Biochar in soil: a cleaner, environment-friendly approach to enhance soil fertility

[NimishaTripathi]

Biochar is a product of thermo-chemical pyrolysis of biomass, having tremendous potential to improve soil fertility and remediate heavy metal contamination from soil. After pyrolysis of biomass, the organic matter is broken into a highly stable form of carbon, which renders it to act as a slow release fertilizer and retain moisture and nutrients in soil. Addition of biochar from different organic feed stocks (e.g., wood biomass, coconut husk, poultry waste) into soil improves the physico-chemical and biological properties of soil, leading to enhanced fertility and productivity. Apart from its soil amending properties, biochar has attracted the interest of researchers to explore its carbon sequestration potential in soil. Therefore, the use of biochar as an additive with fertilizers or as a soil amendment may emerge as a cleaner and cost-effective technique ensuring food security and environmental safety. 

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[Raj Shekhar Singh]

thanks for the quick response 

[Sundaram Seshadri]

available in the market

[Raj Shekhar Singh]

Thanks for the information, Dr Sundaram. The bio gels are your patented technology and available in the market.

[Sundaram Seshadri]

Both RHA and RH Biochar are good. RHA is available in plenty from most of the Rice mills. RH Biochar you need to produce or develop certain strategies to produce that. RHA works immediately by ameliorating the soil. Biochar takes little time, but offers a great substrate for soil microbial action. Water Holding capacity goes up tremendously. We have been doing experiments in dry lands along with bio gels to grow crops. 

[Raj Shekhar Singh]

In terms of ecological benefit, which one is better, RHA or RH biochar? 

[Dr. SUBHABRATA PANDA]

RHA (Rice Husk Ash) in ameliorating soil salinity, alkalinity and a...

RHA, a biochar  has a very good buffering capacity in neutralizing both acid and alkaline soils and must have good quality in mitigating soil salinity. As such one can foresee successful application of RHA (Rice husk ash) in amelioration of problem soils like saline, alkali and acid soils without hampering nutritional balance in soil and at the same time improving physical characteristics for aeration, structure, friability, tillage, water holding capacity, etc. towards a good farming in problem soils.