Biochar is one of the important means of ensuring that the soil is fertile again and that the carbon in the atmosphere is reduced. It is a by-product of a cellulosic matter thermal treatment under an / low-oxygenic regime. It’s not an invention that scientists have discovered in recent years, it’s a 2,000-year-old way to turn agricultural waste into an efficient fertilizer that can hold carbon and increase soil biodiversity.
Biochar is very important for the environment
Biochar is formed not only artificially, but also naturally during vegetation fires. Biochar helps to retain water and nutrients in the soil, and since its production is very simple, it is an easily available means of combating the climate crisis worldwide. The biochar contains carbon, which resists degradation very well. Anyone can easily make it by pyrolysis or gasification, which will heat the biomass without the presence of oxygen.
In the production of biochar, sustainable processes can produce by-products from oil and gas. these can subsequently serve as fuel. The combination of the use of biochar as a fertilizer and bioenergy will ensure that the whole system becomes carbon negative.
The study confirms the importance of biochar
“Biochar can draw down carbon from the atmosphere into the soil and store it for hundreds to thousands of years,” says Stephen Joseph, lead author of the paper, and a Visiting Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales Science. “This study also found that biochar helps build organic carbon in soil by up to 20 percent (average 3.8 percent) and can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from the soil by 12 to 50 percent, which increases the climate change mitigation benefits of biochar.”
The findings are supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent Special Report on Climate Change and Land. Report estimate that biochar use could mitigate between 300 million and 660 million tons of carbon dioxide [globally] per year by 2050,” Prof. Joseph explains.
It can boost yields by 10% to 42%, reduce the levels of heavy metals in plant tissues by between 17% and 39%, and increases the bioavailability of phosphorus, a critical nutrient that often acts as a bottleneck for the development of plants.
Biochar supports plant growth
Biochar helps plants to germinate faster. Biochar particles react with the soil and stimulate plant growth. They help draw nutrients to the roots and also help plants withstand the environmental stress caused by toxic metals, diseases, herbicides and more.
In many parts of the planet, barren soil has remained, and with the help of biochar, it is possible to change this soil so that it is fertile and the plants thrive here.
The benefits of biochar need to be demonstrated around the world so that farmers and governments can see that it is an effective yet simple and inexpensive solution to ensure that the soil is fertile. The perfect product for saving the soil and climate is already in the world, now all that is needed is for all people to know about it and understand its importance.
Below you can see how easy the production of biochar is
Source:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/biochar-agriculture-climate-change-246423/
https://biochar-international.org/biochar/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479716304297
