Biochar - improving soils with green charcoal
Biochar is made from waste organic material
© Nubians Renewal Organisation/Dr. Osires Ettu Bondy
Adding finely chopped charcoal to soil offers many benefits - improving nutrient uptake by plants, boosting water retention and enhancing soil structure. The International Biochar Initiative is supporting the development and use of an environmentally friendly type of charcoal as a soil improver. 'Green charcoal' or Biochar is made from waste organic material, such as sawdust or crop residues, rather than from timber. Produced in a specially designed kiln, the charcoal is chopped into small pieces, which can then be incorporated in the soil. Dr Edward Yeboah of Ghana's Soil Research Institute describes the benefits to Kofi Adu Domfeh.
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