Biochar and Soil Physical Properties
Open accessAbstract
Core Ideas Biochar generally improves the soil physical environment Sandy soils appear to respond more to biochar than clayey soils Long-term studies are needed to conclusively discern the extent of biochar effects Biochar is considered to be a potential soil amendment. However, its implications for soil physical and hydraulic properties have not been widely discussed. Changes in the soil physical environment influence the numerous services that soils provide. This paper (i) reviewed the impacts of biochar on soil compaction, mechanical, structural, hydraulic, and thermal properties; (ii) discussed factors affecting biochar performance; and (iii) identified research areas. Biochar generally reduces soil bulk density by 3 to 31%, increases porosity by 14 to 64%, and has limited or no effects on penetration resistance. Biochar increases wet aggregate stability by 3 to 226%, improves soil consistency, and has mixed effects on dry soil aggregate stability. It increases available water by 4 to 130%. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreases in coarse-textured soils, and increases in fine-textured soils following biochar application. Studies on other properties are few but suggest that biochar reduces tensile strength and particle density, alters water infiltration, moderates soil thermal properties, and has minimal effect on soil water repellency. Sandy soils appear to respond more to biochar than clayey soils. Biochar effectiveness increases as the amount of biochar applied increases. A decrease in biochar particle size can increase water retention but may reduce saturated flow. Field-scale and long-term studies assessing all soil physical properties under different scenarios of biochar management are needed. Overall, biochar generally improves the soil physical environment, but long-term field studies are lacking to conclusively ascertain the extent of biochar effects.
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There is limited data about the effects of biochar physico-chemical properties, specifically in clay loam soil and the crops planted in it.
“Previous studies stated the benefits of biochar, however, there is a limited data about the effects of biochar physico-chemical properties, specifically in clay loam soil and the crops planted in it (Blanco-Canqui 2017).”
From Corn Cob and Corn Husk Biochars Enhance the Growth of Corn (Zea mays L.) in Fertilized Clay Loam Soil (2023) · cites this paper as Blanco-Canqui 2017
The Research Needs and Summary and Conclusions sections say that evidence is limited for how biochar properties affect soil physical properties across different soil types and management conditions. They do not identify a specific lack of data on clay loam soil and the crops planted in it, or establish the broader claim about physico-chemical properties. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredBiochar can improve soil physical properties including bulk density, particle density, soil porosity, water infiltration, and water holding capacity.
“Soil physical properties such as bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), soil porosity (SP), soil water infiltration, and water holding capacity can be improved by biochar (Blanco-Canqui 2017).”
From Corn-cob Biochar Characterization and Application Effects to Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Evolution in Acid Soil Added with Different Types of Fertilizers (2021) · cites this paper as Blanco-Canqui 2017
Biochar's effect on water infiltration varies: it reduces water movement in sandy loams and increases it in clay loam soil.
“However, biochar has a varying effect on water infiltration by reducing the water movement along with the soil profile of sandy loams while increasing it in the clay loam soil that improves water (Blanco-Canqui 2017; Hussain et al. 2016; Surampalli et al. 2015).”
From Corn-cob Biochar Characterization and Application Effects to Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Evolution in Acid Soil Added with Different Types of Fertilizers (2021) · cites this paper as Blanco-Canqui 2017
Smaller biochar particle sizes can also increase water retention but may reduce saturated flow.
“Smaller biochar particle sizes can also increase water retention but may reduce saturated flow (Blanco-Canqui 2017).”
From Biochar physicochemical properties: pyrolysis temperature and feedstock kind effects (2020) · cites this paper as Blanco-Canqui 2017
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“Smaller biochar particle sizes can also increase water retention but may reduce saturated flow (Blanco-Canqui 2017).”
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- Authors
- Blanco-Canqui, H.
- Affiliations
- Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln; Dep. of Agronomy and Horticulture; 261 Plant Science Hall Lincoln NE 68583
- Venue
- Soil Science Society of America Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-07
- Volume
- 81
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 687-711
- ISSN
- 0361-5995 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2751135976
- Cited by
- 1,106
- References
- 109
- Citations by year
- 2026: 193 · 2025: 174 · 2024: 165 · 2023: 174 · 2022: 141 · 2021: 110 · 2020: 80 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 44.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm)
- Locations
- Soil Science Society of America Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Keywords
- biochar, soil physical properties, soil amendment, soil compaction, bulk density, soil porosity, penetration resistance, soil aggregate stability, soil hydraulic properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention, soil thermal properties, soil water repellency, sandy soil, clay soil, soil texture, biochar particle size
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
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