Biochar research advancement in Bangladesh: challenges and opportunities of biochar in improving soil health

Abstract

<p>Globally, biochar research and its application for soil improvement have attracted the interest of many researchers, primarily environmental and soil scientists, in the last decade. But, a limited number of biochar research studies have been conducted in Bangladesh. Therefore, a comprehensive study on biochar research is necessary to find out the scope and opportunities of biochar application in the soils of Bangladesh. Generally, biochar can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. It also has a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions. The contaminated soils can also be remediated through the judicious application of biochar. In Bangladesh, biochar application enhanced soil pH, organic matter, phosphorus availability, and agricultural production while decreasing soil acidification, microbial activity, and heavy metals mobility. Besides that, there were both positive and negative findings regarding nitrogen availability, greenhouse gas emissions, and heavy metal accumulation. However, this review includes the selection of feedstock, the advancement of pyrolysis technology, the characterization of biochar, and the agronomic and environmental benefits of biochar use. This paper also reviews biochar study and application activities in Bangladesh over the last decade. Further research directions have been suggested to ensure the beneficial and safe application of biochar to agricultural property. </p>

Quantifying the Acceptance and Adoption Dynamics of Biochar and Co-biochar as a Sustainable Soil Amendment

“…The problems faced by the people of Bangladesh are immense and require multiple solutions. Biochar is an emerging multi-purpose innovation that is rapidly attracting the attention of researchers (4). Biochar, a more resistant carbon-rich organic material obtained from the thermal decomposition of biomass, can be used as a soil amendment, a tool for improving soil fertility and productivity while also fighting the global challenge of climate change.…”

“…Rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw constitutes the highest percentage (62%) of biomass originating from the agriculture sector. Besides, Bangladesh produces a total of 17 million tons of forest residues each year in the annual production of sawdust was 0.123 million tons (4). On the other hand, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an aquatic weed, is one of the most pernicious invasive weeds that contain worthy nutrients for plant growth and are therefore a potential source of organic matter (8).…”