IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i23p16446-d1291461.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Effect of Different Biochar Characteristics on Soil Nitrogen Transformation Processes: A Review

Author

Listed:
  • Donna Davys

    (Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK)

  • Francis Rayns

    (Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK)

  • Susanne Charlesworth

    (Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK)

  • Robert Lillywhite

    (Warwick Crop Centre, School of Life Science, The University of Warwick, Coventry CV35 9EF, UK)

Abstract

For the last 30 years, interest has focused on biochar and its potential to store carbon in soil to mitigate climate change whilst improving soil properties for increased crop production and, therefore, could play a critical role in both agricultural sustainability and broader environmental aims. Biochar, a carbonaceous product, is formed from organic feedstock pyrolysised in the absence of air and, therefore, is a potential means of recycling organic waste. However, different feedstock and pyrolysis conditions result in a biochar with a range of altered characteristics. These characteristics influence nitrogen transformation processes in soil and result in the metabolism of different substrates and the formation of different products, which have different effects on agricultural yield. This paper reviews how the production of biochar, from varying feedstock and pyrolysis conditions, results in different biochar characteristics that influence each stage of the nitrogen cycle, namely processes involved in fixation, assimilation, mineralisation and denitrification. The nitrogen cycle is briefly outlined, providing a structure for the following discussion on influential biochar characteristics including carbon composition (whether recalcitrant or rapidly metabolisable), mineral composition, surface area, porosity, cation exchange capacity, inhibitory substances and pH and so on. Hence, after the addition of biochar to soil, microbial biomass and diversity, soil porosity, bulk density, water-holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, pH and other parameters change, but that change is subject to the type and amount of biochar. Hence, products from soil-based nitrogen transformation processes, which may be beneficial for plant growth, are highly dependent on biochar characteristics. The paper concludes with a diagrammatic summation of the influence of biochar on each phase of the nitrogen cycle, which, it is hoped, will serve as a reference for both students and biochar practitioners.

Suggested Citation

  • Donna Davys & Francis Rayns & Susanne Charlesworth & Robert Lillywhite, 2023. "The Effect of Different Biochar Characteristics on Soil Nitrogen Transformation Processes: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16446-:d:1291461
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/23/16446/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/23/16446/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jonathan L. Deenik & Michael J. Cooney, 2016. "The Potential Benefits and Limitations of Corn Cob and Sewage Sludge Biochars in an Infertile Oxisol," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simon Kizito & Hongzhen Luo & Jiaxin Lu & Hamidou Bah & Renjie Dong & Shubiao Wu, 2019. "Role of Nutrient-Enriched Biochar as a Soil Amendment during Maize Growth: Exploring Practical Alternatives to Recycle Agricultural Residuals and to Reduce Chemical Fertilizer Demand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Biyensa Gurmessa, 2021. "Soil acidity challenges and the significance of liming and organic amendments in tropical agricultural lands with reference to Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 77-99, January.
    3. Kiatkamjon Intani & Sajid Latif & Md. Shafiqul Islam & Joachim Müller, 2018. "Phytotoxicity of Corncob Biochar before and after Heat Treatment and Washing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Luis Carlos Díaz Muegue & Julio César Arranz González & Gustavo Peñuela Mesa, 2017. "Characterization and Potential Use of Biochar for the Remediation of Coal Mine Waste Containing Efflorescent Salts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-11, November.
    5. Raziye Kul & Ertan Yıldırım & Melek Ekinci & Metin Turan & Sezai Ercisli, 2022. "Effect of Biochar and Process Water Derived from the Co-Processed Sewage Sludge and Food Waste on Garden Cress’ Growth and Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16446-:d:1291461. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.