Abstract
Although increasing numbers of research papers regarding biochar are being published worldwide, in some countries growing interest in biochar has only recently been observed; this is true of Poland. We analysed information on biochar research in Poland alongside lessons learned elsewhere in order to identify the significant opportunities and risks associated with biochar use. This data fed into a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to identify areas where biochar application could deliver greatest benefit. We found that 21.8% of agricultural land in Poland has at least moderate indication for biochar use (soil organic matter below 2% and ph below 5.5), while 1.5% was categorized as a priority as it also exhibited contamination. Potential barriers identified included biomass availability and associated risks of indirect land-use change due to possible national and transnational biomass production displacement. Biochar use could have positive global consequences as a climate change mitigation strategy, particularly relevant in a country with limited alternatives. Scaling up a mitigation technology that is viable on account of its co-benefits might be cost-effective, which could, in turn, adjust national perspectives and stronger involvement in developing mitigation policies at the regional level. Biochar has much promise in temperate conditions and further research should therefore be assigned to explore biochar’s environmental and socio-economic impacts.
Highlights
Biochar is considered a tool of potential relevance to sustainable agricultural development (Sohi et al 2010; Zimmerman et al 2011; Jindo et al 2012)
Soils classified as very acid and acid occupy over 50% of the country (Fig. 1A; Siebielec et al 2012) and over 70% of the soils in the country require periodic liming to manage pH (Supplementary Material). On this account and given soil texture, we found that 21.8% of the agricultural area in Poland is characterized by a medium potential for biochar use, while strong potential was found for 1.5% of the agricultural area in Poland (Fig. 3)
Across Europe soil is under increasing pressure from inappropriate agricultural and industry practices, which undermine the capacity of soil to continue to perform its crucial ecosystem
Summary
Biochar is considered a tool of potential relevance to sustainable agricultural development (Sohi et al 2010; Zimmerman et al 2011; Jindo et al 2012). It influences a range of soil physical, chemical and biological properties, in ways that tend to favour crop productivity (Lehmann, Josef 2009). This influence varies according to environmental factors, soil type and the type of biochar used (Biederman, Harpole 2013). The largest yield increases have been reported where a combination of biochar and fertilizer has been used (Gathorne-Hardy et al 2009; Peng et al 2011)
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