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Bolan S, Sharma S, Mukherjee S, Kumar M, Rao CS, Nataraj KC, Singh G, Vinu A, Bhowmik A, Sharma H, El-Naggar A, Chang SX, Hou D, Rinklebe J, Wang H, Siddique KHM, Abbott LK, Kirkham MB, Bolan N. Biochar modulating soil biological health: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169585. [PMID: 38157897 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Biochar can be used for multifunctional applications including the improvement of soil health and carbon storage, remediation of contaminated soil and water resources, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and odorous compounds, and feed supplementation to improve animal health. A healthy soil preserves microbial biodiversity that is effective in supressing plant pathogens and pests, recycling nutrients for plant growth, promoting positive symbiotic associations with plant roots, improving soil structure to supply water and nutrients, and ultimately enhancing soil productivity and plant growth. As a soil amendment, biochar assures soil biological health through different processes. First, biochar supports habitats for microorganisms due to its porous nature and by promoting the formation of stable soil micro-aggregates. Biochar also serves as a carbon and nutrient source. Biochar alters soil physical and chemical properties, creating optimum soil conditions for microbial diversity. Biochar can also immobilize soil pollutants and reduce their bioavailability that would otherwise inhibit microbial growth. However, depending on the pyrolysis settings and feedstock resources, biochar can be comprised of contaminants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and potentially toxic elements that can inhibit microbial activity, thereby impacting soil health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv Bolan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Australia
| | - Shailja Sharma
- School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan 173229, India
| | - Santanu Mukherjee
- School of Agriculture, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan 173229, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Amity Institute of Environmental Sciences, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Ch Srinivasa Rao
- ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad 500 030, India
| | - K C Nataraj
- Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Anantapur 515 001, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Gurwinder Singh
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), College of Engineering, Science, and Environment (CESE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Ajayan Vinu
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), College of Engineering, Science, and Environment (CESE), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Arnab Bhowmik
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States of America
| | - Harmandeep Sharma
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States of America
| | - Ali El-Naggar
- Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11241, Egypt; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, People's Republic of China; Department of Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Scott X Chang
- Department of Renewable Resources, 442 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Deyi Hou
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Hailong Wang
- Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, People's Republic of China
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Lynette K Abbott
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - M B Kirkham
- Department of Agronomy, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States of America
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia; Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Australia.
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Deshoux M, Sadet-Bourgeteau S, Gentil S, Prévost-Bouré NC. Effects of biochar on soil microbial communities: A meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:166079. [PMID: 37553053 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Changes in soil microbial communities may impact soil fertility and stability because microbial communities are key to soil functioning by supporting soil ecological quality and agricultural production. The effects of soil amendment with biochar on soil microbial communities are widely documented but studies highlighted a high degree of variability in their responses following biochar application. The multiple conditions under which they were conducted (experimental designs, application rates, soil types, biochar properties) make it difficult to identify general trends. This supports the need to better determine the conditions of biochar production and application that promote soil microbial communities. In this context, we performed the first ever meta-analysis of the biochar effects on soil microbial biomass and diversity (prokaryotes and fungi) based on high-throughput sequencing data. The majority of the 181 selected publications were conducted in China and evaluated the short-term impact (<3 months) of biochar. We demonstrated that a large panel of variables corresponding to biochar properties, soil characteristics, farming practices or experimental conditions, can affect the effects of biochar on soil microbial characteristics. Using a variance partitioning approach, we showed that responses of soil microbial biomass and prokaryotic diversity were highly dependent on biochar properties. They were influenced by pyrolysis temperature, biochar pH, application rate and feedstock type, as wood-derived biochars have particular physico-chemical properties (high C:N ratio, low nutrient content, large pores size) compared to non-wood-derived biochars. Fungal community data was more heterogenous and scarcer than prokaryote data (30 publications). Fungal diversity indices were rather dependent on soil properties: they were higher in medium-textured soils, with low pH but high soil organic carbon. Altogether, this meta-analysis illustrates the need for long-term field studies in European agricultural context for documenting responses of soil microbial communities to biochar application under diverse conditions combining biochar types, soil properties and conditions of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Deshoux
- INRAE UMR Agroécologie, Institut Agro, University Bourgogne, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France; Groupe Bordet, Froidvent, F-21290 Leuglay, France.
| | - Sophie Sadet-Bourgeteau
- INRAE UMR Agroécologie, Institut Agro, University Bourgogne, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
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