Greetings from Thailand! My team is compiling information for a research publication related to biochar adoption and we need your help.
If you currently use biochar on your farm/garden/nursery would you be willing to share with us how you do that?
In what aspect(s) of farm production do you use biochar?
What feedstock do you use to produce biochar?
What kiln type or production method do you use?
Do you charge the biochar?
With what and for how long?
What rate do you mix to charge, and what rate do you apply in the field?
Any information will be very helpful. Thank you!
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Hi Patrick,
My biochar method is just opportunistic: My neighbors are charcoal makers, so I just scoop up the powered charcoal dirt leftover from the process, layer it with my humanure material, roughly 50/50 and let it sit for a year. They I apply to the surface of crop space. About 1 cm thick.
On my extended family’s farm they make small batch bio char using a T-lud. It is charged in 5 gallon buckets with anthropogenic urea. It is used in IBC tote wicking beds in the base layer mixed with rotting wood or ground up and used in propagation mix for cuttings. Hope this helps.
I’m making char burning dried bamboo in a 55-gallon drum. It’s not very efficient but it is cheap. I charge it with whatever organic wastes I have on-hand, e.g., human urine, compost, vermicompost, bokashi, manure from chickens or cows, ferments, etc. I usually try to let it soak up these materials for several weeks. I use it in my greenhouse at about a 10-20% v/v. I’m not seeing a great difference in plant response, however, my soil is fertile and high in organic matter. I might see more response in a sandy soil.