What is ‘the best’ biochar?

[@kdccmb]

Excellent analysis of chemical & physical characteristics of biochar. The detailed list of metals & chemical toxins is fabulous info. I'm making my own biochar for my land amendments. I've been delighted to discover this highly useful product to help me have healthier plants while reducing labor & cost of buying treatments that are mass produced. Is was extremely important to learn how to bind up harmful substances in the char so it is no longer bioavailable to my plants. Bonus: the thumbnail gave me a new source as well! Thanks so very much.

[@CarbonConscious]

Before watching the video I will say that the best biochar is homemade biochar from locally available waste biomass.

[@reubenjamesrollon7579]

We produced 11 types of biochar made from various agriculture and forest waste materials. There is one type of biochar in which we considered as the best in terms of nutrient analysis. The total NPK content of that biochar exceeds the nutrient analysis to be considered as organic fertilizer based on the Philippines national standard for organic fertilizer.

[@peterpan420]

Good job 😊

[@colinburton4470]

Fantastic production if Bio char doesn't save the world it will certainly do no harm, and that's not meant to be a"dig" @ a big farmer.

[@michelbisson6645]

Quality of the char, or the quality of the functionality of the char someone expect in the global solution in agriculture...it depend of what people look to acheive...

[@chrisabeyta2411]

Is bio char that is hydrophilic more desirable than hydrophobic? We tested bituminous coals and bio-char (cedar) in a new process for pfas adsorption.

[@htinaungshien6384]

How much to used Biochar. for one hacter the rice field???

[@adamgeorge37]

is bone char the same as what you get in garden stores or is it specifically bone biochar?

[@projectmalus]

the bonemeal in the store is ground up, not char.

[@adamgeorge37]

@@projectmalus thanks for that answer but iv also seen bone char and was wondering if thats the same a bone biochar or like you were saying bone meal.

[@projectmalus]

@@adamgeorge37 Interesting, thanks. I've never seen it but if it says char then...must be char; in any case none of these are bio without the biology part. This is an extra process I think, but easily bought and impregnated by soaking. Effective Microbes (EM) I think they're called. Cheers.

[@adamgeorge37]

@@projectmalus hey i just wanted to let you know that i found it through North Country Organics. when i got mine it was powder but i think they have been trying to produce more granulated fertilizers. Im not sure if that will change which soil types its more effective in.

[@zhuanjifarms5050]

It is ANY char you can get into the ground after crudely charging it.

[@gigabane7357]

what about the other nutrients? surely just burning everything destroys a selection of finite resources? I struggle to see what benefit you get from releasing all of that heat and nutrients up in smoke over just burying the entire tree below the soil?

[@gigabane7357]

To be clear, I do not really have much education, especially on this particular topic, so my questions may seem stupid, but since I am selling my house to buy land to go full nature warden, I need to get my facts in order. My intentions are soil building. I have no interest in any other aspect of biochar as ALL of my energy needs are covered by the sun, both personally and for sale to consumers. I am confident that I can use the pipes from a solar thermal array to make the biochar for me entirely from the heat of the sun with no extra energy, does this seem correct? I can literally select my chosen temps in the pipes from 400-600c I could possibly go higher using more advanced materials, but I do not want to. My power grid is designed to be minimal rare resources, so essentially steel, copper and sand for thermal storage are my main resources and a sand thermal battery at least for my version of parabolic solar thermal is limited to 600C. has anyone tested American Switch grass for it's use yet? Because I understand that particular plant shunts all of its nutrients to the root bulb during winter leaving almost nothing but carbon above ground.

[@Teawisher]

Charcoal can act as a more long term nutrient storage and soil structure improver. It also has insanely high surface area because of a ton of "tiny holes" and can make nice homes for bacteria. Burying a whole tree might not be the best idea as wood like that is so carbon dominant relative to nitrogen and thus it's decomposition can tie up nitrogen which hurts plant growth. Same would be true for raw charcoal too but one should mix it with compost first so it absorbs all kinds of good stuff instead of sucking them from the soil. Burying it with biowaste works too. Trying to get a whole tree mixed with nitrogen rich substances isn't really possible in the same way. Rotting wood on top of the soil is amazing thou and good for fungal growth. But I'm also not a scientist or anything, just a curious person who has been obsessed with nature mimicking gardening for a while. Biochar also seems to be a divisive subject among experts so I don't have super strong opinions about it.

[@NotTellingYou89]

Nothing is destroyed per se, compounds can be broken down into smaller or made into larger compounds, but nothing is actually destroyed. In a clean burn, a large amount of the gas can be distilled out to create wood vinegar among other products. With larger commercial-style installations, the heat is also captured to create power. While a smaller installation might not be as efficient as a larger system, you can still create Biochar which has special qualities that regular wood won't provide. Burying the entire tree below the soil is great, but won't sequester carbon for a long period. If you chip it and mulch it might not last much longer than a year or ten. Biochar is stable for the 100-1000-year range.

[@gigabane7357]

@@NotTellingYou89 Thank you! FYI with whole tree burial, I was thinking hugelkultur and secondary growth options :)

[@NotTellingYou89]

@@gigabane7357 Wood in Hugelkultur (depending on your climate and soil) will only last something around three years. Wood is certainly great to just bury or use as mulch, Biochar just has different physical and and chemical properties and is a more stable form of carbon. I think almost everyone would say you should use them both, rather than one over the other.

[@oldmanfigs]

“Carbon removal through biochar creation ”? Carbon isn’t a pollutant, and never was. This would seem funny if it weren’t so stupid.

[@racebiketuner]

You sound quality stinks like bad compost. Please get a decent microphone and cover large flat surfaces with sound damping material.

[@kdccmb]

Must be your speakers, the sound is fine.

[@jennyfeatherstone3574]

I must have v poor speakers too.

[@racebiketuner]

My speakers are JBL platinum series.

[@michelbisson6645]

as i listen discussions here biochar concept discussed here is not in line at all with bio, as to be bio need to be alive, so biochar is not alive at all and seem the process seem really at its enfancy as far as bio regenerative agriculture is concerned...seem something is missing in this industry now..to be in line with living needs agriculture today ..carbon in this approach is only a component of the global solution few purcent at the maxinium.

[@IowaKeith]

It's only technically "charcoal" when it's first made. It's the inoculation that makes it biochar.

[@michelbisson6645]

agree and adding 10% in compost very interesting effect, the guy in conference talked about pathogen?????trying to create fear, use EM1 an IMO now pathogen...we are in 21st century@@IowaKeith

[@michelbisson6645]

mean no pathogen

[@percival1137]

International Biochar Initiative, huh. Man, people are BORED.

[@elephantbirdlord]

I have a feeling IBI are thinking of how to patent the process of making global warming fighting biochar to please the stakeholders. 🤑

[@Mrbfgray]

Lol. There may be good reason for such advocacy, Amazon jungle results are compelling, however I have excellent soil to start with so apparently less to gain than crap rainforest soils, still I create about 4 heaping wheelbarrows per yr via burn piles.