Unlocking biochar impacts on abiotic stress dynamics: a systematic review of soil quality and crop improvement.

Global agricultural challenges, especially soil degradation caused by abiotic stresses, significantly reduce crop productivity and require innovative solutions. Biochar (BC), a biodegradable product derived from agricultural and forestry residues, has been proven to significantly enhance soil quality. Although its benefits for improving soil properties are well-documented, the potential of BC to mitigate various abiotic stresses-such as drought, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity-and its effect on plant traits need further exploration.

Simultaneous reduction of greenhouse gas and NH emissions by combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers in maize-cabbage cropping systems.

Intensive nitrogen (N) fertilization enhances crop yield but also increases ammonia (NH) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO, CH and NO), requiring sustainable fertilization regimes. The co-application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can decrease the use of inorganic fertilizer, reduce environmental pollution, and enhance soil fertility. A simultaneous investigation of the effects of combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers on NH volatilization, GHG emissions, and soil fertility is, however, lacking.

Importance of biochar as a key amendment to convert rice paddy into carbon negative.

Biochar being made up of recalcitrant carbon (C) compounds is considered a negative emission technology (NET) due to its indirect removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO). However, there is no clear report about how biochar remains a NET when organic amendment application in rice paddy results in a huge emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) particularly, methane (CH). To evaluate the net impact of biochar application on the net global warming potential (GWP) in rice paddy, no organic amendment (control), fresh manure, compost, and biochar treatments were selected during the whole investigation period.

Critical evaluation of biochar utilization effect on mitigating global warming in whole rice cropping boundary.

Biochar and compost were accepted as a stable organic amendment to increase soil C stock as well as to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rice paddy soils. However, in most studies, their effect on GHG flux was evaluated only within the cropping boundary without considering industrial processes. To compare the net effect of these organic amendment utilizations on global warming within the whole rice cropping system boundary from industrial process to cropping, fresh, compost, and biochar manures were applied at a rate of 12 Mg ha (dry weight) in a rice paddy, and total GHG fluxes were evaluated.

Biochar as soil amendment: Syngas recycling system is essential to create positive carbon credit.

Biochar utilization is accepted as the most cost-effective practice to mitigate global warming via increase in soil C stock. However, its utilization effect on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes was evaluated only within land application without considering industrial processes. To evaluate the net effect of biochar utilization on global warming within whole system boundary, swine manure-saw dust mixture was pyrolyzed under four different temperatures, and GHG fluxes were characterized under with/without syngas recycling systems.

Uncertainty of methane emissions coming from the physical volume of plant biomass inside the closed chamber was negligible during cropping period.

In rice paddy, the closed chamber method is broadly used to estimate methane (CH4) emission rate. Since rice plants can significantly affect CH4 production, oxidation and emission, rice plantation inside the chamber is standardized in IPCC guidelines. Methane emission rate is calculated using the increased concentration inside the headspace.

Steel slag amendment impacts on soil microbial communities and activities of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

With the increase in iron/steel production, the higher volume of by-products (slag) generated necessitates its efficient recycling. Because the Linz-Donawitz (LD) slag is rich in silicon (Si) and other fertilizer components, we aim to evaluate the impact of the LD slag amendment on soil quality (by measuring soil physicochemical and biological properties), plant nutrient uptake, and strengthens correlations between nutrient uptake and soil bacterial communities. We used 16 S rRNA illumine sequencing to study soil bacterial community and APIZYM assay to study soil enzymes involved in C, N, and P cycling.

Different response of plastic film mulching on greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) between chemical and organic fertilization in maize upland soil.

Since plastic film mulching (PFM) can deplete soil organic carbon (SOC) stock but increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, PFM utilization is still debating. To determine the influence of PFM on global warming, PFM and no-mulching treatments were installed under chemical and organic fertilizations. In organic fertilization, cover crop was cultivated during the fallow season, and its biomass was incorporated as green manure.

Composted Cattle Manure Increases Microbial Activity and Soil Fertility More Than Composted Swine Manure in a Submerged Rice Paddy.

Livestock waste composts with minimum inorganic fertilizer as a soil amendment in low-input intensive farming are a feasible agricultural practice to improve soil fertility and productivity and to mitigate soil degradation. The key benefits of the practice rely on the activities of soil microorganisms. However, the role of different livestock composts [composted cattle manure (CCM) vs.

Beneficial effect of compost utilization on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a rice cultivation system through the overall management chain.

Livestock manure application can stimulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially methane (CH) in rice paddy. The stabilized organic matter (OM) is recommended to suppress CH emission without counting the additional GHG emission during the composting process. To evaluate the effect of compost utilization on the net global warming potential (GWP) of a rice cropping system, the fluxes of GHGs from composting to land application were calculated by a life cycle assessment (LCA) method.