17 Mar Biochar – The Future of Agriculture
बायोचर - कृषि का भविष्य The amount of carbon in the soil is a direct indication of good quality of soil. Higher carbon stocks have a direct correlation with increased agricultural yields through improved soil health. In the current scenario of climate change and global warming, much of carbon in atmosphere has to be sequestrated into soil carbon pool so that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere and resulting warming could be reduced. The use of biochar can be a simple yet powerful tool to combat climate change by sequestering much of atmospheric carbon into soil as well as providing an opportunity for the processing of agricultural and other waste into useful clean energy. What is Biochar? Biochar is a solid material obtained from the carbonisation of biomass. Biochar is produced through a process known as pyrolysis, means thermal decomposition of organic material (i.e. wood chips etc, crop waste and manure) under limited supply of oxygen (O2), and at relatively low temperatures (<700°C). This process often mirrors the production of charcoal, which is perhaps the most ancient industrial technology developed by humankind. However, it distinguishes itself from charcoal and similar materials by the fact that biochar is produced with the intent to be applied to soil as a means to improve soil health, to filter and retain nutrients from...