Received: 2018-02-08 | Accepted: 2018-02-21 | Available online: 2018-03-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2018.21.01.11-19 Soil structure and organic matter are important indicators of soil quality. In the literature it states that there is a linear relation between soil structure and the organic matter. Mechanisms of formation and stabilization of aggregates have also been described in the literature, but it is evident that not every mechanism is applicable to various soil-climatic conditions. Recently, the modern but not the new term has become a biochar. It is anticipated that biochar is a significant source of C, and its application to the soil will improve the aggregation process in the soil. Lately we have been working in this area and we wanted to provide an overview of this issue through this review. The aim of this review was to collate and synthesize available information on soil structure and SOM. The emphasis of this review is on biochar and its combination with other organic and mineral fertilizers in relation to soil structure. Keywords: biochar, soil organic matter, aggregation, aggregate stability References ABEL, S. et al. (2013) Impact of biochar and hydrochar addition on water retention and water repellency of sandy soil. In Geoderma., vol. 202–203, pp. 183–191. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.03.003 ABROL, V. et al. (2016) Biochar effects on soil water infiltration and erosion under seal formation conditions: rainfall simulation experiment. In Journal of Soil and Sediments, vol. 16, pp. 2709– 2719. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1448-8 AGEGNEHU, G. et al. (2016) Benefits of biochar, compost and biochar-compost for soil quality, maize yield and greenhouse gas emission in a tropical agricultural soil. In Science on The Total Environment, vol. 543, pp. 295–306. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.scitoenv.2015.11.054 AHMAD, M. et al. (2014) Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: A review. In Chemosphere, vol. 99, pp. 19–33. DOI: https://doi.org/j.chemosphere.2013.10.071 AJAYI, A. E. and HORN, R. (2016) Modification of chemical and hydrophysical properties of two texturally differentiated soils due to varying magnitudes of added biochar. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 164, pp. 34–44. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.still.2016.01.011 ANNABI, M et al. (2007) Soil aggregate stability improvement with urban compost of different maturities. In American Society of Agronomy, vol. 71, pp. 413–423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2136/ sssaj2006.0161 ASAI, H. et al. (2009) Biochar amendment techniques for umpand rice production in Northern Leos: 1. Soil physical properties, leaf SPAD and grain yield. In Field Crop Research, vol. 111., pp. 81–84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.for.2008.10.008 BALL, B. C. and MUKHOLM, L. J. (2015) Visual soil evaluation: Releasing potential crop production with minimum environmental impact. In USA: CABI, Walingford, 2015. 172 p. ISBN 978780644707 BIEDERMAN, L. A. and HARPOLE, W. S. (2013) Biochar and its effect on plant productivity and nutrient cycling: A Metaanalysis. In Bioenergy, vol. 5, pp. 202–214. DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.1111/gcbb.12037 BOIX-FAYOS, C. et al. (2001) Influence soil properties on the aggregation of some Mediterranean soils and the use of aggregate size and stability as land degradation indicators. In Catena, vol. 44, pp. 47–67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/ S0341-8162(00)00176-4 BRODOWSKI, S. et al. (2006) Aggregate – occluded black carbon in soil. In European Journal of Soil Science, vol. 57, pp. 539– 546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2006.00807.x BRONICK, C. J. and LAL, R. (2005) Soil structure and management: a review. In Geoderma., vol. 124, pp. 3–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10,1016/j. geoderma.2004.03.005 BUTMAN, D. E. et al. (2015) Increased mobilization of aged carbon to rivers by human disturbance. In Nature Geoscience, vol. 8, pp. 112–116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hgeo2322 CONTE, P. (2014) Biochar, soil fertility, and environment. In Biology and Fertility of Soils, vol. 50, pp. 1175–1175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S00374 CORNELISSEN, G. et al. (2013) Biochar effect on maize yeld and soil characteristics in five conservation farming sites in Zambia. In Agronomy, vol. 3, pp. 256–274. DOI: https://doi. org/10.3390/agronomy3020256 DEAL, CH. et al. (2012) Comparison of klin-derived and gasiefier-derived biochars as soil amendmets in the humid tropics. In Biomass and Bioenergy, vol. 37, pp. 161–168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j biombie. 2011.12.017 DEXTER, A. R. (1988) Advances in characterization of soil structure. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 11, pp. 199–238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-1987(88)90002-5 EDWARDS, A. P. and BREMNER, J. M. (1967) Microaggregates in soils. In European Journal of Soil Science, vol. 18, pp. 64–73. EVANGELOU, M. et al. (2014) Soil application of biochar produced from biomass grown on trace element contamined land. In Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 146, pp. 100–106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envman.2014.07.046 FENG, X. (2005) Chemical and mineralogical control on humic acid sorption to clay mineral surfaces. In Organic Geochemistry, vol. 36, pp. 1553–1566. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/org.geochem.2005.06.006 FISCHER, D. and GLASER, B. (2012) Synergisms between compost and biochar for sustainable. In KUMAR, Š. Managment of organic waste. In Tech China, 198 p. ISBN 978-953-307-925-7. GOLCHIN, A. et al. (1997) The effects of vegetation and burning on the chemical composition of soil organic matter in a volcanic ash soil as shown by 13CNMR spectroscopy. I. Whole soil and humic acid fraction. In Geoderma, vol. 76, pp. 155–174. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(96)00104-8 GREEN REPORT (2014). Green Report for 2013. Bratislava: Národné poľnohospodárske a potravinárke centrum, 2014. 65 s. ISBN 978.80-8058-597-6. GROSBELLET, G. et al. (2011) Improvement of soil structure formation by degradation of coarse organic matter. In Geoderma, vol. 162, pp. 27–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. geoderma.2011.01.003 GROSSMAN, J. M. et al. (2010) Amazonian anthrosols support similar microbial communities that differ distinetly from those extant in adjucent, unmodifield soils of the same mineralogy. In Microbial Ecology, vol. 60, pp. 192–205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S00248-010-989-3 GUILLOU, C et al. (2012) Linking microbial community to soil water-stable aggregation during crop residue decomposition. In Soil Biolog and Biochemistry, vol. 50, pp. 120–133. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.soil/bio.2012.03.009 HANSEN, V. et al. (2017) The effects of straw or strawderived gasification biochar applications on soil quality and crop productivity. A farm case study. In Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 186, pp. 88–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jenvman.2016.10.041 HAYNES, R. J. and NAIDU, R. (1998) Influence of lime, fertilizer and applications on soil organic matter content and soil physical condition: a review. In Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, vol. 51, pp. 123–137. HEARTH, H. M. S. K. et al. (2013) Effect of biochar on soil physical properties in two contrasting soils: An Alfisol and Andisol. In Geoderma, vol. 209–210, pp. 188–197. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma. 2013.06.016 H ELFRICH, M. et al. (2008) Effect of litter quality and soil fungi on macroaggregate dynamics and associated partitationig of litter carbon and nitrogen. In Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 40, pp. 1823–1834. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.03.006 HORÁK, J. (2015) Testing biochar as a possible way to ameliorate slightly acidic soil at the research field located in the Danubian Lowland. In Acta Horticulturae et Regiotecturae, vol. 18, pp. 20 – 24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ahr-2015-0005 HORÁK, J. and ŠIMANSKÝ, V. (2016) Effect of biochar and biochar combined with N-fertilizer on soil organic content. In Agriculture, vol. 62, pp. 155–158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ agri-2016-0016 HORÁK, J. and ŠIMANSKÝ, V. (2017) Effect of biochar on soil CO2 production. In Acta fytochenica et zootechnica, vol. 20, pp. 72–77. HORÁK, J. et al. (2017) Biochar and biochar with N fertilizer affect soil N2O emission in Halpic Luvisol . In Biologia, vol. 72, pp. 995–1001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2017-0109 HU, F. et al. (2015) Particles infiltration forces and their effects on soil aggregates breakdown. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 147, pp. 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.014.11.006 HUANG, B. et al. (2007) Temporal and spatial variability of soil organic matter and total nitrogen in an agricultural ecosystem as affected by farming practices. In Geoderma, vol. 139, pp. 336–345. DOI: https://doi.org/j.geoderma.2007.02.012 HUSSIAN, M. et al. (2016) Biochar for crop production: potential benefits and risks. In Journal of Soils and Sediments, vol. 17, pp. 685–716. DOI: https://doi.org/10,1007/ s11368-016-1360-2 CHAN, K. Y. et al. (2007) Agronomic values of green waste biochar as a soil amendment. In Australian Journal of Soil Research, vol. 45, pp. 629–634. CHAN, K. Y. et al. (2008) Using poultry litter biochars as soil amendments . In Australian Journal of Soil Research, vol. 46, pp. 437–444. DOI: https//doi.org/10.1016/10.1071/SK08036 CHENU, C. and COSENTINO, D. (2011) Microbial regulation of soil structural Dynamics. In RITZ, K. and YOUNG, I. The architecture and biology of soils: Life in innorspace. In CABI, Waling ford, Oxfordshire 0X108DE, UK, 2011, 244 p. ISBN-978-1-84593-531-0. INYANG, M. I. et al. (2016) A review of biochar as a low – cost absorbent for aqueous heavy metals removal. In Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 46, pp. 406–433. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1080/10643389. 2015.109880 JANKOWSKI, M. (2013) Gleby ochrowe. Pozycja w krajobrazie, właściwości, geneza i miejsce w systematice. Wydawnictwo naukowe universytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, 2013. 128 p. ISBN 978-83-231-3033-8. JIEN, S. H. and WANG, CH. S. (2013) Effects of biochar on soil properties and erosial potencial in a higly weathered soil. In Catena, vol. 110, pp. 225–233. DOI: https://doi.org/10,1016/j. catena.2013.06.021 JOSEPH, S. et al. (2013) Shifting paradingms: development of high – efficiency biochar fertilizers based on nano-structures and soluble components. In Carbon Management, vol. 4, pp. 323–343. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.4155/emt.13.23 JOZEFACIUK, G. and CZACHOR, H. (2014) Impact of organic matter, iron oxides, aluminia, silica and drying on mechanical and water stability of artificial soil aggregates. Assesment of new method to study water stability. In Geoderma, vol. 221–222, pp. 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.01.020 KARAMI, N. et al. (2011) Efficiency of green waste compost and biochar soil amendments for reducing lead and copper mobility and uptake to ryegrass. In Journal of Hazardous Material, vol. 191, pp. 41–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jhazmat.2011.04.025 KAY, B. and ANGERS, A. (2001) Soil structure. In SUMNER, M. E. Handbook of Soil Science. In CRP Press Boca Raton, Florida, FL, USA, 2001. 400p. ISBN 9781420041651 KEILUWEIT, M. et al. (2010) Dynamic molecular structure of plant biomass-dirived black carbon (biochar). In Environ. Csi. Technol., vol. 44, pp. 1247–1253. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ e69031419 KHORAMDEL, S. et al. (2013) Evaluation of carbon sequestration potential in corn field with different management systems. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 133, pp. 25–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still. 2013.04.008 KOOKANA, R. S. et al. (2011) Chaper three – Biochar application to soil: Agronomic and environmental benefits and unitended consequences. In Agronomy, vol. 112, pp. 103–143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385538-1-00003-2 LAGHARI, M, et al. (2015) Effects of biochar application rate on sandy desert soil properties and sorghum growth. In Catena, vol. 135, pp. 313, 320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. catena.2015.08.013 LAIRD, D. et al. (2010) Biochar impact on nutrient leachting from a Midwestern agricultural soil. In Geoderma, vol. 158, pp. 436–442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.05.012 LEHMANN, J. and JOSEPH, S. (2009) Biochar for environmental management. Science, technology and implementation. New York: Routledge, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abirgdon, 2009. 907 p. ISBN 978-1-84407-658-1. LEHMANN, J. et al. (2011) Biochar effects on soil biota – A review. In Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 43, pp. 1812– 1836. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.04.022 LI, G. and FAN, H. (2014) Effect of freze-thaw on water stability of aggregates in a black soil of northest China. In Pedosphere, vol. 24, pp. 285–290. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/ S1002-0160(14)60015-1 LI, Y. et al. (2012) In situ preparation of biochar coated silica material from rice husk. In Colloids and Surfaces, vol. 395, pp. 157–160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2011.12.023 LIMA, I. and MARSHALL, W. (2005) Utilization of tenkey manure as granular activated carbon: Physical, chemical and adsorptive properties. In Waste Management, vol. 25, pp. 726– 732. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2004.12.019 LIN, Y. et al. (2012) Water extractable organic carbon is untreated and chemical treated biochars. In Chemosphere, vol. 17, pp. 151–157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chemosphere.2011.12.007 LIU, Y. et al. (2011) Reducing CH4 and CO2 emission from water logged paddy soil with biochar. In Journal of Soils and Sediments, vol. 11, pp. 930–939. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11368-011-0376-x LIU, Z. et al. (2017) Biochar particle size, shape, and porosity act together to influence soil water properties. In Plos one, vol. 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179079 MA, N. et al. (2015) Biochar improves soil aggregate stability and water availability in a Mollisol after three years of field application. In Pedoshere, vol. 25, pp. 713–719. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/S1002-0160(15) 30052-7 MUKHERJEE, A. and LAL, R. (2013) Biochar impacts on soil physical properties and greenhouse gas emissions. In Agronomy, vol. 3, pp. 313–339. DOI: https://doi.10.3390/agronomy3020313 MUKHERJEE, A. et al. (2014) Effects of biochar and other amendments on the physical properties and greenhouse gas emissions of an artificially degraded soil. In Science of The Total Environment, vol. 487, pp. 26–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. scitotenv.2014.03.141 MUKHOLM, L. J. et al. (2002) Tensile strength of soil cores in relation to aggregation strength, soil fragmentation and pore characteristic. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 64, pp. 125–135. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-1987(01)00250-1 MUKOME, F. N. D. et al. (2013) The effects of walnut shell and wood feedstock biochar amendments on greenhouse gas emission from a fertile soil. In Geoderma, vol. 200–201, pp. 90– 98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.02.004 NEIRA, J. et al. (2015) Oxygen diffusion in soils: Understanding the factors and process needed for modeling. In Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 75. DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.4067/S0718-583920150003000005 NORTHON, J. B. et al. (2012) Loss and recovery of soil organic carbon and nitrogen in a semiarid agroecosystem. In Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., vol. 76, pp. 505–514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.213/ sssaj.2011.0284 NOVAK, J. M. et al. (2012) Biochar impact on soil-moisture storage in an Ultisol nad two Aridisols. In Soil Science, vol. 177, pp. 310–320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/SS.0b013e31824e5593 OADES, J. M. and WATERS, A. G. (1991) Aggregate hierarchy in soil. In Australian Journal of Soil Research, vol. 29, pp. 815–828. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9910815 OBIA, A. et al. (2016) In situ effects of biochar on aggregation, water retention and porosity in light-textured tropical soils. In Soil and Tillage Research, vol. 155, pp. 35–44. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.still.2015.08.002 OLESZCZUK, P. et al. (2014) Microbial, biochemical and ecotoxicological evaluation of soils in the area of biochar production in relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content. In Geoderma, vol. 213, pp. 502–511. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.08.027 ORAM, N, J. et al. (2014) Soil amendment witch biochar increases the competetive ability of legumes via increased potassium availability. In Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 191, pp. 92–98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. agee.2014.03.031 PARADELO, R. et al. (2013) Water-dispersible clay in bare fallow soil after 80 years of continuos fertilizer addition. In Geoderma, vol. 200–201, pp. 40–44. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.01.014 PICCOLO, A. and MBAGWO, J. S. C. (1999) Role of hydrophobic components of soil organic matter in soil aggregate stability. In American Society of Agronomy, vol. 63, pp. 1801–1810. DOI: https://doi. org/10.2136/sssaj/1999. 9361801x PIETIKAINEN, J. et al. (2000) Does short-term heating of forest humus change its properties os a substrate for microbes? In Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 32, pp. 277–288. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(99)00164-9 POLLÁKOVÁ, N. et al. (2017) The influence of soil organic matter fractions on aggregates stabilization in agricultural and forest soil of selected Slovak and Czech hilly lands. In Journal of Soil Sediments, vol. 13, pp. 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11368-017-1842-x PROVENZANO, M. R. et al. (2014) Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of organic matter during the anaerobic digestion and successive composting of pig slurry. In Waste Management, vol. 34, pp. 653–660. DOI: https://doi. org/10.1016/j.wasman.2013.12.001 RAHMAN, M. T. et al. (2017) The roles of organic amendments and microbial community in the improvement of soil structure of a Vertisol. In Applied Soil Ecology, vol. 111, pp. 84–93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.11.018 RAJKOVICH, S. et al. (2012) Corn growth and nitrogen nutrition after additions of biochars with varying properties to a temperature soil. In Biology and Fertility of Soil, vol. 48, pp. 271–284. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S00374-011-0624-7 SANTOS, D. et al. (1997) Uniform separatis of concentric surface layers from soil aggregates. In Soil Science of America Journal Abstract, vol. 61, pp. 720–724. STEFANIUK, M. and OLESTCZUK, P. (2015) Characterization of biochars produced from from production. In Journal of and Applied vol. pp. DOI: N. (1999) Comparison of soil carbon to by in different farming in In in The vol. pp. ŠIMANSKÝ, V. et al. (2017) Biochar and biochar with N fertilizer as a potential for soil sorption of In Journal of Soil and Sediments, pp. 1–9. DOI: https:// ŠIMANSKÝ, V. (2016) Effects of biochar and biochar with nitrogen on soil organic matter and soil structure in In Acta et zootechnica, vol. pp. DOI: ŠIMANSKÝ, V. (2017) the of years for an evaluation of in soil organic carbon under a of different soil management In in Soil Science and vol. 48, DOI: https:// ŠIMANSKÝ, V. and D. (2014) of soil aggregates and their ability of carbon In Soil and Water vol. pp. ŠIMANSKÝ, V. and POLLÁKOVÁ, N. (2014) Soil organic matter and sorption under different soil management in a In of and Soil Science, vol. pp. DOI: ŠIMANSKÝ, V. and POLLÁKOVÁ, N. (2016) The effects of soil management on soil organic matter a in the area In Agriculture, vol. 61, pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ ŠIMANSKÝ, V. et al. (2013) The effect of organic matter on aggregation under different soil management in a in an humid In Catena, vol. pp. DOI: ŠIMANSKÝ, V. et al. (2016) of biochar and biochar with nitrogen improve the of soil organic matter and soil In Biologia, vol. pp. DOI: ŠIMANSKÝ, V. et al. Carbon sequestration in aggregates under biochar and biochar with nitrogen In Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 3, pp. A. R. et al. (2015) Biochar production from temperature in composition and surface In Journal of and Applied vol. pp. DOI: https://doi. WANG, K. and B. (2005) and sorption characteristics of humid acid on clay In American Society of Agronomy, vol. pp. DOI: E. et al. (2009) soil productivity through biochar amendments to soil. In Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 3, pp. A. et al. (2010) Effect of biochar amendment on yield and and emission from rice paddy from China. In Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, vol. 139, pp. DOI: https://doi. A. et al. (2015) Effect of properties on the biochar characteristic. In Journal of and Applied vol. 112, pp. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. L. et al. (2010) Effects of biochar from of waste on and soil In and Soil, vol. pp. DOI: https://
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Juriga et al. (2018) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: