Managerial Gaps in Biochar Research: A Management-Orientated Bibliographic Analysis (2021 to 2026)

The rapid expansion of biochar research in the last five years is a reflection of increasing importance for circular agriculture, waste exploitation, and climate mitigation. The current research approach is innovative by analyzing bibliometric biochar studies from a value chain management and integration perspective. It is not yet clear whether this technological development is accompanied by management and system integration. The study provides a management-orientated bibliographic analysis of 1,472 articles indexed in the science database from 2021 to 2026. The paper identifies the dominant thematic clusters shaping the field using keyword co-occurrence mapping and descriptive structural analysis (publication trends, professional distribution, funding patterns) using VosViewer. The results show that there is a strong focus on research on thermochemical conversion processes, water adsorption and treatment applications, soil remediation, and agricultural performance. The concept of circular economy and sustainability appears in the literature but remains distant from the experimental and material-orientated approach. The disciplinary structure is heavily dominated by categories related to environmental sciences, engineering and energy, with a limited view of management and governance. The findings indicate a structural imbalance between technological maturity and management integration. Despite considerable public funding and rapid publication growth, research on value chain coordination, business models, implementation strategies, and regional scaling mechanisms remains insufficient. The report concludes by describing the managerial implications and proposing research programmes aimed at closing the gap between laboratory-scale innovations and systemic deployment in the circular agricultural system.