National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Soils in India are declining in fertility status due to higher usage of synthetic fertilizers and mono-cropping practices. To maintain the sustainability of soil and better crop production, it is essential to retain physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil through optimum level of organic matter. This article deals on the literature related to biochar, its production and characterization and its effect on soil application. The biochar application to the soil is a novel technique to improve soil fertility and thereby the soil productivity. The excess crop residues accumulated in the field after harvest can be utilized for biochar preparation along with inorganic fertilizers. Any waste material like wood chips, crop residues such as straw, husk, stover, trash and organic waste from industries can be effectively utilized for the production of biochar. Biochar from prosopis, cotton and maize which are available on-site have shown to significantly improve the soil physico-chemical parameters and thereby can be used as an alternative to other slow degrading bulky organic manures. The major cause for improvement in soil fertility on application of biochar is due to addition of organic carbon, slow release of applied nutrients through chelation effect, improved water holding capacity and porosity of soil.
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