Evaluating the Soil Qulaity of Three Sub-Watersheds in Udayapur District, Nepal

Volume 5 - Issue 3

Oelbermann M¹*, Berruti F² and Lévesque V³

Received: June 10, 2020;   Published: July 01, 2020

DOI: 10.32474/OAJESS.2020.05.000211

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Abstract

Biochar is a carbon-rich product that is obtained when a sustainable source of biomass is heated without oxygen. Biochar is produced in the same way as charcoal, but their intended use differs. Biochar is manufactured with a specific set of properties (e.g. adsorption properties, ion exchange capacity, low bulk density) for its use as soil amendment and/or adsorbent, whereas charcoal has specific properties (e.g. generating heat) for its use as a fuel. Humans first used biochar in the form of charcoal (as a byproduct from cooking) mixed with broken pottery, animal bones and manure in the Brazilian Amazon. This led to the creation of the Amazonian Dark Earths or Terra Preta more than 2000 years ago by pre-Columbian cultures of this region. Whether these soils were created intentionally or if they were a by-product of human settlements remains unclear. However, Terra Preta soils are highly fertile and have demonstrated the potential for long-term carbon sequestration Figure 1. Based on this premise, researchers have encouraged the deliberate addition of biochar to tropical soils to enhance their fertility

Biochar Basics| Biochar Feestocks| Feedstocks and Quality of Biochar| Potential Uses of Biochars| How are Biochars Made?| Specific Uses of Biochar in Agriculture and Horticulture| Some Precautions| Next Steps: How to Integrate Biochar on Your Farm| Acknowledgements| References|