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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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