Biochar as a Soil Amendment for Restraining Greenhouse Gases Emission and Improving Soil Carbon Sink: Current Situation and Ways Forward

The global exponential rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the last few decades has triggered an urgent need to contextualize low-cost and evergreen technologies for restraining GHG production and enhancing soil carbon sink. GHGs can be mitigated via incorporating biochar into soil matrix to sequestrate the mineralized carbon in a stable form upon organic matter decomposition in soil. However, the efficiency of using biochar to offset GHG emissions from soil and terrestrial ecosystems is still debatable. Moreover, in the literature, biochar shows high functionality in restraining GHG emissions in short-term laboratory studies, but it shows minimal or negative impacts in field-scale experiments, leading to conflicting results. This paper synthesizes information on the ability of biochar to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions from soil and organic biomass, with an emphasis on cropland soils. The feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature, and application rate factors showed significant effects on controlling the effectiveness of biochar in restraining GHG emissions. Our study demonstrates that biochar, taken as a whole, can be seen as a powerful and easy-to-use tool for halting the rising tide of greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, future research should focus on (i) identifying other indirect factors related to soil physicochemical characters (such as soil pH/EH and CaCO3 contents) that may control the functionality of biochar, (ii) fabricating aged biochars with low carbon and nitrogen footprints, and (iii) functionalizing biologically activated biochars to suppress CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions. Overall, our paradoxical findings highlight the urgent need to functionalize modern biochars with a high capacity to abate GHG emissions via locking up their release from soil into the carbonaceous lattice of biochar.

Automated summary

The global increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led to a demand for low-cost and long-lasting technologies to reduce GHG production and enhance soil carbon storage. Biochar can be used to sequester carbon in a stable form, but its effectiveness in mitigating GHG emissions is still debated. This study synthesized information on the ability of biochar to mitigate CO2, N2O, and CH4 emissions and found that factors such as feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature, and application rate significantly influenced its effectiveness. Overall, biochar shows promise as a tool to reduce GHG emissions, but further research is needed to better understand its functionality and optimize its use.