Meet the editors

Dr. Vikas Abrol (b. November 14, 1974), a soil scientist, received his PhD degree from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu and was awarded a postdoctoral research fellowship for one year by the Ministry of Agriculture, State of Israel, to pursue research into biochar: a mechanism of action as a soil and water conservation agent in agricultural soils at the Volcani Centre, Agricultural Research Organization, Israel. He also received a research fel-

lowship for one academic year at the Volcani Centre, Agricultural Research Organization, Israel, to pursue research on the efficacy of synthetic polymers (anionic polyacrylamide (PAM)) on soil and water conservation. He started his professional career as an assistant professor/junior scientist at the Dryland Research Substation, Dhiansar, and has published research accomplishments in journals of international repute such as the *European Journal of Agronomy*, *European Journal of Soil Science*, *Journal of Soil and Sediments*, *Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture*, *Agricultural Mechanization in Asia*, *Africa and Latin America*, etc. with high impact factor. He has edited two international books: *Crop Production Technologies* and *Resource Management for Sustainable Agriculture*. He served as a reviewer of research articles in international journals such as *Soil Science Society of America Journal*, *Agronomy for Sustainable Development*, *Land Research and Development*, *Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences*, *Indian Journal of Dryland Agricultural Research and Development*, *Indian Journal of Soil Conservation*, *Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences*, and *International Journal of Agriculture Sciences*. His research interests entail using biochar for offsetting climate change by soil carbon aggradations, runoff quality and soil erosion control, soil quality evaluation, and soil and water pollution. He holds specialization in using biochar and synthetic polymers (PAM) for erosion control, infiltration improvement, and soil structural stabilization. He also served in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (extension services) and as a resource person for Prasar Bharti, Department of Agriculture, SAMETI, ATMA, National Fertilizer Limited, Indian Potash Association. He has presented papers in national and international conferences/seminars and has been awarded in national and international forums for his scientific contributions. He is a life member of the *Indian Journal of Soil Conservation*, *Indian Journal of Dryland Agriculture and Research*, *International Biochar Initiative*, and *Friends of Israel Biochar Researchers Network*.

Dr. Peeyush Sharma received her MSc and PhD (Soil Science) degrees from the illustrious G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttaranchal, and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship on the "Development and validation of simulation models to predict the long-term consequence of different tillage and residue management strategies." Later she was also awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the prestigious In-

stitute of Soil Water and Environmental Sciences, ARO, Volcani Centre, Israel, and joined Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu in 2004. Primarily, her research pertains to modeling tillage with the intervention

of mulching and nutrient management to aggrade soil health and develop a "Tilth Index Model" based on easily measurable soil properties to predict changes in soil productivity and identify the suitable tillage type needed to achieve an optimal crop production. She holds expertise in low-cost biochar production technology and application in the soils of diverse agroclimatic regions of the Himalayan foothills. Her teaching assignment involves advances in soil physics, fundamentals of soil science, and other courses for UG and PG. Her research accomplishments include contributions to reputed international journals such as *Geoderma*, *European Journal of Agronomy*, *European Journal of Soil Science*, and *Soil and Tillage Research* and other reputed journals, and she has served as a reviewer for *Agriculture and Water Management*, *African Journal of Agricultural Sciences*, *Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences*, *Indian Journal of Soil Conservation*, etc.

Contents

**Section 1**

Properties

**Section 2**

*by Hidetaka Noritomi*

Mitigation Strategy

*George K. Osei and Robert W. Taylor*

*by Kayode S. Are*

**Preface III**

Biochar for Sustainable Crop Productivity and Soil Health **1**

**Chapter 1 3**

**Chapter 2 21**

**Chapter 3 35**

**Chapter 4 55**

Bioremediation with Biochar **73**

**Chapter 5 75**

**Chapter 6 97** Biochar Phosphorus Sorption-Desorption: Potential Phosphorus Eutrophication

Increasing the Amount of Biomass in Field Crops for Carbon Sequestration

Influence of Sewage Sludge Biochar on the Microbial Environment, Chinese

*by Guangwei Yu, Shengyu Xie, Jianli Ma, Xiaofu Shang, Yin Wang, Cheng Yu, Futian You, Xiaoda Tang, Héctor U. Levatti, Lanjia Pan, Jie Li and Chunxing Li*

Application of Biochar to Enzyme Carrier for Stress Tolerance of Enzymes

*by Lucy W. Ngatia, Johnny M. Grace III, Daniel Moriasi, Alejandro Bolques,* 

Biochar: A Sustainable Approach for Improving Plant Growth and Soil

*by Jyoti Rawat, Jyoti Saxena and Pankaj Sanwal*

and Plant Biomass Enhancement Using Biochar *by Saowanee Wijitkosum and Thavivongse Sriburi*

Cabbage Growth, and Heavy Metals Availability of Soil

Biochar and Soil Physical Health

## Contents


Preface

Climate change, water scarcity, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission are the major challenges for food security. The world's population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, which will require an increase of more than 50% in agricultural food supply to meet the growing demand. Throughout the world, agricultural crop residue is usually handled as a liability, often because the means to transform it into an asset are lacking. Concerns regarding global warming and food security have led to a surge in interest in the management of crop residues to increase carbon sequestration and grain yield in agriculture. Crop residue burning has become a major environmental problem causing health issues as well as contributing to global warming and the degradation in soil health. India, being an agriculture-dominant country and the second largest agro-based economy with year-round crop cultivation, produces a large amount of agricultural waste. According to the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India generates on an average 500 million tons of crop residue per year. In the absence of adequate sustainable management practices, approximately 92 metric tons of crop waste are burned every year in India, causing excessive particulate matter emissions and air pollution. Biochar offers the opportunity to provide a sustainable solution to mitigate these issues.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content, which plays an important role in soil sustainability, is a key indicator of soil fertility. SOC is the basis of soil fertility. It releases nutrients for plant growth, promotes the structural, biological, and physical health of soil, and is a buffer against harmful substances. The main source of SOC in cropland is crop residue; therefore, crop residue amendment is considered one of the most important management practices in maintaining soil fertility. Efficient use of biomass by converting it to a useful source of soil amendment is one way to improve soil fertility. Agriculture is a major source of GHG emissions globally. Increased use of production inputs, such as mineral fertilizer, has made agriculture more GHG intensive. Rising concentration of the GHG carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major anthropogenic cause of climate change. The changing climate impacts society

To increase carbon sequestration, farmers can use biochar, which is the pyrolyzed product of the thermal degradation of organic materials in the absence of oxygen and is distinguished from charcoal by its use as a soil amendment. Over the past few years, pyrolyzed organic carbon has received much attention from researchers because of the possible benefits arising from soil quality and crop yields. It is a unique substance that retains exchangeable and plant-available nutrients in the soil, improving crop yields while decreasing environmental pollution by nutrients. Biochar is an effective means to withdraw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and consequently influence the trend of global climate change. The physical structure of biochar improves soil fertility by decreasing soil tensile strength and bulk density. Biochar also acts as a soil aggregate, which provides a habitat for microorganisms. Additionally, the porosity of biochar improves nutrient and water retention in soils thereby improving agronomic efficiency and increasing yields. It has often been referred to, not only as one of the possible means for enhancing soil fertility, but as black gold for agriculture as well. If the fertility or nutrient status of soil

and ecosystems in many harmful ways.
