Modified Biochars Reduce Leaching while Maintaining Bioavailability of Phosphate to Dragoon Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in Potting Tests

Sustainable Technological Applications of Green Carbon Materials

“…Biochar is one of the biomass-based carbon materials that has been highly investigated. Biochar is a product of the valorization of feedstocks, like municipal organic waste and agri-industrial residues, through slow pyrolysis [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Thermal processes, like pyrolysis and carbonization, convert biomass into a carbon-rich microporous material with a well-developed porous structure, a highly specific surface area, and a high degree of aromatization (Figure 6) [28][29][30][31].…”

“…These features can be tuned using different raw materials and the technical characteristics of pyrolysis. Biochar is added to soil to modify its physical and chemical composition, microbial activity, soil fertility, and pollution load [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Carbon nanomaterials have another important role in agricultural practices, namely as nanocarriers for pesticides and fertilizers, allowing the controlled release of active molecules [20].…”

“…These features can be tuned using different raw materials and the technical characteristics of pyrolysis. Biochar is added to soil to modify its physical and chemical composition, microbial activity, soil fertility, and pollution load [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Biochar contains inorganic elements that are macronutrients, particularly N, P, and K, and micronutrients to plants; when added to soils, they will improve their fertility, resulting in high crop yields [28,29].…”

“…Slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) are a solution to nutrient loss from the soil through leaching, volatilization, denitrification, and surface runoff. Biochar SRFs (BSRFs), derived from agricultural waste, are being proposed as a more sustainable alternative [32][33][34]. BSRFs are obtained by the co-pyrolysis of biomass with a chemical substance containing the nutrient, such as phosphate rock or urea [32].…”