In a recent scientometric analysis published in Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy, B.P. Meena, Dinesh K. Yadav, Md Yeasin, and their colleagues shed light on the burgeoning field of biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More application in agriculture. Their comprehensive study, drawing data from the Web of Science database between 2001 and 2021, reveals a significant acceleration in research and development. This surge underscores biochar’s growing recognition as an eco-friendly and cost-effective material for enhancing soil health and addressing the energy crisis in agriculture.

The study identified a total of 4194 publications related to biochar in agriculture from 2001 to 2021. A striking finding is the remarkable increase in scientific output, with annual publications rising from 42 to 882 in 2021. This exponential growth, especially noticeable after 2017, aligns with major climate change summits that intensified focus on sustainable solutions. The authors attribute this increased interest to biochar’s potential as an eco-friendly amendment for soil remediation,a carbon adsorbent, and a tool for mitigating the negative impacts of climate change. Geographically, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) stands as the undisputed leader in biochar research, contributing a substantial 44% of all publications. Following the PRC, the USA accounts for 16% and Australia for 7% of the total publications. This dominance is also reflected in citation metrics, with the PRC garnering the highest total citations (56,034), followed by the USA (35,413) and Australia (21,134). The study highlights strong international collaborations, with China actively partnering with the USA, Australia, and European nations, forming a central hub in the global research network.

Leading institutions also demonstrate a clear geographical concentration. Among the top ten most prolific institutions, seven are from the People’s Republic of China, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences ranking first. This institution alone contributed 418 publications and accumulated 17,206 citations. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is another significant contributor, with 163 publications and 9,602 citations, boasting a high average citation per publication of 58.91. This indicates a strong focus on biochar research within Asian countries, particularly China. In terms of influential authors, Yong Sik Ok from South Korea leads with 84 total publications and 5,479 citations, along with an h-index of 44. Notably, Joseph S. from Japan, while having fewer publications (39), holds the highest average citation per publication (164.54) and a total of 6,417 citations. These authors’ extensive work on biochar preparation and its application as a soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More has significantly impacted the field.

When it comes to publishing venues, Science of the Total Environment emerged as the top journal, publishing 320 papers related to biochar application in agriculture, representing 7.63% of the total. Chemosphere and Environmental Science and Pollution Research followed, indicating the interdisciplinary nature of biochar research. Elsevier and Springer were identified as the most popular publishers in this domain. Funding insights reveal that the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is the predominant funding agency, supporting 1,089 out of 1974 research publications in the field of biochar research. This highlights China’s substantial investment in advancing biochar research. The analysis of highly cited papers shows that early research focused on the molecular structure of biochar and its role in climate change mitigation. For instance, “Dynamic Molecular Structure of Plant Biomass-Derived Black Carbon (Biochar)” by Keiluweit et al. and “Sustainable biochar to mitigate global climate change” by Woolf et al. are among the most cited articles, with 1,722 and 1,276 citations in Web of Science, respectively. Later research expanded to cover soil fertility and ameliorative benefits, with notable contributions from Chan et al. (2007) and Van Zwieten et al.

In conclusion, the scientometric analysis underscores the significant growth and global interest in biochar’s agricultural applications, particularly its potential to improve soil health, enhance crop productivity, and contribute to climate change mitigation. The accelerated research output led by China’s substantial contributions, indicates a promising future for biochar in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: Meena, B.P., Yadav, D.K., Yeasin, M., Shirale, A.O., Gurav, P.P., Shinogi, K.C., Yadav, D., Babu, S., Saha, M., Lenka, S., Sarkar, A., Coumar, M.V., Patel, A., Lal, B., Jha, P., & Behera, S.K. (2025). Emerging research trends on biochar application in agriculture: A scientometric analysis. Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy, 12, 100166.