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Biochar

  • Glossary item | 17 Mar 2025
Bioeconomy Knowledge Centre

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that is made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes in a controlled process called pyrolysis (Spears 2018). It is a dark residue that can withstand thousands of years in soil and is high in pyrogenic carbon. “The solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment” is how the International Biochar Initiative defines biochar. Pyrolysis, which is the direct thermal decomposition of biomass in the absence of oxygen, produces biochar, a high-carbon, fine-grained residue that is composed of a mixture of solids (the biochar itself), liquids (bio-oil), and gases (syngas). The use of biochar can sustainably increase soil fertility and health while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Singh, O., Singh, S., Singh, V.K., Singh, A. (2023). Biochar: An Organic Amendment for Sustainable Soil Health. In: Baskar, C., Ramakrishna, S., Daniela La Rosa, A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Green Materials. Springer, Singapore.

Source category: Scientific & Technical Literature

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Reference description

Singh, O. et al., 2023

Originally Published

17 Mar 2025

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