The potential of biochar as a microbial carrier for agricultural and environmental applications

Authors: BOLAN, SHIV - Agricultural University Of Western Australia; HOU, DEYI - Tsinghua University; WANG, LIUWEI - Tsinghua University; Hale, Lauren; EGAMBERDIEVA, DILFUZA - National University Of Uzbekistan; TAMMEORG, PRITT - University Of Helsinki; LI, RUI - Guizhou University; WANG, BING - Guizhou University; XU, JIAPING - Nankai University; WANG, TING - Nankai University; SUN, HONGWONG - Nankai University; PADHYE, LOKESH - University Of Western Australia; WANG, HAILONG - Foshan University; SIDDIQUE, KADAMBOT H.M. - Agricultural University Of Western Australia; RINKLEBE, JORG - University Of Wuppertal; KIRKHAM, M.B. - Kansas State University; BOLAN, NANTHI - Agricultural University Of Western Australia

Submitted to: Science of the Total Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/2/2023
Publication Date: 5/8/2023
Citation: Bolan, S., Hou, D., Wang, L., Hale, L.E., Egamberdieva, D., Tammeorg, P., Li, R., Wang, B., Xu, J., Wang, T., Sun, H., Padhye, L.P., Wang, H., Siddique, K., Rinklebe, J., Kirkham, M., Bolan, N. 2023. The potential of biochar as a microbial carrier for agricultural and environmental applications. Science of the Total Environment. 886. Article 163968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163968.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163968

Interpretive Summary: Soil microbes perform critical roles in soil biochemical processes, carbon and nutrient cycles, and remediation of soil contamination. Biochar has favorable properties that improve survival rates of inoculated microbes into soil environments. In this review, we examined the results on the effectiveness of biochar as a carrier for microbial inoculum for agricultural and environmental applications.

Technical Abstract: Biochar can serve as an effective carrier for microbial inoculants because of its favourable properties that promote microbial life. Biochar is enriched with organic carbon, contains nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and has a high porosity and water-holding capacity. Biochar as a microbial carrier supports a high survival rate of inoculated microbes and enhances their colonization in soil and plant rhizosphere. Soil microbes perform critical roles in soil biochemical processes, carbon and nutrient cycles, and remediation of soil contamination. Biochar-based inoculants have been found to be effective in augmenting plant growth and remediation of soil contaminated with organic pollutants. These studies illustrate that biochar can potentially be utilized as an effective carrier or formulation of microbial inoculants and likely to offer a successful replacement for other commercially used non-renewable substrate such as peat. In this review, we examined the results on the effectiveness of biochar as a carrier for microbial inoculum for agricultural and environmental applications.