This week an organic farm at Lambells Lagoon, near Darwin, has spread biochar onto a two hectare block of zucchinis, cucumber and watermelons.
Biochar is essentially charcoal, and is created by converting biomass or feedstock into a charred product under oxygen-limited conditions in a reactor. The product is regarded as a carbon “sponge” and designed to improve the efficiency of water and fertiliser use in soils.
Grower David Boehme is hoping “the black gold” will transform his nutrient-lacking paddocks. “The biochar is basically pure carbon and that’s what we’re lacking, the whole country up here is carbon poor, so by applying this we hope to see some big differences… we’d like to see some great changes to the crop, especially during this time of year when we’re really heat stressed.”
The biochar trial will include different application rates of 10, 25 and 45 tonnes to the hectare.
Soil condition and water-usage will be monitored throughout the trial, and all eyes will be on the quality and quantity of the food produced.
Re-post of Biochar trials head north
Source: ABC Rural
