasingly adopted in dairy farming for their economic advantages and their role in improving nutrient recycling and waste management; however, concerns regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during storage persist. This study assessed the effects of biochar supplementation at 2.5% (2.5B) and 10% (10B) compared to untreated RMS (C−) and acidified RMS (C+) on GHG emissions (measured both continuously and intermittently) and RMS characteristics during a one-month storage period. The results showed that the addition of biochar increased heavy metals concentration (with the exception of molybdenum) and the electrical conductivity of the RMS. Storage of RMS generally led to an increase in its dry matter content, except in the 10B treatment. The results showed that 10% biochar significantly reduced cumulative CO₂ and N₂O emissions, resulting in a 32% GWP reduction compared to untreated RMS. In contrast, the 2.5% dose led to higher CO₂ emissions, possibly due to microbial stimulation. Adding 10% biochar mitigated GHG emissions similarly to H₂SO₄ acidification but with fewer environmental and operational risks, making it a preferable farm-scale option. Continuous monitoring captured transient emission peaks, highlighting the importance of high-resolution assessments. Despite the emissions generated during biochar production, its application in RMS bedding systems offsets these environmental costs by mitigating GHG emissions and increasing nutrient content. Biochar’s mitigation potential, especially at higher doses, presents a safer, multifunctional alternative that aligns with EU climate goals. These findings support the integration of biochar into sustainable manure management strategies, though further research is needed to optimize application rates and assess cost-effectiveness in dairy farming. However, continued assessments at a larger scale and with different biochar addition rates are necessary to fully determine the potential of biochar supplementation to RMS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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13 pages, 2635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Comprehensive Effects of Biochar Amendments on Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation, Soil Acidification Amelioration and Heavy Metal Availability in the Soil–Rice System

by Juanhua Tao, De Chen, Shaofu Wu, Qi Zhang, Wendan Xiao, Shouping Zhao, Xuezhu Ye and Tianfen Chu

Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2498; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112498 - 25 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1748

Abstract

In recent years, biochar (BC) and biochar-based soil amendments (CSAs) have been widely used in agriculture and the environment. In the present study, a two-rice-season field study was conducted to explore the comprehensive effects of applying BC (1%) and CSA (0.5% and 1%) on soil organic carbon accumulation, soil acidification amelioration and heavy metal availability in a soil–rice system. The results show that soil pH was increased by 0.5–1.7 units and 0.3–1.0 units, respectively, in the early rice season and late rice season treated by the amendments compared with CK. Soil organic contents were increased by 18–30% in the early rice season and by 15–25% in the late rice season in the amended treatments. In addition, soil available phosphorus contents were largely increased as a result of BC and CSA addition. Soil CaCl₂ extractable heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Cu and Zn) were simultaneously decreased by BC or CSA amendments. In addition, Cd contents in early rice grain and late rice grain were significantly reduced by 25–48% and 52–83% in amended treatments, while Zn contents were generally not affected. The uptake of Cu and Ni was also decreased by BC and CSA. This study demonstrates that biochar application alone or combinates with inorganic amendments (limestone, sepiolite and potassium dihydrogen phosphate) can significantly improve soil properties and nutrient content and decrease the heavy metal (especially for Cd and Ni) uptake and accumulation from soil to rice grain, where the combination application is more effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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24 pages, 3096 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Effect of Biochar Particle Size on the Leaching of Organic Molecules and Macro- and Microelements

by Sarka Sovova, Ludmila Mravcova, Jaromir Porizka, Leona Kubikova and Michal Kalina

Agronomy 2024, 14(10), 2346; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14102346 - 11 Oct 2024

Viewed by 1196

Abstract

Biochar is a carbon-rich material that has recently received attention due to its increasing agronomical potential. The agricultural utilization of biochar relates to its potential to act in the soil as a soil conditioner; nevertheless, complex information on the direct dependence of biochar’s physical properties (texture, particle size) and corresponding leaching and availability of organic molecules (e.g., the polycyclic and heterocyclic organic compounds) and inorganic mineral salts (based on micro- and macroelements) is still inconsistent. Multi-elemental analysis by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to assess the information on the contents and availability of macro- and microelements in studied commercial biochar samples. The results showed a statistically significant indirect relation between an increase in the size fraction of biochar and the content of aqueous-extractable K and Na and the direct relation with the aqueous-extractable Ca, Mg, and P. Compared to the macroelements, the detected contents of aqueous-extractable microelements were almost three orders lower, and the dependence on fraction size was not consistent or statistically significant. In addition, gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectroscopy (MS) was further used to reveal the concentrations of available polycyclic aromatic and heterocyclic compounds in biochar samples. The detected concentrations of these types of organic compounds were far below the certified limits, and a statistically significant indirect correlation with particle size was also observed for all the studied biochar samples. The proposed methodological concept could provide the necessary insights into the description of biochar mineral content and its connection to biochar texture, the physicochemical properties, and the potential of biochar to release nutrients into the soil. These findings could help in the further assessment of biochar as a soil conditioner in modern agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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14 pages, 2693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Composted Straw, Biochar, and Polyacrylamide Addition on Soil Permeability and Dynamic Leaching Characteristics of Pollutants in Loessial Soil in Urban Greenbelts According to Indoor Simulation Experiments

by Chenguang Wang, Yikai Zhao, Shan Hao, Jiayong Chen, Shao Chen, Jiaojiao Liu, Helei Liu, Xinyu Zhu, Xueyan Li and Afeng Zhang

Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 1958; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14091958 - 29 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 860

Abstract

Urban greenbelt soil is currently severely degraded and unable to meet the needs of sponge city construction. Therefore, this study involved adding modified materials, such as decomposed straw, straw biochar, and PAM (polyacrylamide), to greenbelt soil (collected from the Xixian New Area, a pilot city for sponge city construction in China). This study was conducted to explore the effects of adding modified materials on soil physical properties and pollutant adsorption capacity through indoor simulation experiments and dynamic leaching experiments (in the dynamic leaching experiments, the medium thickness was 40 cm, and a water outlet was set every 10 cm to collect the filtrate). In this study, three experimental treatments were set up: (1) soil–sand–decomposed straw + PAM (SSJ), (2) soil–sand–biochar + PAM (SSB), and (3) soil–sand–decomposed straw–biochar + PAM (SSBJ). In the three treatments, the addition amounts of soil, sand, and PAM (0.01 g·mL⁻¹) were constant at 560 kg·m⁻³, 624 kg·m⁻³, and 76 L·m⁻³, respectively. The addition amounts of decomposed straw in the SSJ and SSBJ treatments were 100 kg·m⁻³ and 50 kg·m⁻³, respectively. The amounts of added biochar in the SSJ and SSBJ treatments were 32 kg·m⁻³ and 16 kg·m⁻³, respectively. The saturated hydraulic conductivity and saturated water content of the different treatments increased by 92.90–107.10% and 19.07–32.17%, respectively, compared with the background values. As the depth increased, the leaching concentrations of N and COD (chemical oxygen demand) at 40 cm in the different treatments increased by 282.66–1374.02% and 435.10–455.84%, respectively, compared with those at 10 cm. However, the leaching concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and P changed little with increasing depth. As the flow load increased, the leaching concentration of the pollutant pattern was not obvious. After the leaching of pollutants stabilized, at 40 cm, the leaching concentrations of N, P, and COD for the SSJ, SSBJ, and SSB treatments were 5.46–56.30 mg·L⁻¹, 0.14–2.06 mg·L⁻¹, and 1034.23–1531.40 mg·L⁻¹, respectively. The retention rates of Cu, Zn, and Cd showed a small trend over time, and the retention rates were all above 86%. Overall, the SSB treatment had a strong ability to intercept N, P, and COD, whereas the SSBJ treatment had a strong ability to intercept Cu, Zn, and Cd. These research results can provide a reference for the improvement of greenbelts in sponge city construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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14 pages, 5907 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar Catalysis for the Enhanced Abiotic Humification of Polyphenols: An Important Mechanism Helping Sequester Carbon

by Jiangmin Zhou, Ziru Zhou, Chuanqing Yao, Yujie Zhang, Han Ren, Guining Lu and Hualin Chen

Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 1951; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14091951 - 29 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1025

Abstract

Abiotic humification, dominated by catalytic oxidation, is one of the critical mechanisms for organic carbon preservation in nature. However, the effects of biochar catalysis on abiotic humification have not yet been elucidated. This study investigated the catalytic power of biochar from walnut shells at different temperatures (300 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C) for the abiotic transformation of hydroquinone (HQ) as a representative polyphenol. All the biochar samples catalyzed HQ polymerization, resulting in the formation of humic polymers such as fulvic acids (FAs) and humic acids (HAs). Light and oxygen promoted HA formation. HO^• was detected in the BC600–HQ reaction system, and HO^• quenching resulted in a 41.22% decrease in HA production, indicating that HO^• plays a major role in the oxidative polymerization. In the proposed pathway for the abiotic humification, biochar active sites and generated reactive oxygen species accept an electron from HQ, resulting in oxidation to (semi)quinone radicals, which subsequently undergo cleavage or a coupling reaction to form the oligomerized products. Under BC600 catalysis, the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the reaction products of HQ, glucose, and glycine reached 14,449 Da. These findings provide new insights into the application potential of biochar for promoting soil carbon sequestration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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16 pages, 1546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar Application Combined with Water-Saving Irrigation Enhances Rice Root Growth and Nitrogen Utilization in Paddy Fields

by Zuohe Zhang, Zhongxue Zhang, Zhenping Gong, Tiecheng Li, Tangzhe Nie, Peng Chen, Yu Han and Li Xue

Agronomy 2024, 14(5), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14050889 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1333

Abstract

To improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) during rice cultivation, it is essential to comprehend the morphological and physiological traits of rice roots. However, in high-fertility black soil regions of Northeast China, the effects of combining biochar application with water-saving irrigation (WSI) conditions on rice root development and nitrogen utilization are still unknown. To address this knowledge gap, a combination of field experiments and ¹⁵N tracer micro-area investigations was conducted in this study. Four treatments were implemented: (i) controlled irrigation without biochar application (CB0); (ii) controlled irrigation with 2.5 t ha⁻¹ biochar application (CB1); (iii) controlled irrigation with 12.5 t ha⁻¹ biochar application (CB2); and (iv) controlled irrigation with 25 t ha^–1 biochar application (CB3). Flooded irrigation conditions without biochar treatment (FB0) were used as the control. The primary objective of this research was to identify the mechanisms by which combined WSI conditions and biochar application affect rice root development and nitrogen utilization. Biochar application enhanced rice root morphological and physiological characteristics. Optimal biochar application increased the longest root length (RL), root volume (RV), root fresh weight (RFW), root active absorption area, root bleeding intensity, and root activity (RA) of rice while also optimizing the root–shoot ratio and facilitating nitrogen absorption by roots. These changes in root morphological and physiological characteristics facilitated the absorption of fertilizer-¹⁵N and soil nitrogen by rice roots, ultimately leading to improvements in rice yields and NUEs. Notably, the rice yields, NUE, nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE), and nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP) of CB2 plants were 16.45%, 39.42%, 24.48%, and 16.45% higher than those of FB0 plants, respectively. These results highlight the effectiveness of biochar application as a strategy to ensure food security and enhance NUE under WSI conditions. Furthermore, this study suggests that the recommended optimal application amount of biochar for the black soil area of Northeast China is 12.5 t ha⁻¹. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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14 pages, 3212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Organic Matter Improves Potato Yield by Regulating the Microbiological Fertility Index

by Jianwei Hou, Cunfang Xing, Jun Zhang, Qiang Wu, Tingting Zhang, Junmei Liang, Hao An, Huiqing Lan and Yu Duan

Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030571 - 13 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1565

Abstract

The nutrient availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) has been decreasing due to a decline in the biological function of yellow soil, limiting potato yield (PY). Increasing biochar or organic fertilizer input is an effective way to improve soil microbiological fertility. However, indexes to regulate soil microbiological fertility using biochar and organic fertilizer individually or in combination and these indexes’ associations with PY remain unclear. In this study, four fertilization strategies were developed using the nutrient balance method: CK (recommended NPK fertilization), BC (NPK + biochar), OF (NPK + organic fertilizer), and BF (NPK + 1/2 biochar + 1/2 organic fertilizer). Using different fertilization strategies, the eco-stoichiometry characteristics of the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity; the bioavailability of C, N, and P; and the differences in PY were investigated, and the direct and indirect effects of these factors on PY were determined over a two-year period. The results showed that exogenous organic matter input could considerably affect the stoichiometric ratios of soil microbial biomass; C; N; P; the stoichiometric ratios of C-converting, N-converting, and P-converting enzyme activities (expressed as BG+CBH, NAG+LAP, and AP, respectively); and the integrated enzyme index (IEI). The IEI was the highest in BF, followed by OF, BC, and CK. A significant positive correlation was found between the microbial biomass C, N, and P and their corresponding converting enzyme activities (p < 0.05). The ln(BG+CBH):ln(NAG+LAP), ln(BG+CBH):lnAP, and ln(NAG+LAP):lnAP ratios were all higher than 1:1, but they approached 1:1 in the order of CK-BC-OF-BF. Compared to soil C and N, P-converting enzyme activity was the primary limiting factor for soil nutrient conversion in the study area. BF was less restricted by P and more balanced in its nutrient ratio. The microbial biomass C:N:P could affect PY in eight ways. (1) Microbial biomass C:N directly decreased PY, and microbial biomass C:P indirectly increased PY. (2) It could decrease C-converting enzyme activity, (3) decrease N availability to increase C-converting enzyme activity, (4) decrease P availability, or (5) decrease P availability to decrease the soil C:P-converting enzyme activity ratio. Microbial biomass N:P indirectly increased PY (6) by increasing the soil C:P-converting enzyme activity ratio, (7) by increasing C-converting enzyme activity, or (8) by increasing N availability to increase C-converting enzyme activity. Thus, BF is an effective strategy for regulating the soil microbiological fertility index; enhancing C, N, and P nutrient conversion; and increasing PY. The input of exogenous organic matter can alter the stoichiometric ratios of soil microbial biomass C, N, and P; the stoichiometric ratios of C-converting, N-converting, and P-converting enzyme activities; and nutrient availability, thus regulating PY. Microbial biomass N:P and soil C:P-converting enzyme activity ratios influence PY the most. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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14 pages, 2163 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Soil Total Nitrogen as an Indicator of Soil Bacterial Community Response to Biochar and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Applications

by Chenke Ding, Chengqun Lv, Hualin Chen, Jiangmin Zhou and Han Ren

Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030428 - 22 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1719

Abstract

Biochar and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are widely used as an amendment for soil physicochemical properties and soil bacterial community diversity. In Guangxi, China, we carried out a study to determine how PGPR and biochar influence the soil’s environmental stability in an Eucalypt plantation. We applied biochar and PGPR in a contrasting application manner to an acidic red loam soil. Thus, three treatments were set up as 5 × 10¹⁰ CFU·mL⁻¹ PGPR-only (MB0), 20 t·hm⁻² biochar-only (B20), and co-application of 20 t·hm⁻² biochar and 5 × 10¹⁰ CFU·mL⁻¹ PGPR (MB20), as well as no biochar and no PGPR (M0B0). Our results indicated that MB20 significantly decreased the soil total nitrogen (TN) and increased the soil total phosphorus (Soil TP), soil ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺), and soil water content (SWC) when compared with the control. The MB20 also significantly increased the Simpson, ACE, and Chao indices of the soil bacterial community’s diversity relative to the control. We also observed a significant effect of the Soil TN on both the bacterial community and the functional diversity in soil. These findings may indicate that assessing the soil N status is expected to be an essential indicator of the soil microenvironment’s response to biochar and PGPR applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biochar Application on Crop Productivity, Soil Carbon Sequestration, and Others)

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