Rethinking Biochar - Technologyt Solutions

Imagine a simple agricultural soil amendment with the ability to double or triple plant yields while at the same time reducing the need for fertilizer. In addition to decreasing nutrient-laden runoff, what if this amazing ingredient could also cut... More

Imagine a simple agricultural soil amendment with the ability to double or triple plant yields while at the same time reducing the need for fertilizer. In addition to decreasing nutrient-laden runoff, what if this amazing ingredient could also cut greenhouse gases on a vast scale? This revolutionary substance exists, and it isn’t high-tech, or even novel—its use can be traced back to preColumbian South America. The ingredient is charcoal, in this context called biochar or agrichar, and if a growing number of scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers, and policy makers prevail, this persistent form of carbon will be finding its way into soils around the world. “Biochar has enormous potential,” says John Mathews at Macquarie University in Australia. “When scaled up, it can take out gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere,” he adds. Agrichar’s benefits flow from two properties, says Cornell University soil scientist Johannes Lehmann. It makes plants grow well and is extremely stable, persis Less