Biochar in Agroecosystems: Optimizing Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity

Biochar is a carbon-rich product formed by the thermochemical conversion of organic materials, such as biomass and crop straw, under oxygen-free or low-oxygen conditions. As a new and promising fertilizer material, biochar has been adopted in different planting systems due to its potential to enhance soil water retention, improve soil physicochemical properties, and promote crop growth. The characteristics of biochar (e.g., surface functional groups, pH, high ash, and nutrient content) vary considerably among different feedstocks. Crop residues-based biochar has been reported as a suitable nutrient vector and provider for mineral ions to crops relative to woody biochar with greater lignocellulosic content. Biochar addition can improve the mineralization of soil organic nitrogen, reduce nitrogen leaching, promote soil microorganism activities, and optimize the microbial environment. Notably, one of the most critical effects of biochar is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils, highlighting its potential role in climate change mitigation. Although biochar addition has beneficial effects on crop production, its effect varies greatly among crops, soils, and biochar types. Therefore, comprehensive assessments of how soil properties and grain yield vary with biochar addition and their underlying relationships are urgently needed.

This research topic aims to collect original research articles and review articles focusing on sustainable agriculture. The primary objectives include improving crop yield and water use efficiency, as well as enhancing the soil environment. Specific questions to be addressed include identifying the environmental factors and physiological processes influenced by biochar addition, developing new biochar management practices, and exploring new cropping systems designed to promote carbon sequestration. Additionally, the research will investigate the responses of greenhouse gas emissions to biochar addition and explore the co-benefits, adaptation strategies, and trade-offs of increasing yield stability in sustainable cropping systems.

To gather further insights into the role of biochar in agroecosystems, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Identifying environmental factors and physiological processes after biochar addition influencing crop yield and water use efficiency.
• Developing new biochar management practices (e.g., incorporation depths, biochar rate, or frequency) for improving soil fertility.
• Exploring new cropping systems with biochar addition designed to promote carbon sequestration.
• Investigating the responses of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., N2O, CO2, CH4) to biochar addition from agricultural soils.
• Exploring co-benefits, adaptation strategies, and trade-offs of increasing yield stability in sustainable cropping systems.

Submissions that focus on novel practices, techniques, and innovations that contribute to sustainability in cropping systems are particularly encouraged.

Keywords: Sustainable agriculture, Yield, Soil water and fertilizer management, Soil health, Arid and semi-arid areas

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.