Two lettuce seedlings: the one grown in biochar compost is on the right
In an experiment at home, I compared the germination and growth rates of lettuce seedlings planted in either a biochar mix or in a conventional peat-based ‘John Innes’ seed compost. Although the germination rates and the speed of growth of the leaves of the seedlings were slightly better in the John Innes seed compost, root formation was extraordinarily enhanced by the use of biochar. Good roots improve the future growth of plants because they enable faster take up of water and nutrients.
Biochar is the carbon-rich residue after any organic matter has been strongly heated in the absence of oxygen. Most charcoal is made to be burnt as a cooking fuel, but biochar is manufactured to added to local soils. In depleted tropical earths biochar seems to add to fertility, reduce the need for fertiliser and improve water retention. Because biochar is highly chemically stable, these hugely beneficial effects may persist for long periods. Research results in fields throughout the world suggest that biochar may be an extremely useful addition to the top metre of soil.
In addition, biochar permanently, or semi-permanently, stores carbon which would otherwise have been transferred to the atmosphere in the form of CO2 or methane. Biochar may offer us the opportunity to make a significant reduction in the rate of growth of atmospheric greenhouse gases. If it helps agricultural productivity in countries with good soils and high rainfall as well as in depleted tropical soils, we can expect biochar to be extensively used around the world.
Research method.
I placed single lettuce seeds (Quatro Stagioni variety – a red leaved Italian lettuce) in forty small pots of about 20ml size. In twenty pots I used commercial John Innes compost bought from a large garden centre. The compost is peat-based with added artificial fertiliser. The other twenty I filled with seed compost from Carbon Gold, Craig Sams’s new biochar venture. The Carbon Gold mixture appears to use coir (from coconut husks) mixed with biochar and inoculated with beneficial micro-fungi.
Results from the experiment
The seeds were planted in mid March and the little pots were kept well watered in a sheltered outdoor location. Fifteen of the seeds grown in biochar germinated and eighteen in the conventional mixture. Growth rates were slightly faster in the John Innes, which probably contains added artificial fertiliser (NPK, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). The higher germination rates in John Innes probably arise because the compost constituents are very largely geared towards ensuring that the seed is closely surrounded by soil particles and is able to access water.
The John Innes compost required significantly more water in periods of drought. Coir and biochar kept its moisture very much more effectively. This is also an unsurprising result because seed compost is generally extremely friable because the soil particle size is so small and sand-like. Coir is much better at retaining water within its fibrous structure.
In late April, I took the seedlings out of the pots. The roots of the lettuces grown in biochar were very much larger and better established. The photographs are of two small plants of approximately the same total leaf area. (This may not be apparent from the photograph). The roots of the seedling grown in biochar are thicker, white rather than grey and very much longer in length. The average root thickness is at least twice as great as the seedlings grown in John Innes. The plants grown in biochar will be able to make very much faster progress in the soil. Now transferred to a plot on my allotment which was treated with large amounts of home-produced biochar last year, the seedlings from both sources are making slow progress because of the very low temperatures in early May. Under a fleece, the plants germinated in biochar seed compost are nevertheless growing more rapidly.
Disclosure. I was sent the biochar compost by Carbon Gold in response to my request. I was not asked to pay for the compost.
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Hi Chris, great to see another biochar post and such clear results too. I haven’t done a controlled test like yours, but my experience of having loaded up some of my vegetable beds with large amounts of biochar are similar (good strong root growth).
I’m not convinced that it has increased fertility per se, as we have also added rock dust and lots of home produced compost, but the roots grow strongly, often right through bigger chunks of char. My soil is clay on chalk and the biochar appears to be doing good things to the soil structure.
You say you added “large amounts” of home produced biochar. I’ve also produced large amounts – mostly by burning hedge trimmings, garden prunings, odd bits of tree etc… generally woody stuff as all the greens go in the compost heap. What method did you use to make it? I tried using drums and retorts for a while but found the volume and processing needed to cut bits small enough probitive. In the end we had open bonfires and shovelled the embers into a large metal bin full of water. I don’t have volumes or weights to back it up, but I’d suggest I was able to make more biochar from one bonfire using this method than I had produced from all my previous, technological, attempts put together! The char produced was also more friable, more completely charred and easier to spread on the beds.
keep us updated!
Mike
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To me, in the long run, the final arbiter / accountancy / measure of sustainability will be
soil carbon content. Once this royal road is constructed, traffic cops ( Carbon Board ) in place, the truth of land-management and Biochar systems will be self-evident.A dream I’ve had for years is to base the coming carbon economy firmly on the foundation of top soils. My read of the agronomic history of civilization shows that the Kayopo Amazon Indians and the Egyptians were the only ones to maintain fertility for the long haul, millennium scales. Egypt has now forsaken their geologic advantage by building the Aswan dam, and are stuck, with the rest of us, in the soil C mining, NPK rat race to the bottom. The meta-analysis of Syn-N and soil Carbon content show our dilemma;
http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/36/6/1821
and
http://jeq.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/38/6/2295The Ag Soil Carbon standard is in final review by the AMS branch at USDA.
Contact Gary Delong . http://www.novecta.com 515-334-7305 office
Read over the work so far;
http://www.novecta.com/documents/Carbon-Standard.pdfIn my efforts to have Biochar’s potential included, I have recruited several to join the list, briefed the entire committee about char when issues concerning N2O & CH4 soil GHG emissions were raised, fully briefed a couple of the 50 members when they replied individually to my “Reply all” briefs. The members cover the full spectrum of Ag interest.
With the Obama administration funding an inter-departmental climate effort of NASA, NOAA, USDA, & EPA, and now even the CIA is opening the data coffers, then soil carbon sensors may be less than 5 years away. I’m told by the Jet Propulsion Lab mission specialists responsible for the suite of earth sensing satellites, that they will be reading soil carbon using multiple proxy measurements in 5 years. Reading soil moisture to 3 foot dept in two year with SMAP, Reading GHG emissions and biomass from the tree tops down next year when the Orbital Carbon Observer (OCO, get it:) is rebooted, to 1 Ha resolution and don’t even ask about the various spectrometric; lasers, UV, IR, lidars, temperature sensors, interferometry etc.
Then, any farmer can click “Google Carbon maps” to see the soil carbon accounted to his good work, a level playing field to be a soil sink banker.
The Moon Pie in the sky funding should be served to JPL
Since we have filled the air , filling the seas to full, Soil is the Only Beneficial place left.
Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.Hope to see you at ISU for the 2010 US Biochar Conference
Dr. Robert Brown , and the team in Ames Iowa are planing the next national biochar conference. The Conference will be June 27-30 in Ames Iowa Hosted by Iowa State University.
http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010.htmlWorldStoves ; ( http://www.charcoalproject.org/2010/05/a-man-a-stove-a-mission/ ) and
The Biochar Fund deserves your attention and support.
Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon
http://scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=14&idContribution=3011Research:
This is the finest explanation I have read on the process of biochar testing. Hugh lays it out like medical triage to extract the data most needed for soil carbon sequestration. A triage for all levels of competence, the Para-Medic Gardener to the Surgeon Chem-Engineer.
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/Characterizing_BiocharsThe Ozzie’s for 5 years now in field studies
The future of biochar – Project Rainbow Bee Eater
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20090211-20142.htmlPhosphorous Solution;
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/nishioThe Japanese have been at it dacades:
Japan Biochar Association ;
http://www.geocities.jp/yasizato/pioneer.htmUK Biochar Research Centre
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/sccs/biochar/ICHAR, the Italian Biochar Association
http://www.ichar.org/Virginia Tech is in their 4 th year with the Carbon Char Group’s “CharGrow” formulated bagged product. An idea whose time has come | Carbon Char Group
The 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 – 5 cups (2 – 5%) “CharGrow” per cubic foot of growing medium. http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performanceUSDA in their 2 nd year; “Novak, Jeff” , & “david laird” ,
There are dozens soil researchers on the subject now at USDA-ARS.
and many studies at The ASA-CSSA-SSSA joint meeting;
http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Session5675.htmlNikolaus has been at it 4 years. Nikolaus Foidl,
His current work with aspirin is Amazing in Maize, 250% yield gains, 15 cobs per plant;
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/content/trials-maize-reactivating-dormant-genes-using-high-doses-salicylic-acid-and-charcoalMy 09 field trials with the Rodale Institute & JMU ;
Alterna Biocarbon and Cowboy Charcoal Virginia field trials ’09
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/node/1408Thanks for your efforts.
Erich -
All political persuasions agree, building soil carbon is GOOD.
To Hard bitten Farmers, wary of carbon regulations that only increase their costs, Building soil carbon is a savory bone, to do well while doing good.Biochar provides the tool powerful enough to cover Farming’s carbon foot print while lowering cost simultaneously.
Agriculture allowed our cultural accent and Agriculture will now prevent our descent.
Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back our soil carbon,
Biochar allows the soil food web to build much more recalcitrant organic carbon, ( living biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the carbon in the biochar.Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth, TP), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration (= to 1 Ton CO2e) + Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels = to 1MWh exported electricity, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.
Biochar viewed as soil Infrastructure; The old saw;
“Feed the Soil Not the Plants” becomes;
“Feed, Cloth and House the Soil, utilities included !”.
Free Carbon Condominiums with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar.
Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come.
Microbes like to sit down when they eat.
By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders & Kingdoms of life.This is what I try to get across to Farmers, as to how I feel about the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of penitence and thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the Soil Sink Bankers, once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all the way to it.
Unlike CCS which only reduces emissions, biochar systems draw down CO2 every energy cycle, closing a circle back to support the soil food web. The photosynthetic “capture” collectors are up and running, the “storage” sink is in operation just under our feet. Pyrolysis conversion plants are the only infrastructure we need to build out.Another significant aspect of low cost Biomass cook stoves that produce char is removal of BC aerosols and no respiratory disease emissions. At Scale, replacing “Three Stone” stoves the health benefits would equal eradication of Malaria
The Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF).recently funded The Biochar Fund $300K for these systems citing these priorities;
(1) Hunger amongst the world’s poorest people, the subsistence farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa,
(2) Deforestation resulting from a reliance on slash-and-burn farming,
(3) Energy poverty and a lack of access to clean, renewable energy, and
(4) Climate change. -
What is with the massive cut-and-paste comment? You’ve spammed this all over the web in the past few weeks (google knows all).
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