Taking it to The Heat: Fire to Food

Taking it to The Heat: Fire to Food

Biochar would be made from wood waste for the agricultural industry A pilot project to utilize biochar technology in a regional context and help the agricultural industry is being put forward by Wildsight. The Fire to Food project would be a circular...

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What is Biochar?

What is Biochar?

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance produced by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes (like wood chips, crop residues, or manure) under low-oxygen conditions. This process, known as pyrolysis, cooks the organic matter at high...

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Biochar Can Improve Soil Health While Capturing Carbon

Biochar Can Improve Soil Health While Capturing Carbon

Biochar is often overlooked as a means of sequestering carbon, but it is effective and inexpensive compared to many techno-fixes. Millions of tons of organic waste from agriculture and forestry operations are left to rot or get burned each year. Either...

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This Eco-friendly Concrete Uses Biochar

This Eco-friendly Concrete Uses Biochar

The biochar was able to suck up to 23 percent of its weight in carbon dioxide from the air. Washington State University (WSU) researchers have engineered a carbon-negative, environmentally friendly concrete that is nearly as strong as regular concrete by...

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Study Shows Benefits of Biochar Application

Study Shows Benefits of Biochar Application

“I saw biochar in action and it blew me away. When you see white beach sand that is now capable of producing food because it’s a functioning soil, it doesn’t take long to be convinced.” A study done by Saskatchewan Polytech on soil reclamation involving...

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Is Carbon the ‘Crop’ of the Future?

Is Carbon the ‘Crop’ of the Future?

There is a growing interest in “carbon farming” among forward-looking agricultural producers in the United States. Ideas range from promoting on-farm practices such as conservation tilling and livestock rotation to establishing USDA-managed “carbon banks” to facilitate the buying and selling of agricultural carbon credits.

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Effect of Biochar on Microbial Community Composition and Enzymatic Activity

Effect of Biochar on Microbial Community Composition and Enzymatic Activity

Biochar offers several benefits as a soil amendment, including increased soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and water-holding capacity in nutrient-poor soils. In this study, soil samples with and without biochar additives were collected for two consecutive years from an experimental field plot to examine its effect on the microbial community structure and functions in sandy soils under peach-trees.

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Biochar Helps Hold Water, Saves Money

Biochar Helps Hold Water, Saves Money

Biochar’s benefits for the long-term sequestration of carbon and nitrogen on American farms are clear, but new research from Rice University shows it can help farmers save money on irrigation as well. The study showed that sandy soil, in particular, gains ability to retain more water when amended with biochar.

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How Soil Carbon Can Help Tackle Climate Change

How Soil Carbon Can Help Tackle Climate Change

Maintaining soil organic matter is critical to tackling climate change because soil organic matter is rich in carbon. Soil carbon is also the keystone element controlling soil health, which enables soils to be resilient as droughts and intense rainfall events increasingly occur.

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Biochar Makes Concrete Stronger and More Watertight

Biochar Makes Concrete Stronger and More Watertight

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a novel new method to recycle wood waste [as biochar] by incorporating it into cement and mortar mixtures, making the resulting materials both stronger and more watertight.

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