On-farm biochar production and practical application in Brazil

The use of biochar, a product resulting from pyrolysis (controlled burning of organic waste) has been suggested as a solution for restoration of degraded soils and increased pasture productivity, improving soil pH, macronutrient content and water retention capacity. In small farms, it can be produced from waste such as coconut shells, branches and pruning trunks, avoiding the burned-out burning that can spread to adjacent vegetation. In addition to food production, its application provides essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, nutrient cycling and soil carbon sequestration. Given these additional benefits from using biochar, producers could benefit from Low Carbon Agriculture (ABC) or Payment for Ecosystem Services (PSA) incentive programs.
Read a study coordinated by IIS Director Agnieska Latawiec, about the and cost- effectiveness of biochar application on degraded pastures: www.iis-rio.org/media/publicat... -Scientific_Reports.pdf

[@sumakwelvictoria5635]

I wear hard soled shoes. Spread it thin on a cement floor and stomp on it carefully. I then sweep it carefully into a dustpan and put in a bucket with water some compost and some biodegradeable material. After a month I pour and mix into soil. If I get lazy, after crushing I just mix into soil. I add kitchen waste and fallen leaf litter every day and mix with a shovel. After a year I spread some all around the house. Oh and resist the temptation to grind to dust. It maddeningly retains water even more. It will easily behave a bit like clay and cause waterlogging.

[@OscarCaicedo]

Exists better forms to make biochar with less co2 emissions, and you can build it with recycle materials.

[@Guarani01]

this doesn't look like biochar, it's simply charcoal. Hi level of CO2 emission.

[@MushInSkull]

So? That CO2 isn't from "fossil fuel" oil, it's from part of the existing natural carbon cycle. If they didn't burn it to make charcoal to turn into biochar, the pruned branches would rot and emit CO2 anyways. Now, what they showed was using the charcoal directly and not inoculating the charcoal with a micro biome like compost. Maybe they did, but from what I've read adding the charcoal directly will pull nutrients out of the soil and away from plants until it "fills up" which could take a long time.