In this study, three-year field observations were carried out on use of coal char (CC) and biochar (BC) as soil amendments in unirrigated semiarid rangeland soil to study their effects on soil health, crop yield and nutrient holding capacity.
Soil degradation due to loss of soil organic carbon is a serious concern in semiarid agroecosystems. Agricultural use of CC has the potential to put the coal back into the ground as a stable carbon, which is expected to improve soil properties and increase agricultural productivity, and turning coal into CC for soil amendment instead of burning coal at power plants could reduce atmospheric CO2 while continuing to utilize the vast natural resource.