Did you know? Biochar is made from almost any material. Interesting right? That’s one of the unique qualities of biochar. It is an essential solution for the environmental challenges, which we all need to think about and contribute as well.
Let’s walk you through what biochar is, its benefits, a solution for the environment, and some examples.
What Is Biochar?
Before we get into the meat and potatoes of what biochar is, let’s look at what it stands for. Biochar is a substance that looks like charcoal and is made by burning organic materials that come from the wastes of forests and agriculture. This process is called pyrolysis, which converts biochar carbon into biomass to a form that resists decay.
Biochar production starts by burning biomass materials such as wood chips, leaf litter, or dead plants without or very little oxygen. The burning of these materials releases little to no contaminating fumes. The burnt material left behind is biochar which is included in the soil and helps to increase nutrients for biochar plant and is excellent for soil fertility.
Biochar Benefits
- It helps the soil by reducing acidity and increasing the availability of nutrients and jointly it is termed as Biochar soil.
- Biochar also helps with soil fertility as many crops grow irregularly which can affect the soil.
- Biochar is the soil’s best friend because of its vast surface area and complex pore structure; it provides a secure habitat for microorganisms and fungi.
- One of the many uses of biochar is absorption quality as it can absorb odor and unwanted smell.
Biochar is a Solution For a Healthier Planet
Healthy planet leads to a healthy environment and lifestyle. Biochar has a small part towards its contribution. Let’s discuss the process in detail.
Biochar fertilizer helps the environment by reducing gasses that are harmful to the planet, such as methane nitrous oxide; it also helps with providing ecosystem services such as the immobilization of contaminants and mitigation of climate change.
Biochar compost also benefits agricultural purposes as it can boost soil fertility and can withstand natural phenomena such as flooding and droughts as it doesn’t get washed off easily.
Some stats to sum up everything is adding up to 10% of biochar for all the crops all over the planet can help reduce carbon emissions by 29 billion tons. A two-year study on biochar shows that biochar made from wheat straw was grounded up into pellets and kept in the soil 2 millimeters which contained a high level of cadmium. Whopping 45% cadmium was reduced from the soil in just a year due and within 2 years it was reduced to 65%.
The role of biochar in sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change
One of the most significant biochar benefits is that biochar is essentially burned organic matter in the form of charcoal hence the name biochar. It is burned at very high temperatures with no oxygen available; this gives it the potential to contain carbon dioxide. What is sequestering carbon, though?
Biochar production is from organic material known as biomass, and biomass is composed of carbon. Carbon in biomass is trapped by carbon dioxide in the air by plants. Carbon that was once in the air is driven into solid material when biochar is made. Biochar can last very long in the soil, and this process is called a carbon sink.
Biochar products are mostly made out of carbon, around 80% of it; it has a higher storage rate than plants residue, by about 40%. Since biochar itself is made out of carbon with higher stability (around 60%), it resists more decomposition than plant material, which helps with sequestering carbon even more.
Examples of Biochar
There are common biochar products which help in soil fertility and nutrients.
- Urban Waste
Biochar production is an alternative to urban composting of waste. As Biochar compost - Agriculture
Biochar production is from crop residue. That helps to maintain soil pH and soil erosion. - Slash
Slash is the debris that is generated from forest fires. The material left behind can be called biochar.
In conclusion, biochar soil has a lot to offer regarding sustainability; it is nutrient-rich biomass that has economic uses and is environmentally friendly. We hope that concludes and explains everything about biochar. Read more about sustainability here.