Abstract

MELO-LOZANO, HAROLD-ANDRES,  and  AFANASJEVA, NATALIA,. Effect on microbial activity in soils due to the application of biochar: Review. Rev.Bio.Agro [online]. 2023, vol.21, n.2, pp.210-226.  Epub Dec 01, 2023. ISSN 1692-3561.  https://doi.org/10.18684/rbsaa.v21.n2.2023.2197.

Biochar (BC) is presented as an amendment based on biomass pyrolysis residue that promotes an increase in the amount of beneficial bacterial and mycorrhizal communities and the quantity of elemental nutrients for plant fertility; in addition, by its characteristics, it provides recalcitrant carbon, generates physicochemical changes, such as an increase in pH, increase in water retention in soil and cation exchange capacity. Most studies about BC focus on evaluating the results in physicochemical variables into soils, however, few studies show and explain reasons because BC increases beneficial bacterial and mycorrhizal communities to plant growth, for this reason is necessary to selectively analysis to define the mechanisms between BC and microorganisms. This review examines publications of the last 12 years of research on BC in different databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springerlink, SciELO, Google Scholar), focusing on the years (2020-2022), to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that let the interaction between BC-soil microbial communities and its benefits as an agricultural amendment. An accepted hypothesis is the high porosity into BC that serves as a "microhabitat" since it allows ideal conditions of space, temperature, humidity, air, and food growing levels of rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungus involved in the solubilization of nutrients such as N, P and K increasing the exo-enzymatic activity of dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease between others improving soil fertility and plant growth.

Keywords : Biochar; Bioavailability; Enzymes; Mycorrhizae; Microbial community; Plant growth; Soil amendment; Porosity; Symbiosis; Rhizobacteria..

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )