What’s its use biochar? Also, what exactly are we talking about? Do not worry if you have any doubts about this material, because it is still quite new and it is normal that you do not know it.
But I assure you that as soon as you discover all of its benefits, you will understand why it has been given the treatment of “black gold” and it is increasingly used in agriculture and gardening. It is a great ally for your plants, your garden and the environment!
What is biochar?
The first thing that must be clear is that we are talking about a charcoal. And a charcoal of vegetable origin is that which is obtained by incomplete combustion of wood or other organic bodies.
You could say that biochar is an evolution within vegetable carbons, because it is obtained by the pyrolysis of organic materials which include remnants of manure pruning. Many leftovers from the agriculture, livestock and forestry sector, which are no longer applicable, can now be used to create this charcoal.
Thanks to pyrolysis, we transform all these “remains” in a coal highly appreciated throughout the world for its important properties both for the soil and for the environment.
If you are wondering about pyrolysis, in order not to get too complicated, it is enough for us to know that it is a process that uses heat to chemically break down organic matter. A high temperature, together with the absence of oxygen, manages to modify the physical and chemical state of products of organic origin.
If you are considering the possibility of making homemade biochar, I advise you to forget the idea. because pyrolysis requires temperatures between 350 and 700º C.
Biochar: an ally in the fight against climate change
The fact that this organic carbon is gaining popularity is mainly due to its ability to sequester carbon.
Plants naturally perform a function of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But deforestation, combined with the fact that polluting emissions are very high in the world, prevents plants from helping us to clean up our environment. And that’s where biochar comes in.
It turns out that the charcoal obtained by pyrolysis has a great potential for carbon absorption. It retains harmful substances present in the environment and prevents them from returning. If the biochar is used as a fertilizer, at the end biosequestration occurs. Which means carbon dioxide is absorbed by natural ecosystems, giving rise to new trees and plants that will generate clean oxygen.
Uses of biochar in agriculture and gardening
The intensive agriculture that man must develop to feed the entire population is depleting soil nutrients.
In recent decades, harvests in many parts of the world have declined in volume. This is due to factors such as lack of water, but also because the soil does not provide the crops with all the nutrients they need to grow well.
One of the reasons there is so much excitement around biochar is that it has been shown to have some great fertilizing properties.
Added to the soil where it is to be grown, it brings fertility and improves the capacity of this medium to sequester carbon. I mean, what are we going to have? more abundant harvests while leaving the atmosphere a little cleaner.
Thanks to its porous structure and its large surface, it becomes the ideal habitat for beneficial microorganisms for crops. In other words, this charcoal manages to improve the quality of the soil and thus improves the quality and quantity of crops.
As if all that weren’t enough, biochar has something else going for it, which is that it’s cheaper than other fertilizers and it’s not toxic. Thanks to this, we have managed to reduce the costs associated with agricultural production and, at the same time, we guarantee food safety.
At a more domestic level, by incorporating biochar into the soil we use for our plants, we can make them much stronger and more beautiful, without resorting to classic liquid fertilizers that do not always give good results.
Benefits of biochar
- Improves the quality of acid soils.
- Maintains soil fertility, retaining nutrients and helping the proliferation of microorganisms beneficial to crops.
- It can be used for composting.
- It is a solution for contaminated soils.
- It has a great ability to sequester carbon.
- It’s economical.
- For those who are engaged in agriculture, the sale of waste from their activity to make this charcoal becomes an alternative source of income.
Disadvantages of biochar
Although it has a lot of good things about it, biochar, or rather its large-scale production, has some downsides that are worth considering.
High cost of production
Pyrolysis is a process that requires specialized equipment in order to be realized. The acquisition of this type of machinery has a high cost which is not always viable for producers.
Environmental impact
The raw material for making this charcoal is biomass (forest and agricultural residues). If there is none before good management of biomass sourcesthis can have negative consequences on the environment.
Greenhouse emissions
Biochar helps absorb carbon dioxide, but before that time comes, it is also responsible for emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane which are produced during the pyrolysis phase necessary to obtain it.
Consumption of logistics resources
A biochar factory cannot be installed in the middle of a city, since we have already seen that it can be polluting. To the disadvantages, we must therefore add the economic cost that its logistics to bring it to the points of saleand also the carbon footprint that it generates.
Afterwards, biochar yes or no? Everything seems to indicate that its advantages outweigh its disadvantages. Although there is still much to study and analyze concerning this product, it appears today as a great ally for agriculture and in the fight against climate change. Keep his name, because you will surely hear from him in the future. And you, what is your opinion on this product? I await your comments on it!