Aug 2026· International journal of phytoremediation· pp.
1-25
· 0 citations· 256 references
Medicine
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture is increasingly challenged by soil degradation, environmental pollution, and climate change, necessitating the pragmatic and eco-friendly approach. This review systematically synthesizes the role of biochar as multifunctional soil management strategy in enhancing soil health and sustainable environmental management, with particular emphasis on the critical roles of feedstock type and pyrolysis conditions in governing biochar performance. To address existing knowledge gaps, we comprehensively evaluate recent available literature on biochar-based environmental remediation, focusing on key indicators of agricultural sustainability, including nutrients availability, soil biological activity, climate change mitigation, biochar-assisted phytostabilization, and crop productivity. Current evidence indicates that biochar application can achieve a net negative carbon footprint, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and heavy metal contamination, and improve soil structure, fertility, and overall crop productivity on sustainable-basis. However, these benefits largely depend upon the various important biochar production factors including feedstock source, pyrolysis temperature, biochar stability, residence time, rate of application, and soil pH. Beyond its function as a soil amendment, biochar also serves as a multifunctional resource contributing to bioenergy production, waste reduction, and long-term carbon sequestration. At the same time, this review identifies critical research gaps, including the long-term field performance of biochar, mechanisms underlying the interactions between biochar and agronomic practices, and the environmental and human health risks associated with large-scale agricultural applications. Overall, this work highlights the importance of feedstock selection and pyrolysis parameters in designing biochar for environmental remediation and outlines future research directions to refine biochar engineering, application guidelines, and risk assessment frameworks for its sustainable use.
Biochar, a carbon-rich product resulting from the thermochemical transformation of organic biomass under limited oxygen condition, is currently drawing much worldwide attention due to its multiple applications in carbon sequestration, soil improvement, environmental remediation, and biomass waste management. Initially, the focus of research was primarily on the technical possibilities of biochar production, its economic aspects, and its contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, recent research indicates the high complexity and dynamics of biochar interactions with the environment, driven by a combination of factors like feedstock type, process conditions, biochar properties, and other factors. While biochar exhibits multiple beneficial effects, including improving soil structure, enhancing nutrient retention, promoting microbial activities, and remediating contaminants, several environmental risks associated with biochar application have also been identified, namely the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metal contamination, creation of persistent free radicals, changes in soil chemistry, and modification of soil microbial community structure. Such risks are greatly related to production process parameters, treatment methods, and biochar application practices. Moreover, differences in feedstock choice, pyrolysis temperature, reactor design, biochar application rate, and analytical methods used make comparative analysis of results difficult.
O. E. Ojewumi, Gang Chen, M. Ojewumi· Green· 0 citations
Biochar has emerged as one of the most promising nature-based strategies for improving soil quality, enhancing crop productivity and supporting climate-smart agriculture. However, the agronomic performance of biochar remains highly variable because its effects are governed by complex interactions among feedstock characteristics, pyrolysis conditions, soil properties and management practices. This review synthesizes recent advances in biochar research (2019–2026), examining how production variables determine biochar physicochemical properties and how these properties subsequently influence soil functioning, plant performance and long-term agricultural sustainability. The review integrates evidence on feedstock selection, pyrolysis technologies, biochar modification strategies and the relationships between biochar properties and soil physical, chemical and biological processes. Particular attention is given to crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, stress mitigation, contaminant immobilization, greenhouse gas mitigation and long-term soil resilience. Across the literature, the most consistent agronomic benefits were observed when biochar was applied to degraded or resource-limited soils and integrated with complementary management practices, whereas responses were often limited under fertile soils, low application rates or short experimental periods. Rather than identifying a universally superior biochar, the evidence indicates that agronomic performance depends on matching biochar characteristics to specific production objectives and environmental conditions. Based on these findings, this review proposes a transition from generalized biochar application towards optimized deployment strategies supported by standardized characterization, long-term multi-site validation and integrated environmental and economic assessments. This synthesis provides a comprehensive framework for guiding future research and facilitating the effective implementation of biochar within sustainable and regenerative agricultural systems.
Ágata Cristiana Correia, C. Pessoa, P. Legoinha et al.· The Scientist· 0 citations
Biochar, a carbon-rich solid produced through oxygen-limited pyrolysis of biomass, is increasingly considered a soil amendment for sustainable soil fertility management. Indian agriculture faces continuing pressure from soil degradation, declining soil organic carbon, nutrient depletion, crop-residue burning and climate variability, all of which constrain productivity and resource-use efficiency. This review synthesises literature and field-based evidence relevant to the use of biochar in Indian soil-crop systems. It discusses biochar production through slow, fast and flash pyrolysis using crop residues, woody biomass, and livestock or poultry manure at 300–700 °C, and relates these production conditions to key properties, including porosity, specific surface area, alkaline pH, fixed carbon content and nutrient composition. The review also examines the principal mechanisms through which biochar improves soil fertility, including modification of bulk density, water-holding capacity, aggregate stability, cation exchange capacity, soil reaction, nutrient retention and microbial activity. Evidence reviewed here indicates that biochar can reduce nutrient leaching, influence nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics, contribute to soil carbon sequestration, and mitigate selected greenhouse gas emissions, although responses depend on feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, soil type and crop requirement. Field observations from India suggest that applications within the range of 5–20 t ha⁻¹ can improve the productivity of rice, wheat, maize, legumes, oilseeds, plantation crops and vegetables, with stronger responses generally reported in acidic, sandy and degraded soils. The review further identifies practical constraints to adoption, including production cost, inconsistent product quality, limited standardisation, insufficient extension support and variable soil-crop compatibility. Integrating biochar with integrated nutrient management and decentralised residue management may support more sustainable soil fertility strategies in India.
Manoj Kumar, A. Pandey, Ashutosh Singh et al.· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
Climate change, degradation of natural resources, and increasing global demand for food create substantial challenges for sustainable farming systems. In this context, climate-smart nanotechnology has emerged as a promising interdisciplinary approach that can support soil fertility, improve crop performance, and promote environmental sustainability. This review critically examines how nanotechnology contributes to climate-smart agriculture, with particular attention to soil fertility management, enhanced nutrient-use efficiency, crop stress tolerance, precision farming, and soil remediation.
Nano-fertilisers improve nutrient availability and uptake efficiency through controlled release and targeted delivery, thereby reducing losses through leaching, volatilisation, and runoff. Nano-sensors enable near-real-time monitoring of soil and plant conditions and support precision agriculture and informed input management. In addition, nanomaterials can improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat by influencing physiological and biochemical processes. Nano-based remediation strategies can also support the restoration of affected soils through adsorption, immobilisation, and catalytic degradation of contaminants. Despite these benefits, climate-smart nanotechnology presents several challenges, including possible nanoparticle toxicity, ecological risks, high production costs, regulatory constraints, and limited awareness among farmers. Future research should focus on eco-friendly green synthesis routes, biodegradable nanomaterials, and integration with advanced systems such as artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). With appropriate risk assessment, policy support, and field validation, climate-smart nanotechnology has considerable potential to support sustainable agriculture and strengthen food security under changing climatic conditions.
B. Baruah, Bhakti Kirankumar Chavan, G. Chauhan et al.· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
The increasing need to ensure global food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices has necessitated the development of alternative approaches to the environmental problems caused by the use of traditional mineral fertilizers. This review article, prepared within this context, comprehensively examines the development of biochar-coated controlled-release fertilizers (BCSRFs) over the last decade (2015–2025). The study evaluates in detail the production techniques of BCSRFs, the properties of coating materials, nutrient release mechanisms, and the impacts of these systems on agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, environmental gains such as increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE), reduced greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching, as well as economic feasibility and scalability are discussed. With the potential to improve soil fertility and limit environmental losses, BCSRFs stand out as an innovative and promising solution for modern agricultural systems. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature and provide a scientific framework for future research and applications.
Hasine Elçi· Selcuk journal of agricultur...· 0 citations
Agricultural waste recycling offers a circular approach to reducing residue burdens while supporting soil management, crop protection, and resource recovery. This review evaluates the ecological and economic impacts of incorporating compost, digestate, biochar, and related products into integrated plant protection systems. A structured narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2003 and 2026 was conducted, covering disease suppression, nutrient cycling, crop productivity, greenhouse-gas emissions, life-cycle performance, and economic viability. The evidence indicates that compost provides the strongest support for suppressing soil-borne diseases through microbial competition, antibiosis, and modification of the soil environment, whereas biochar can enhance nutrient retention, regulate rhizosphere microbial communities, and induce plant resistance, although its effectiveness depends on feedstock, production conditions, and application practices. Digestate contributes primarily through nutrient recovery and renewable-energy production, with limited evidence of direct pest or disease suppression. Economic benefits include reduced fertilizer and pesticide inputs, avoided waste-disposal costs, renewable-energy generation, improved crop productivity, and potential carbon value, although these gains may be offset by processing costs, transportation, emissions, nutrient losses, and inconsistent field performance. Thus, recycled agricultural products should be regarded as complementary, context-dependent components of integrated plant protection, supported by standardized product characterization, long-term field validation, and integrated ecological and economic assessment.
Aisha Twalibu, Hazel Samartha Mabangwe, Ellena Chikhazu et al.· American Journal of Life Sci...· 0 citations