[enviro-vlc] News: Biochar Boosts Agriculture, Cuts Carbon

[Vern Weitzel]

An observation could be that swidden agriculture really IS better.

Subject: 	News: Biochar Boosts Agriculture, Cuts Carbon
Date: 	Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:35:12 -0700
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http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Black_Gold_Agriculture_May_Revolutionize_Farming_Curb_Global_Warming_999.html

*Black Gold Agriculture May Revolutionize Farming, Curb Global Warming

*Illustration Omitted:
        Applying raw organic materials to soil only provides a temporary
solution, since the applied organic matter decomposes quickly.
Converting this unutilized raw material into biochar, a non-toxic and
stable fertilizer, could keep carbon in the soil and out of the atmosphere

by Staff Writers
New Orleans LO (SPX) Apr 14, 2008

Fifteen hundred years ago, tribes people from the central Amazon basin
mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark.
Today, at the site of this charcoal deposit, scientists have found some
of the richest, most fertile soil in the world. Now this ancient,
remarkably simple farming technique seems far ahead of the curve,
holding promise as a carbon-negative strategy to rein in world hunger as
well as greenhouse gases.

At the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society,
scientists report that charcoal derived from heated biomass has an
unprecedented ability to improve the fertility of soil - one that
surpasses compost, animal manure, and other well-known soil conditioners.

They also suggest that this so-called "biochar" profoundly enhances the
natural carbon seizing ability of soil. Dubbed "black gold agriculture,"
scientists say this "revolutionary" farming technique can provide a
cheap, straight-forward strategy to reduce greenhouse gases by trapping
them in charcoal-laced soil.

"Charcoal fertilization can permanently increase soil organic matter
content and improve soil quality, persisting in soil for hundreds to
thousands of years," Mingxin Guo, Ph.D., and colleagues report. In what
they describe as a "new and pioneering" ACS report - the first
systematic investigation of soil improvement by charcoal fertilization -
Guo found that soils receiving charcoal produced from organic wastes
were much looser, absorbed significantly more water and nutrients and
produced higher crop biomass.

The authors, with Delaware State University, say "the results
demonstrate that charcoal amendment is a revolutionary approach for
long-term soil quality improvement."

Soil deterioration from depletion of organic matter is an increasingly
serious global problem that contributes to hunger and malnutrition.
Often a result of unsustainable farming, overuse of chemical fertilizers
and drought, the main weapons to combat the problem -compost, animal
manure and crop debris - decompose rapidly.

"Earth's soil is the largest terrestrial pool of carbon," Guo said. "In
other words, most of the earth's carbon is fixed in soil." But if this
soil is intensively cultivated by tillage and chemical fertilization,
organic matter in soil will be quickly decomposed into carbon dioxide by
soil microbes and released into the atmosphere, leaving the soil
compacted and nutrient-poor.

Applying raw organic materials to soil only provides a temporary
solution, since the applied organic matter decomposes quickly.
Converting this unutilized raw material into biochar, a non-toxic and
stable fertilizer, could keep carbon in the soil and out of the
atmosphere, says Guo.

"Speaking in terms of fertility and productivity, the soil quality will
be improved. It is a long-term effect. After you apply it once, it will
be there for hundreds of years," according to Guo. With its porous
structure and high nutrient- and water-holding capabilities, biochar
could become an extremely attractive option for commercial farmers and
home gardeners looking for long-term soil improvement.

The researchers planted winter wheat in pots of soil in a greenhouse.
Some pots were amended with two percent biochar, generated from readily
available ingredients like tree leaves, corn stalk and wood chips. The
other pots contained ordinary soil.

The biochar-infused soil showed vastly improved germination and growing
rates compared to regular soil. Guo says that even a one-percent
charcoal treatment would lead to improved crop yield.

Guo is "positive" that this ground-breaking farming technique can help
feed countries with poor soil quality. "We hope this technology will be
extended worldwide," says Guo.

"The production of current arable land could be significantly improved
to provide more food and fiber for the growing populations. We want to
call it the second agricultural revolution, or black gold revolution!"

He suggests that charcoal production has been practiced for at least
3000 years. But until now, nobody realized that this charcoal could
improve soil fertility until archaeologists stumbled on the
aforementioned Amazonian soil several years ago.

Biochar production is straightforward, involving a heating process known
as pyrolysis. First, organic residue such as tree leaves and wood chips
is packed into a metal container and sealed. Then, through a small hole
on top, the container is heated and the material burns. The raw organic
matter is transformed into black charcoal. Smokes generated during
pyrolysis can also be collected and cooled down to form bio-oil, a
renewable energy source, says Guo.

In lieu of patenting biochar, Guo says he is most interested in
extending the technology into practice as soon as possible. To that end,
his colleagues at Delaware State University are investigating a
standardized production procedure for biochar. They also foresee
long-term field studies are needed to validate and demonstrate the
technology.

Guo noted that downsides of biochar include transportation costs
resulting from its bulk mass and a need to develop new tools to spread
the granular fertilizer over large tracts of farmland.

The researchers are about to embark on a five-year study on the effect
of "black gold" on spinach, green peppers, tomatoes and other crops.
They seek the long-term effects of biochar fertilization on soil carbon
changes, crop productivity and its effect of the soil microorganism
community.

"Through this long-term work, we will show to people that biochar
fertilization will significantly change our current conventional farming
concepts," says Guo.

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