BIOCHAR
Biochar
Soil Amendment
Research confirms Biochar-enriched soils grow larger, healthier plants with greater yields, particularly in degraded or highly-weathered soils. In fact, Biochar Now users typically report their costs of biochar are paid off during the first year by increased yield revenues.
Increases in soil fertility are attributable to Biochar’s unique properties of adsorption and stability. Compared to other organic soil amendments, Biochar is much more effective at retaining nutrients and keeping them available to plants. It maintains a porous structure, which attracts beneficial microbes, holds onto nutrients, retains moisture – qualities that increase fertilizer efficiency and enhance crop yield, while reducing the need to irrigate. And biochar is much more stable in the environment than any other form of organic matter.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Simply put, Biochar is a highly adsorbent, specially-produced charcoal originally used as a soil amendment. Scientists theorize Biochar was first used in the Amazon Basin thousands of years ago where extensive regions of dark, highly fertile soil known as terra preta were discovered, revealing high concentrations of Biochar and organic matter.
Similar to charcoal, Biochar is produced using the ancient practice of heating wood or other plant material (biomass) with little to no oxygen. However, unlike charcoal, which is often used for cooking, Biochar is made under specific conditions with the intent to be applied to soil as a means to increase soil fertility and agricultural yields, and sequester carbon to reverse global warming. Other market uses of Biochar are being discovered regularly as universities and large industrial partners conduct extensive research into this versatile material and its cation exchange properties.
Biochar is thought to be the key component in a carbon-negative strategy to resolve several critical current ecological challenges.
APPLICATIONS
Oil and Gas
Filtration and Cleanup
“Hydrocarbons and VOCs are captured and sequestered in the biochar.”
Biochar is being used by the oil and natural gas industries as an economical method of complying with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) air and water quality regulations.
To comply during drilling operations, Biochar is applied to the soil in oil and gas production areas to decontaminate the soil. In so doing, hydrocarbons and VOCs are captured and sequestered in our Biochar and broke down to nontoxic levels by embedded microbes.
This process has been approved for many projects across the U.S. including in Texas by the Texas Railroad Commission.
Biochar filtration process is used to purify producer water from wells. Our biochar removes pollutants allowing for the discharge of clean water.
Bio-Filler
Carbon Negative Solution for Plastic, Concrete and Asphalt Industries
“Hydrocarbons and VOCs are captured and sequestered in the biochar.”
“Reduce weight while increasing strength across industries.”
Usage of Biochar in bio-fillers has proven to reduce weight while offering a cost competitive solution across industries. Polymers utilizing biochar have shown to increase strength, additionally improving high temperature performance. Biochar utilization also stops the growth of molds or mildews. The odor control characteristics of Biochar are not lost during the impregnation of polymers and can actually reduce odors long after the molding process has completed.
Because Biochar is an organic based filler it’s now possible to add a large percentage of organic material to your polymers and decrease your environmental impact. Since Biochar is a renewable resource you can effectively reduce your dependence on oil-based consumption. Biochar also reduces greenhouse gases and sequesters carbon.
Specialty Agriculture
Clients report yield increase of 100% or more with only 2% Biochar in the root zone.
SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Research shows biochar has several effects in soil including:
– Increased water infiltration and water holding capacity
– Improved soil structure, tilth and stability
– Increased cation exchange capacity (CEC)
– Increased adsorption of ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, and calcium ions
– Increased nutrient retention over ordinary organic matter
– Improved soil pH buffering and stability
– Increased soil biology and diversity
– Enhanced, denser root development
– Reduced fertilizer runoff, especially nitrogen and phosphorus
– Reduced total fertilizer requirements
– Decreased emissions of nitrous oxide by 50-80%
All in all, this powerful soil amendment can be a significant tool to increase food security and crop diversity, particularly in areas with depleted soils, limited organic resources, and scarce water. The increased soil fertility and agricultural yields from the use of Biochar may also decrease the need for further deforestation for agricultural purposes.
PACKAGING
CUBIC FOOT BAGS
CUBIC YARD SUPER SACKS
science
1. The long pores provide significant surface area. As a matter of fact, 1 gram of Biochar Now biochar has a surface area of about 400m2.
2. Biochar Now biochar has a cation exchange capacity that electrostatically attracts certain types of molecules in the soil, air and/or water. The molecules are bonded to the biochar walls where roots can access them throughout the growing season. The biochar becomes a nutrient-rich, time-release capsule for plants and is a major reason why Biochar Now biochar is so effective enhancing plant growth.
3. Biochar Now biochar has been tested for water sequestration and found to hold 5.6 times its weight in water. And, because the pores are very long compared with their openings, there is very little evaporation (see fig 1). When roots do not consume the sequestered water, it is held for long periods of time.
4. To soil microbes, cleaned out Biochar Now biochar pores look like a concrete condominium complex (see fig 2) so they move in to set up a community. Once embedded, they are protected from precipitation that would otherwise disperse them. With Biochar Now biochar, microbes flourish and help create living soil.
features & Benefits
✅ Patented, carbon based product
✅ Potential of 30% in water savings
✅ Higher Soil Retention
✅ Improves Plant Growing Yields
✅ Healthier Plants
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