ABSTRACT
240Numerous factors restrain food crop production in semi-arid and Mediterranean regions. Soil fertility and plant nutrition have had a significant effect on crop production in the 20th century. Biochar has been utilized in agriculture to increase soil health, improve soil fertility, and increase crop productivity. Disturbed edaphic properties like high levels of rocks and a low pH level, high radiation levels, rapid drainage during the germination process, compaction of the soil, contamination, and other adverse effects, can be improved with biochar deposits. There is little understanding of the specific mechanisms that underlie biochar’s contribution to plant response. This chapter focuses on: (i) biochar application and phosphate starvation in plants; (ii) soil microbiota and biochar as a symbiosis for plant life; (iii) biochar act as a drought-resistant tool; (iv) reclamation of soil salinity through biochar amendments; (v) biochar and soil fertility; and (vi) biochar amendments and plant growth.
