# A Review of Biochar Properties and Their Utilization in Crop Agriculture and Livestock Production
## 3 Biochar as a Soil Amendment  
Biochar amendment to the soil has become a very extensively studied subject, and numerous review articles analyzing the matter have been recently published [25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33]. BC has proven to be an excellent way of introducing (as a carrier) and retaining (as an adsorbent) nutrients in the soil, sequestrating atmospheric C to it and improving its microbial activity. Those effects could result in a reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions associated with the extensive use of fertilizers and in the improvement of the general soil quality that leads to an increase of crop yields (Figure 2). The ability of BC to positively affect those parameters in soil could be potentially transferred to other areas that are not as widely studied. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Reference** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Feedstock** \\ **Material** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **Pyolysis** \\ **Temperature** \\ \end{tabular}  & **C** & **H** & **O** & **N** & **pH** & **Ash** & **Yield** \\ \hline [PERSON] et al. [4] & Date seeds & \begin{tabular}{c} 350 \\ 550 \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} 64.4 \\ 82.2 \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} - \\ - \\ \end{tabular}  & - & - & - & 6.9 & 6.7 & 45 \\ [PERSON] et al. [9] & Pine woodchips & \begin{tabular}{c} 300 \\ 500 \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} 63.9 \\ 90.5 \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} 5.4 \\ 2.5 \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} 30.4 \\ 6.7 \\ \end{tabular}  & - & - & - & 14 \\ \hline [PERSON] et al. [18] & Oxytree prunings & 200 & 38.1 & 7.2 & 42.4 & 4.6 & - & - & 98 \\ \hline [PERSON] [13] & BiosourceTM & 450–465 & 42.7 & - & - & - & - & - & - \\  & Pine woodchips & 450–465 & - & - & - & - & - & - & - \\  & Cocout shells & 450–465 & 83.0 & - & - & - & - & - & - \\  & Corn stover & 481–515 & \begin{tabular}{c} 24.6 \\ 65.7 \\ \end{tabular}  & - & - & - & - & 2.7 & - \\ \cline{2-10}  & Peanut hulls & 481–515 & - & - & - & - & - & 16 & - \\ \hline [PERSON] et al. [14] & Orange peels & \ \begin{tabular}{c} 300 \\ 700 \\ 300 \\ 700 \\ 300 \\ 700 \\ 300 \\ 700 \\ 300 \\ 700 \\ 700 \\ 300 \\ 700 \\ 700 \\ 700 \\ 700 \\ \end{tabular}  &
\begin{tabular}{c} 41.9 * \\ 6.4 * \\ 6.1 * \\ 1.8 * \\ 1.8 * \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\ - \\  
[PERSON] et al. [23] have stated that there is inadequate knowledge on the properties of BC produced from different feedstock and under different pyrolysis conditions. In their research, they have used the same poultry litter as a feedstock material for two BCs, pyrolyzed in different temperatures (450 and 550 \({}^{\circ}\)C) with one BC being activated by high-temperature steam. The BCs were then applied to Alifisol, a typical agricultural soil, at different rates (10, 25, and 50 t-ha-1) in order to determine the agronomic values of the BC. In comparison to the control (unamended) group, radish plants grown on the BC-supplemented soils were characterized by a 42% to 95% increase in the total dry matter at a 10 t-ha-1 to 50 t-ha-1 application rate, respectively, and the yield increase was similar between both BCs. Addition of BCs also significantly changed the plant elemental composition, with increased N, P, S, Na, Ca, and Mg concentrations. Application of poultry litter BCs also changed all chemical parameters of the soils--increasing electrical conductivity, pH, total N and C, Colwell P, exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, Na, and K), and effective cation exchange capacity but decreasing exchangeable Al. The influence of both BCs on plant yields and their elemental composition is due to the ability of BCs to increase nutrient availability. Comparing the two BCs used in this study, the non-activated BC was more effective than the activated BC. The research also highlights what was stated in the previous section, that different pyrolysis conditions of different feedstock material leads to BCs of different characteristics. [PERSON] et al.