TY - JOUR
T1 - Bioformulation of biochar as a potential inoculant carrier for sustainable agriculture
AU - Ajeng, Aaronn Avit
AU - Abdullah, Rosazlin
AU - Ling, Tau Chuan
AU - Ismail, Salmah
AU - Lau, Beng Fye
AU - Ong, Hwai Chyuan
AU - Chew, Kit Wayne
AU - Show, Pau Loke
AU - Chang, Jo Shu
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank the University of Malaya for financial support (IIRG004B-19IISS). The authors also acknowledge the financial support received from Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology under grant number MOST 108-3116-F-006-007-C C1, 108-2621-M-006 -020, 108-2218-E-029-002-M Y3, 107-2811-E-002-035, 107-3113-E-006 -009, 107-2221-E-006 -112 -M Y3, and 108-2218-E-006 -006.
Funding Information:
The authors thank the University of Malaya for financial support ( IIRG004B-19IISS ). The authors also acknowledge the financial support received from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology under grant number MOST 108-3116-F-006-007-C C1 , 108-2621-M-006 -020 , 108-2218-E-029-002-M Y3 , 107-2811-E-002-035 , 107-3113-E-006 -009 , 107-2221-E-006 -112 -M Y3 , and 108-2218-E-006 -006 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - The dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase agricultural outputs owing to the demands of a growing human population creates the need for a sustainable fertilizer. Biochar is presently a promising candidate as an inoculant carrier, given its highly porous structure, with nutrients naturally derived from the biomass, high water, and nutrient retention properties, which favor microbial growth. Biochar can be produced through pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, gasification, and torrefaction. The porosity and adsorption ability of biochar allows it to be effectively used as a carrier to immobilize plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for enhanced crop growth. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of biochar like surface area, pore properties, and surface functional groups can be further modified via several activation methods, such as chemical oxidation and reduction, and physical activation to optimize the PGPR immobilization. The understanding of the agronomic impacts of biochar and the possible scaling up of cell immobilization will provide insights on the mechanism of biochar as an efficient inoculant carrier. This will contribute to fewer environmental hazards with the utilization of biochar for promoting plant growth. The complex interplay of physicochemical properties of biochar as a carrier to immobilize PGPR and the potential mechanisms of biochar-based inoculants are significant to achieve agricultural sustainability.
AB - The dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase agricultural outputs owing to the demands of a growing human population creates the need for a sustainable fertilizer. Biochar is presently a promising candidate as an inoculant carrier, given its highly porous structure, with nutrients naturally derived from the biomass, high water, and nutrient retention properties, which favor microbial growth. Biochar can be produced through pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, gasification, and torrefaction. The porosity and adsorption ability of biochar allows it to be effectively used as a carrier to immobilize plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for enhanced crop growth. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of biochar like surface area, pore properties, and surface functional groups can be further modified via several activation methods, such as chemical oxidation and reduction, and physical activation to optimize the PGPR immobilization. The understanding of the agronomic impacts of biochar and the possible scaling up of cell immobilization will provide insights on the mechanism of biochar as an efficient inoculant carrier. This will contribute to fewer environmental hazards with the utilization of biochar for promoting plant growth. The complex interplay of physicochemical properties of biochar as a carrier to immobilize PGPR and the potential mechanisms of biochar-based inoculants are significant to achieve agricultural sustainability.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.eti.2020.101168
DO - 10.1016/j.eti.2020.101168
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85091745401
SN - 2352-1864
VL - 20
JO - Environmental Technology and Innovation
JF - Environmental Technology and Innovation
M1 - 101168
ER -