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Page 4 of 4 Biochar: Way to healthier soilStory and Photos by Brad Buck | The Free Press When you think of charcoal, you think of something that you put under your steak to cook it on a grill. Not always.
Some of the same material found in charcoal can be used to make biochar, and it can ease climate change and improve environmental health, a leading soil scientist says.
Biochar is a charcoallike substance produced through burning — or smoldering — biomass without oxygen, said Dr. Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University. Lehmann spoke at Santa Fe Community College last week to launch the college’s “Let’s Talk Green” series.
Known as Indian black earth, the modern practice of using biochar was inspired by an agricultural method of soil enrichment originally used by farmers in the Amazon between 500 and 7,000 years ago, Lehmann said.
Although the science is emerging, Lehmann suggests that biochar holds considerable promise as a tool to mitigate climate change and improve environmental health.
Carbon-rich soil also could prove promising for sustainability and productivity on modern farms, particularly those that are especially arid, such as in New Mexico, Lehmann said. On the other hand, biochar does not help increase farm productivity in areas with rich soil.
“I always say, if you have a good farm in Iowa, you will see little to no increase” in your crop yield, Lehmann said.
Biochar is a fine-grained charcoal high in organic carbon and largely resistant to decomposition, according to the International Biochar Association’s Web site: www.biochar-international.org.
It is produced from pyrolysis of plant and waste feedstocks. Pyrolysis is a process in which chemicals are changed through heat.
Biochar creates a recalcitrant soil carbon pool. Soil with biochar not only reduces fertilizer requirements but also the climate and environmental impact of crop lands.
Char soils also cut nitrous oxide emissions and reduce runoff of phosphorus into surface waters and leaching of nitrogen into groundwater. Renewable oils and gases co-produced in the pyrolysis process can be used as fuel or fuel feedstocks. Biochar thus offers promise for its soil productivity and climate benefits.
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