Global Biochar Research Activities and Future Research Priorities.

Developing agricultural technologies to double food supply by 2030 and at the same time reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture will be challenging, but an imperative issue for the 21st century. The production and application of biochar could contribute to achieving these goals, but further research is required to ensure optimal use. Many investigations have shown that the application of biochar to infertile tropical soils improves soil functions such as water and nutrient holding capacity. Consequently, biochar may improve crop yields on highly weathered soils typical of humid tropical zones where low agricultural productivity needs to be raised to ease human hunger and poverty. This systematic review revealed that global biochar research published between 2010 and 2014 was driven by the countries’ human development and environmental quality. Biochar research in less developed countries generally assessed biochar production technologies and biochars’ impact on chemical soil properties and plant productivity. Among the less developed countries China dominated biochar research activities with a heavy focus on biochar production technologies and on use of biochar as sorbent for organic and inorganic compounds. Beside this, the majority of biochar research was done in highly developed countries addressing a higher diversity of questions. Less developed tropical countries in which agricultural productivity is limited due to large areas of unfertile weathered soils could benefit substantially from the biochar research being done in the highly developed countries. However, this will require that biochar research is intensified by i) enhancing knowledge transfer and capacity building, ii) increasing research investments and technical cooperation, and iii) encouraging synergies across scientific disciplines to improve understanding of the complex interactions between biochar, soil and plants.