Abstract:

In order to boost the study and agricultural application of biochar in China, in the article, the research literatures and findings about biochar were retrospected and reviewed, and future research issues were suggested, the summaries were as follows: biochar was a solid byproduct derived from biomass pyrolysis in low or zero oxygen environment, highly organic carbon, porous, alkaline, highly capability of adsorption, multi-propose materials. Biochar was an excellent soil amendment which could increase soil organic carbon content, improve soil water-holding and nutrient-retention capacity, reduce nutrient losses from soils, and was beneficial to inhabit and activity of microbes in soils, especially for mycorrhizal fungi (MF). Biochar alone increased crop growth and yield in specific circumstances, but the effects of the co-application or combination of biochar with fertilizers on crop growth and yield showed positive in nearly all soils, which was attributed to reciprocal or synergistic effects of both fertilizer and biohcar because of fertilizer alleviating nutrient deficiency of biochar itself which endowed fertilizer with nutrient slow release characteristics. Biochar delayed nutrient release of fertilizer to soil, reduced nutrient losses from fertilizer and soil, increased nutrient utilizing efficiency, and was efficient-promoting carrier to fertilizer. Biochar was a carbon-sequestrating carrier which was extremely stable in soil, and could sequestrate carbon in soils for hundreds to thousand years. The multi-win technology was the thermal conversion of biomass wastes into biochar which was used to agriculture. However widely and deeply studies should be given to many issues about biochar. Thus, strong emphasis will given to basic and applied research on biochar in order to boost biochar production and agricultural use, finally agricultural ‘black revolution’ in 21st century.