Mini-Review on Influence of Biochar for Sustainable Agriculture

Soil quality degradation is one of the most widespread phenomena for declining agricultural productivity throughout the world. It has been estimated that more than 40% of agricultural lands have been already become marginal due to mismanagement of soil. Biochar is a carbon rich product of a thermochemical conversion of biomass to be recognized as a beneficial soil amendment. It is not a novel soil amendment and history goes back to Mayan civilization called “Terra preta” soil. Due to the high fertility of these Amazon basin soils, many researchers in the world were interested in properties and application of biochar. This review gives an overview of agricultural benefits of biochar as a soil amendment. However, still there are many pros and cons of the application of biochar and this article will highlight the importance of further researches on the application of biochar as a soil amendment.