Biochar: Biomass Charcoal for Soil improvement

Biochar, a powerfully circular way to fight climate change

Biochar technology is a form of charcoal. It is made through a process called pyrolysis which involves burning of biomass in an oven with little or no oxygen. What you get out of it is solid material which then is added into soil. Under the right circumstances, biochar provides a unique opportunity to sequester carbon and improve soil quality by using locally sourced resources, and even a single application can provide benefits for years

This technology is pre-validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Problem

Poor soil fertility and health
High greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices
Low crop yields and agricultural productivity
Ineffective management of agricultural waste
Dependence on traditional, environmentally harmful fertilizers
Soil erosion and nutrient leaching
Unsustainable land use practices
Limited contributions to climate change mitigation efforts

Solution

Turning agricultural residues into biochar reduces the need for farmers to burn residues, while also creating a valuable soil amendment that can improve soil, reduce water usage, lower methane emissions, and save on input costs for expensive and polluting chemical fertilizers. Biochar fertilizer can:

Reduce the money you spend on NPK fertilizer when used on the long run;
Reduce the money you spend on pesticides;
Increase your crop yields;
Improve your soil; and
Increase your soil’s ability to hold water.
Moderate your soil acidity
Increase water retention
Increase number of beneficial soil microbes

Key points to design your project

The biochar technology has the potential to contribute to improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers, especially women, through increased soil fertility, farm productivity, energy efficiency, improved health and supports climate resilience while promoting sustainable land use practices.

To integrate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and prerequisites:

Understand the correlation between feedstock types, production methods, and desired biochar properties.
Acquire suitable pyrolysis or gasification machinery, arrange site construction, and provide staff training.
Market the biochar to farmers and agricultural cooperatives, emphasizing the benefits of enhanced soil fertility and carbon sequestration.

Allocate resources for comprehensive training and ongoing support during project implementation.

Collaborate with manufacturers of pyrolysis and gasification equipment to obtain the necessary machinery. Regarding cost, small-scale systems processing 500 kg/hr are commercially available in Nigeria (Kano State: +2347066787854).

Considering the technology's availability in Nigeria country, factor in delivery costs for the equipment.

Partner with agricultural development institutions and local cooperatives to facilitate the widespread adoption of the biochar technology.

305 USD

For 500 Kg capacity

5—10 Tones

Recommended Biochar quantity for 1 hectare

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 15: life on land

For more effectiveness and rapid activation,

Mix biochar with organic manure or compost and incorporate it into the soil during land preparation.
Frequency of application: Due to its gradual process in decomposing in soil, single applications of biochar can provide beneficial effects over several growing seasons in the field.
Therefore, biochar does not need to be applied with each crop, as is usually the case for manures, compost, and synthetic fertilizers.

Biochar is great stuff but it can be dangerous to you and your crops. Therefore, Keep your biochar wet – the tiny particles can get in your lungs and cause cancer
Never put biochar in your soil immediately after making it.

Biochar is very powerful if you use too much you risk:
• Locking up the nitrogen in your soil
• Locking up any chemical fertilizers you are using
• Locking up any pesticides and herbicides you are using

Materials and Equipment

Drum
Duct tube
Ignition cone
Feed stalk (e.g., rice husk, wood, shavings or other crop residues)
Ignition material
Water
Nylon/leather
Rope

Rice Husk Biochar Production Procedure

Feed the ignition material into the ignition cone
Insert the cone into the drum
Fill the drum with the feed stalk
Ignite the material inside the cone
Insert the duct tube into the ignition cone and confirm the smoke is escaping through the pipe
After 3-4 hrs stir the rice husk with the formed biochar
Fill the drum with the rice husk to the brim
After 1-2 hrs wet the duct tube with water and remove
Shut the air/oxygen by covering the drum with leather
Leave it in this condition until the next day
The biochar is ready to be activated with compost or compost tea