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Biochar OverviewBiochar is defined simply as charcoal that is used for agricultural purposes. It it
created using a pyrolysis process, heating biomass in a low oxygen
environment. Once the pyrolysis reaction has begun, it is self-sustaining,
requiring no outside energy input. Byproducts of the process include syngas
(H2 + CO), minor quantities of methane (CH4), tars, organic acids and excess
heat.
Once it is produced, biochar is spread on
agricultural fields and incorporated into the top
layer of soil. Biochar has many agricultural
benefits. It increases crop yields, sometimes
substantially if the soil is in poor condition. It helps
to prevent fertilizer runoff and leeching, allowing
the use of less fertilizers and diminishing
agricultural pollution to the surrounding
environment. And it retains moisture, helping
plants through periods of drought more easily.Most importantly, it replenishes exhausted or
marginal soils with organic carbon and fosters the
growth of soil microbes essential for nutrient absorption, particularly
mycorrhizal fungi.
Studies have indicated that the carbon in biochar remains stable for millenia,
providing a simple, sustainable means to sequester historic carbon emissions
that is technologically feasible in developed or developing countries alike. The
syngas and excess heat can be used directly or employed to produce a variety
of biofuels.
When biochar is created from biomass, approximately 50% of the carbon that
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Biochar with NPK fertilizer compared to plain soil.
Biochar with NPK fertilizer compared to NPK fertilizer alone.
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Biochar without fertilizer compared with plain soil.
Biochar only compared with NPK fertilizer only.
Similar effects are seen in a variety of soils and locations throughout the world.
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Marco Bernasconi of DESA, acting as a human measuring stick, inspects a cornfield that
demonstrates the effect of biochar on soil fertility. In the photo above, the section without
biochar is in the middle, and the sections with biochar are visible to the left and right.
Marco Bernasconi in the section with biochar. The difference is evident.
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A test plot created by Kanso Technos of Japan comparing growth rates between plain soil, NPK
fertilizer, and biochar plus NPK.
Here is a test plot created by Saffe, located in Hangzhou, China.
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Another test plot created by the SHIFT project, a German-Brazilian joint research project.
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