Virtual Presentation
We are pleased to announce an upcoming virtual presentation titled "Biochar Technology: a solution for climate smart sustainable Agriculture," delivered by Prof. Dilfuza Egamberdieva from the National Research University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Abstract
In recent decades ecological problems increased in many regions of the world, and these conditions are likely to contribute to increased food security and health risks. The low technological development, improper agricultural methods and policies are major hindrances against agricultural development in many developing economies. Climate change may lead to even more degraded landscapes in many non-irrigated regions since it is accompanied by less rainfall and higher temperatures. These facts represent a serious threat to sustainable food production and to our natural resources. Owing to population growth and increasing food demand, intensive and environment-friendly agricultural techniques such as application of bio-fertilizers have become a promising model for many countries in the world. Biofertilizers contribute environmental benefits and help to conserve resources for crop cultivation, especially for poor farmers. The reduction of chemical fertilizers by using biological fertilizers is one of the effective steps in sustainable agriculture. The application of biochar produced through pyrolysis in the absence or limited oxygen to improve soil fertility and plant growth is gained attention worldwide. The application of biochar to soil is considered to mitigate climate change by increasing carbon storage in soils, improve fertility of degraded soils, plant growth and development, increase fertilizer efficiency, and suppress soil pathogens. In addition, soil amendment with biochar increased soil biological activity, such as microbial biomass and enzyme activities. There are also several reports on the improved plant stress tolerance to drought by biochar application. Biochar-type materials have been also suggested as inoculant carriers and will remain stable in the soil and thus may positively influence abundance of the inoculant organisms such as rhizobia, or plant growth promoting rhizobacteria. Efforts to better understand the role of biochar-based biofertilizers in nutrient uptake and plant response to environmental stress is more compelling now, since a continuous use of high amounts of chemical inputs are generating environmental problems and not sustainability.
Key words: biochar, biofertilizers, crops, abiotic stress, food security