Biochar Resources
Biochar is the carbonaceous solid product of biomass pyrolysis which can be used as chemical feedstock for various purposes such as energy production, and adsorption of pollutants. In particular, application of biochar to the soil is gaining greater interests, which can reduce fertilizer consumption, increase crop yields, and sequestrate carbon.
-- Lee, Yongwoon. Asian and Pacific Council, Food & Fertilizer Technology Center
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Key Resource01-06-2013 Rick Burnette wrote an article for Issue 7(July 2010) of ECHO Asia Notes, titled “Charcoal Production in 200-Liter Horizontal Drum Kilns.” My article takes the charring process a step further by exploring the rapidly re-emerging world of biochar. Biochar is a form of charcoal, produced through...
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Key Resource05-02-2016 Until recently, firewood was taken for granted in northern Thailand. With vast forests full of many types of trees, upland households could afford to be choosy concerning the wood they used for cooking. However, in recent years, more and more communities are facing restricted access to forest...
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This quick video demonstrates loading and lighting a Biochar TLUD (Top Lit UpDraft) system. This video was captured at the ECHO Asia Small Farm Resource Center on 22 October 2021
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01-04-2011 Biochar - An Organic House for Soil Microbes Preparation of Modified Mat Nurseries cd3wd: A Digital Treasure Trove
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15-05-2013 Sustainable Decentralized Water Treatment for Rural and Developing Communities Using Locally Generated Biochar Adsorbents An Introduction to Bokashi Fertilizers and Soil Amendments
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15-12-2013 Running a Diesel Engine on Biogas Research Note: Creating an Optimum Potting Mixture for Resource-Constrained Growers
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Brad Ward at ECHO Fort Myers, Florida talks about the process of making biochar. Produced by : Robert Fulop Published on Jan 18, 2015
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Brad Ward at ECHO Fort Myers, Florida talks about the process of making biochar. Produced by : Robert Fulop Published on Jan 18, 2015
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 37. One of the great challenges of sustainable agriculture is the sourcing of adequate and affordable organic (carbon based) resources that can be used on-farm for the production of food and feed. Utilizing composts, manures, mulches, and other organic inputs...
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The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) was formed in July 2006 at a side meeting held at the World Soil Science Congress (WSSC) in Philadelphia, PA. At the 2006 meeting, individuals and representatives from academic institutions, commercial ventures, investment bankers, non-governmental...
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 35. Dr. Michael Shafer is a retired Professor of Political Science from Rutgers University in the USA who founded the Warm Heart Foundation in 2008. After first learning about biochar at an ECHO conference in 2013, Warm Heart began to design and test improved...
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01-11-2017 Can biochar replace perlite in seedling mix? Perlite is light weight, sterile, porous, increases drainage, improves aeration, and helps to keep soil unsaturated and un-compacted. Bio-Char is light-weight, sterile, porous, and holds water without getting saturated, giving it the potential to...
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 35. One of the best things that you can do to complete your sustainable farm or garden is to balance it with a small livestock unit. Livestock integration is fundamental #10 in my book Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics. If you read ECHO Asia Notes,...
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note #19 In a tropical setting, growing seedlings can be a difficult task. A major factor of concern for nursery production is water-logging (Zhu, 2007). During the rainy season, oversaturated soils can effectively suffocate root systems of a seedling by restricting...
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20-07-2010 Dan Hemenway wrote to us after reading EDN 106. “By the way, one reason why charred rice hulls may work well in potting mixes is that any form of charcoal improves the capacity of soil to hold nutrients and release them to plants.
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note #7 Editor: Due to the length of this article, only a portion isincluded in ECHO Asia Notes. The full article, includingillustrated steps related to the assembly of 200- liter drumkilns as well as charcoal and wood vinegar production, canbe accessed via the web...
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20-04-2004 Terra preta is very productive soil with long-lasting fertility—unusual in the tropics, where most soils are very weathered, highly acidic, and low in organic matter and essential nutrients. The key to terra preta soils long-term fertility seems to be charcoal; terra preta contains up to 70 times...
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note #17 Contamination of drinking water sources by harmful synthetic organic compounds (SOCs), such as pesticides, is a major worldwide problem. Pesticide pollution appears twice in the top ten of The World’s Worst Toxic Pollution Problems Report 2011 by the...
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Key Resource23-07-2015 Climate change will have a huge impact on the world’s poorest people. Crop yields have already gone down in the tropics and are projected to drop by 15-30% by 2080 in Africa, South Asia, and Central America (Hoffman 2013). Some countries could reach a 50% loss of agricultural productivity; in...
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This article is from ECHO Asia Note #16 During the 2012 ECHO Agriculture Workshop in Yangon, 63 attendees representing at least 25 agriculture and community development organizations from across Myanmar were polled about their observations and opinions related to climate change. The vast majority...
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Akvofoundation Demonstration on how to make charcoal briquettes, by Amy Smith of D-Lab, MIT (http://web.mit.edu/d-lab/). For more information, please contact charcoal@mit.edu. The charcoal is made from agricultural waste materials using an oil drum. In this case maize stalks were used. The...
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17-11-2016 Dr. Roy Beckford presented findings from a research project that investigated an intervention strategy. The first goal was to determine the practicability of rebuilding soil horizons on eroded parent soils using blends of biochar and compost to create anthroposols, through a process called ‘...
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Dr. Roy Beckford presented findings from a research project that investigated an intervention strategy. The first goal was to determine the practicability of rebuilding soil horizons on eroded parent soils using blends of biochar and compost to create anthroposols, through a process called ‘...
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05-10-2017 This workshop will explore biochar and how Warm Heart has been researching, experimenting, creating, and promoting biochar in northern Thailand and some of the lessons learned through the years.
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09-02-2017
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Toxic synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and pharmaceutical residues are a major threat to drinking water safety worldwide. Unfortunately, major international water development initiatives focus exclusively on microbial pathogens (the most immediate threat to health) while neglecting...
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ABSTRACT, FFTC In Japan charcoal has been used for a long time as environmental improver, soil improver in a firm, water purification material and odor adsorbent. It was reported that biochar has proliferation effect of symbiosis microorganisms such as root nodule bacteria and mycorrhiza in farm...
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Informal technical mailing lists for organized around the following bioenergy topics: Clean Cooking Stoves Biomass Gasification Biochar Anaeorobic Digestion Green Building Strawbale Building Systems Originally, these email lists were hosted at CREST (the Center for Renewable and Sustainable...
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06-10-2015
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23-05-2017 An introduction to biochar What it is What it does How to use it!
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23-05-2017 An introduction on how to make biochar.
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20-12-2010
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09-02-2017
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The Biochar for Sustainable Soils (B4SS) is a medium-sized project funded by theGlobal Environment Facility(GEF) under the Land Degradation Focal Area in the GEF-5 Strategies. The United Nations Development Programme (UNEP) is the implementing agency, whereasStarfish Initiativesis the executing...
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02-02-2016 In this talk Boonsong presents two appropriate techniques for sustainable land use: foundations for farming (a method of conservation agriculture) and gasifier stoves (which help produce biochar that can be used as a soil amendment). Boonsong gives step-by-step principles and methods for each.
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Biochar is the carbonaceous solid product of biomass pyrolysis which can be used as chemical feedstock for various purposes such as energy production, and adsorption of pollutants. In particular, application of biochar to the soil is gaining greater interests, which can reduce fertilizer...
- Abstract,Applied Soil Ecology, 2019 Soils account for >80% and 20% of the total agricultural N2O and CO2emissions respectively. Soil management activities that target improved soil health, such as enhancing earthworm activity, may also stimulate further emissions of CO2and N2O. One recommended...
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The circular economy offers an unparalleled opportunity. It’s good for the economy, good for society and good for the planet. Supporting the transition would save lives and create employment, accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and reducing the tension between lifting...
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We seek to spark innovative research to find economically and environmentally responsible uses for biochar. We seek to bring scientific content to life in a manner that inspires academics and non-specialists alike. Although we use certain elements common to scientific publications such as peer...
- Abstract, Soil Science of America Journal, 2017 Biochar is considered to be a potential soil amendment. However, its implications for soil physical and hydraulic properties have not been widely discussed. Changes in the soil physical environment influence the numerous services that soils provide....
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Abstract, Applied Sciences, 2019 When it comes to the use of biochar in agriculture, the majority of research conducted in the last decade has focused on its application as a soil amendment and for soil remediation. This treatment improves soil quality, increases crops yields, and sequestrates...
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Warm Heart Worldwide Published on Feb 25, 2016 warmheartworldwide.org In this video we show you how to make a basic Top Lit Up Draft Biochar Machine. Warm Heart have been teaching hundreds of farmers in the Northern Thailand how to make these machines in order to help reduce the smoke produced in...
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Warm Heart Worldwide Published on Jan 20, 2017 We've conducted a series of interviews with the farmers who tested biochar in their rice field. Here are their thoughts about biochar.
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13-11-2018 The presentation will provide an overview of biochar production and urine diversion technologies. Particular attention will be given to recent developments and related issues. Following the overview the discussion will focus on the potential urine-related uses of biochar. Dr. Barry Gutwein Dr....
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13-02-2019 Session: The productivity of garden land depends on soil fertility, water and climate. Compost is an excellent resource to increase water holding capacity in the first place and to provide nutrients to the soil. Recent trends have introduced other techniques and key words for organic farming...
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01-10-2019 Dr. Shafer will talk about his successes organizing profitable small farmer biochar social enterprises and also his newest project to create very low-cost field-to-market cold store systems that allow farmers to grow delicate, high value crops and get them to market in good shape. He uses a...
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The Ithaka Institute is an international open source network for carbon strategies. It is a non-profit research foundation with the Headquarter in Europe having independent offices in the USA, Nepal and Australia. In the last decade, Ithaka became a leading research collaboration for carbon...
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20-01-2018 This collection aims to provide a reference for policy makers and practitioners working in areas related to bioenergy in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This encompasses those in the energy, agriculture, forestry, environment, finance and business sectors, among others, who are searching for...
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Biochar research, although still in its infancy, has generated much interest as a soil amendment due to its potential for increased soil fertility, water holding capacity, greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration. The relatively low entry barrier to biochar manufacturing has resulted in...
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Abstract,Acta Hortic. 1207, 2018 Biochar (the solid, carbon-rich co-product of biomass pyrolysis), in addition to carbon sequestration, soil amelioration and improvement of plant performance, can significantly reduce the severity of foliar and soil-borne diseases in various crops. Nevertheless,...
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Project Drawdown definesbiocharas: a biosequestration process for converting biomass to long-lived charcoal (and energy) which can be used as a soil amendment. This solution provides an alternative to disposing of unused biomass through burning or decomposition. Biochar is a carbon-rich, highly...
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Abstract, Acta Horticulturae, 2019 This study examined the feasibility of using biochar in soilless substrates as a substitute for mineral components and as an additive to buffer peat acidity and increase cation exchange capacity. Two different substrates were studied: a control mix composed of...
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Abstract,Acta Hortic. 1112, 2016 Addition of highly porous biochar to agricultural soil may improve the availability of water to plants. A fully randomised greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the effect of adding biochar (at a rate of 0, 1 and 2% w/w; equivalent to 0, 10 and 25 t ha-1to...
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20-10-2011
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Biomass Magazine, 2019 Biochar is one of the products produced from thermochemical conversion (TC), the baking of organic material using little or no oxygen. TC can, depending on the particular technology used, also generate heat, electricity, bio-oil and wood vinegar. It is increasingly viewed...
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Using the MEVMS value chain research and presentation strategy describedhere, this paper provides a rapid summary of the Fruit, Lumber, and Charcoal value chains in rural Haiti. The research is based on literature review, focus groups and a 405 household survey in the Grand Anse conducted in...
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20-06-2019 Biochar and wood vinegar are emerging technologies with numerous applications in agriculture and environmental remediation1 . Advocates and early adopters of these products are well versed in their positive attributes. Biochar, for example, has been shown generally to increase crop yields in...
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The alternative to digging a pit is to stack the wood above the ground and cover the stack with earth. This method is also very old and is widely used in many countries. One finds many variations of the basic method. Studies have been made in some countries to optimise the design. The Swedish...
- 17-09-2021
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01-09-2021 [Editor’s Note: There are many biochar burner designs currently in existence, intended for various scales and end uses in mind. This particular design has becomea favorite of the ECHO Asia farm staff, for its ability to produce larger quantities of pyrolyzed material and wood vinegar at the same...
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The technique of using charcoal to improve the fertility of soils originated in the Amazon basin at least 2500 years ago. The native Indians of the region would create charcoal, mix it with organic matter and broken pottery, and incorporate it in small plots of land from 1 - 80 hectares in size....
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Biochar has been found naturally occurring in soils around the world as a long-term stable component of soil organic matter. Using the most common testing method for measuring organic matter, loss on ignition, biochar is impossible to differentiate from other forms of organic matter. Furthermore,...
- The UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC) is based at the University of Edinburgh, School of GeoSciences, on the science campus at King's Buildings. We are undertaking disciplinary and interdisciplinary research on: Biochar production and analysis of energy rich co-products The diverse potential...
- IBIproduces publications for public use in order to get quality biochar information available on a widespread basis.You are welcome to download any of the resources for your use. Biochar Book: Biochar for Environmental Management IBI Research Summaries and Information Papers Guidelines and...