Biochar from fruit crops waste and its potential impact on fruit crops

Climate change is expected with the ever rising human population on the planet earth. The different anthropogenic activities have resulted in increased levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs), higher temperatures, aberrant precipitation patterns, and other climate changes, calling for advanced restitution techniques. Renewable energy sources have gained momentum over the past few years under changing climatic scenarios coupled with demand for energy supply. Fruit peels, shells, wood, and leaves are the abundant waste materials associated with fruit production, representing a potential bio-resource to be transformed into valuable materials called biochar. Fruit crops are mainly known for their nutraceutical properties, but on the other hand, the nutrient deficiencies in fruit plants influence sustainable fruit production. Biochar production and their applications may offer a new concept to meet this challenge. The current status of knowledge on biochar production from fruit crop waste material and its application to the fruit production system has been reviewed in this article. Benefits include fruit productivity and quality through their positive effects on different plant traits. The role of biochar in improvement of the soil physico-chemical properties has also been described via understanding the mechanisms of soil microbes and their interactions in fruit orchards.