The Potential of Biochar for Sustainable Agriculture: A Case Study of Maize Cultivation in Rain Shadow Areas
摘要
Agriculture is an important production sector in terms of providing food for the world’s population. Especially in small households, agriculture is important for the livelihood and well-being of rural farmers. However, unsustainable agricultural practices cause harm to the world’s ecosystems. Similarly, climate change and the degradation of soil resources pose threats to food production capacity. Encouraging farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices is very important and necessary. However, there are many challenges to achieving this goal, such as soil and land degradation, drought and floods, spatial limitations for agriculture, and socioeconomic factors. Biochar has gained attention as an effective soil supplement and is widely recognized as a material that positively impacts soil quality and crop productivity and combats climate change. Therefore, using biochar in agriculture is an efficient approach that benefits both the environment and farmers. The effectiveness of biochar depends on its properties and quality, usage patterns, and frequency and rate of application. However, the widespread use of biochar in agriculture requires farmers to accept its use. Its use must be clean, simple, and inexpensive. This chapter presents the results of the impact of biochar derived from agricultural residues on agriculture in the rain shadow area. Biochar was applied during successive maize cultivations over three planting cycles, with biochar and compost used in the first cultivation. The findings indicate that biochar significantly increased maize yield and soil quality relative to the first cultivation cycle. The positive effects persisted even after the second cultivation cycle was complete, so farmers need not apply biochar and compost each time they cultivate a crop, which reduces fertilization costs.