Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Peer-reviewed

Biochar raises soil health and reduces greenhouse gas emissions in arid lands

Said Al‐Ismaily, Rattan Lal, Yakov Kuzyakov, Jon Chorover, Fatima Ba Abood, Bashair Al Maghatasi, D. Blackburn

Frontiers in Soil Science · 2026

Read source ↗ All evidence

Summary

Biochar is increasingly recognized as a multifunctional amendment capable of restoring soil health and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where fragile soils, high salinity, and erratic moisture regimes exacerbate climate vulnerability. Despite the growing global interest, only ~3% of biochar studies target arid lands, leaving a critical knowledge gap in understanding its mechanisms under harsh edaphoclimatic conditions. This review synthesizes over 120 studies and provides a meta-analysis on the interplay between soil and biochar properties affecting GHG fluxes in arid agroecosystems. Biochar reduces CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O emissions in non-arid climates by −18%, −38%, and −40%, respectively, relative to unamended control soils, though t

Source type
Peer-reviewed study
DOI
10.3389/fsoil.2026.1740397
Catalogue ID
SNmojxd89c-n366m3
Pulse AI · ask about this record

Dig deeper with Pulse AI.

Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.