Nexus of biochar production and processes for mitigating soil-based greenhouse gas emissions: a comprehensive review on long and short-term strategies

Abstract

Biochar has emerged as a promising soil supplement, offering a sustainable solution for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural soils over the past two decades. Produced through the pyrolysis of organic materials under anaerobic conditions, biochar’s quality is heavily influenced by pyrolysis conditions and feedstock types. This comprehensive review investigates the biochar’s potential to reduce GHG emissions from agricultural soils and explores sustainable production methods and innovative technologies to combat climate change. This study highlights biochar’s impacts on soil quality, carbon storage, microbial activity, and GHG emissions as a soil supplement that reduces agricultural GHG emissions. Addressing historical research gaps, the investigation proposes comprehensive biochar soil management studies to mitigate global warming since agriculture contributes considerably to global emissions. The review highlights the necessity of co-existing GHG emission data and computer analysis of their warming potentials, along with aging studies on biochar production. Stressing the importance of distinguishing biochar-induced changes from inherent soil features, the review advocates for effective GHG emission-reducing management techniques. Additionally, it calls for the development of tracking and monitoring methods to identify carbon storage locations, trace carbon dioxide origins, and evaluate biochar’s impact on soil ecosystem GHG flow. To achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions, the review suggests analyzing the dynamics of biochar generation and related processes to gain insights into their long-term effects. By promoting sustainable solutions to mitigate soil and agriculture-based emissions, this review aims to support provincial and federal governments in meeting their carbon reduction targets outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Graphical Abstract