this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)

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CDR is removal of CO2 from the atmosphere - an essential basket of technologies for achieving UN IPCC best outcomes to mitigate climate change. This is a community for discussing advances and issues of CDR.

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Moss on Biochar (postimg.cc)
submitted 2 years ago by Treevan@aussie.zone to c/cdr@slrpnk.net
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Not strictly on topic but it is biochar and there is a plant on it. It's bamboo biochar as well.

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[โ€“] CadeJohnson@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think you are right that the making of biochar vs charcoal is all about the maker's intent. But I would not rest easy until I know the biochar is committed to the destination for which I intended it. I lived in the Dominican Republis for a while, and it would have been a very bad idea to leave chunks of biochar lying on the ground! They would have been quickly "found" by the local poor Haitian farm workers and put to their traditional use - cooking.

I am doing some experiments right now with making and eventually growing with biochar. The US Forest service says biochar can be added to woodland soil at a rate of about 270 tonnes per hectare - any idea how that works out, or what mix rate range might be good for adding biochar to garden soil. My plan is to try a range of ratios and characterize my soil by sand:silt:clay proportion - I guess clayey soils might benefit from a higher proportion of biochar.

[โ€“] Treevan@aussie.zone 2 points 2 years ago

From memory, sand prefers it more.

I cheated and used an AI for the answer. A scholarly search will find you some studies:

Sandy soil tends to benefit more from biochar application compared to clay soil. Biochar is a form of ground charcoal that is added to soil to improve its properties. Here are some key findings from the search results:

  1. Biochar increases water-holding capacity in sandy soil[1].
  2. Sandy soils respond more positively to biochar than clayey soils[5].
  3. Biochar improves the physical properties of sandy soil[3].
  4. Biochar application increases soil moisture retention in well-drained sandy soils[2].
  5. Biochar can improve root growth and increase water retention in sandy subsoil[1].

It is important to note that while biochar can enhance the water-holding capacity of sandy soil, its effects may vary depending on factors such as the type of biochar used and the amount applied. Additionally, biochar can also improve the physical quality and hydrological properties of sandy soil[3][4].

In summary, sandy soil generally benefits from biochar application as it helps improve water retention and overall soil quality.

Citations: [1] https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/4/407 [2] https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP823.pdf [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016706116302762 [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0341816222002673 [5] https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.2136/sssaj2017.01.0017 [6] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140924160534.htm