Biochar Agriculture for Arid and Semi-arid Agricultural Soils
WHAT IS BIOCHAR ? Biochar is a black carbon or charcoal made from biomass—biological, organic materials derived from plants and animals. Biochar is created by heating biomass in an environment that has little or no oxygen a process called pyrolysis. The net effect of pyrolysis is the production of a solid material that has a high concentration of carbon and does not easily break down in the soil. By applying biochar agriculture to the soil, the soil’s carbon content can be increased significantly. This added carbon can persist in the soil for a very long time. One could say that biochar is charcoal for soils. There are some important distinctions between biochar and other materials. Biochar is made from biomass of recent origin. This means that it is made from recent woody or plant waste materials. Some biochars are also made from animal wastes, such as manure and poultry litter. Biochar is not made from coal or coke, which is a carbon-rich product from petroleum refi...
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