Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences (via Phys.org), 8/19/25
A research team led by Profs. Yan Xiaoyuan and Xia Longlong from the Institute of Soil Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that biochar can deliver lasting benefits for food security and climate mitigation when applied to farmland over the long term. In particular, the study showed that repeated annual applications not only sustain but also amplify biochar's positive effects on crop yield, soil health, and GHG reduction.
In this study, the researchers analyzed high-quality field experiment records from 438 studies, including consecutive annual data from 29 long-term field experiments. The results, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate that annual biochar application over four years or more increased global crop yields by an average of 10.8%, cut CH4 emissions by 13.5% and N2O emissions by 21.4%, and raised soil organic carbon (SOC) content by 52.5%.