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BIOCHAR

BIOCHAR

Today, our lands have been stripped of nutrients and are in need of restoration. Biochar is a type of carbon substance created through Biopower’s modern production process of pyrolysis, which is burning biomass at high temperatures in an oxygen free environment leaving the carbonized renewable organic as the waste product of the process. But its definitely not waste. BioPower’s biochar improves soil fertility, increases the soil’s capacity to hold water, nutrients and binds contaminates. It also increases soil aeration, allowing for better oxygen levels in the soil. This promotes better root growth and plant health, resulting in increased crop yields. Additionally, biochar has been found to increase the availability of essential nutrients for plants, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Biochar has a number of applications like home and gardening, residential and commercial landscaping, plant and tree nurseries, agriculture and forestry. Biochar carbon has some excellent properties as follows:

Great Host Environment

It is a soil amendment that serves as a great host environment for the natural microbes in the soil. The rich, black carbon in Biochar alters soil’s physical structure to provide an ideal habitat for the beneficial microbes, thereby enhancing microbial life, and provides a secure habitat for microorganisms and fungi. Certain fungi form a symbiotic relationship with plant root fibers and this allows for greater nutrient uptake by plants.

Improves Plant’s Drought Tolerance

Biochar’s immense surface area and complex pore structure (a single gram can have roughly 366+ meters of surface area), which improves aeration and permeability which allows oxygen to the root zone of plants and trees. Because of biochar’s physical pore structure, it has a unique ability for attracting and holding moisture, and various nutrients. This reduces the watering needs for plants by 70-80% because it holds water at 80% of its weight boosting drought tolerance.

Stimulates Plant Growth

Biochar recovers the minerals plants take out of the ground, stimulating plant growth, sustains long-lasting fertility. Because of biochar’s physical and chemical nature, it has a unique ability for attracting and holding moisture and nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients tend to run-off regular soils, upsetting ecosystems’ delicate balance in streams and riparian areas. Biochar binds the nutrients and contaminants helping to balance delicate ecosystems.

Reduces Fertilizer Needs

Biochar has a high pH of 10-11, thereby raising the soil pH, reducing soil acidity and decreasing liming needs. Because biochar attracts and holds soil nutrients, it reduces fertilizer requirements, something common organic matter cannot do. As a result, fertilization costs are minimized and fertilizer (organic or chemical) is retained in the soil far longer.

Carbon Sequestration

Biochar also holds gasses: recent research has proven biochar infused soils reduce carbon dioxide(CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 50-80%. N2O is a significant greenhouse gas, 300 times more potent than CO2. When biochar is used CO2 and N2O is reduced in the air by sequestering the carbon into the ground where it should stay and enrich the soil for years to come;

Persistency In Soil

It is stable (1-2% volatiles) in the soil and does not get consumed continuing to do its work year after year. It is undisputed that biochar is more persistent than any other form of organic matter commonly applied to soil. Because of biochar’s long-term persistence in soil, all the associated benefits of nutrient retention, water retention and overall soil fertility are longer lasting than with common fertilizers alone. Biochar, comparatively inert, doesn’t break down like other organic soil amendments and resists chemical and microbial degradation, especially when buried.

Red Oak & Poplar Trees

Red Oak and Poplar trees after 7 months growth using biochar. Left: 40 tons/acre biochar. Middle: No biochar. Right: 10 tons/acre biochar.
The same Red Oak and Poplar trees after 17 months of growth. Picture taken from the other end of tree rows. 10 tons/acre (L) 0 tons/acre (M) 40 tons/acre (R). Tallest trees in the 40 tons/acre (right) are 18-20 feet.
Professor David Bransby from Auburn University took the following data after 19 months from the original planting. A single average tree from each treatment was harvested at a height of about 12 inches from the soil. Stem height and basal diameter were measured. Each tree was then separated into main stem, side branches and leaves which were weighed wet and sub-sampled. Sub-samples were weighed wet and placed in an oven at 100C to dry for determination of moisture content. Area of ten leaves of different sizes was also measured using a 1-inch grid, then weighed wet and placed in the oven to dry. Linear regression analysis was conducted to develop the relationship between leaf weight and wet weight of leaves. The resultant equation was used to estimate total leaf area for each tree.

Sample trees from left to right of 40, 10 and 0 ton/acre biochar.

Measurement Treatment

Height: Left 21 ft 11 in. Middle 15 ft 11 in. Right 13 ft 2 in

Stem Diameter: L 2.2 in. M 2.0 in. R 1.2 in

Primary stem wet weight: L 8.5 lb. M 6.0 lb R 1.5 lb

Side branch wet weight: L2.5 lb. M 1.5 lb. R 0.5 lb.

Leaf wet weight: L4.5 lb. M 2.25 lb. R 1.5 lb.

Total plant wet weight; L 15.5 lb. M 9.75 lb. R 3.5 lb.

Leaf area: L 110 ft2 M 55 ft2 R 37 ft2

Sample trees from left to right of 40, 10 and 0 ton/acre biochar.

Measurement Treatment

Height: Left 21 ft 11 in. Middle 15 ft 11 in. Right 13 ft 2 in

Stem Diameter: L 2.2 in. M 2.0 in. R 1.2 in

Primary stem wet weight: L 8.5 lb. M 6.0 lb R 1.5 lb

Side branch wet weight: L2.5 lb. M 1.5 lb. R 0.5 lb.

Leaf wet weight: L4.5 lb. M 2.25 lb. R 1.5 lb.

Total plant wet weight; L 15.5 lb. M 9.75 lb. R 3.5 lb.

Leaf area: L 110 ft2 M 55 ft2 R 37 ft2

Soil samples taken after 19 months from the region of the trees:

Soil samples: Left->Right: 0,10,40 tons/acre biochar.

 

Various test have had amazing results using biochar as follows:

 

Eggplants typically get about 12-15 Eggplant pods per year. With Biochar they got 100+ per year.

 

Tomatoes usually produce 18-20 pieces of fruit per year, With Biochar each plant grew five times as much fruit as the ones without Biochar.

 

Biochar increased Hops yields by 400%+.

A study from a potato farm in Australia by professors from New South Wales, Nanjing  Agricultural University, and University of Newcastle examining a matrix of mixes  showed an optimized mix using biochar to replace 20% of the normal fertilizer used. At  $1000/tonne for the biochar this reduced the cost of the total fertilizer mix and resulted in  a 49% increased yield of potatoes over the straight fertilizer utilization. The link to that  study is:

http://www.biochar-international.org/profile_Potates_in_Aust.

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