Ancient nutrient biochar may boost farming future
By Lisa McEwen California may be primed to become a production hotbed for a lightweight black residue that has helped vast rainforests thrive on infertile soils. The material is biochar. It is a potential- ly valuable soil enhancement that can be produced from biomass of forest waste or dead orchards and vineyards. Its production dates to ancient tech- niques originated in the Amazon basin. There, in the terra preta or black earth, dense tree and plants grew with help of high-charcoal content nurtured by indige- nous soil management using deteriorating organic matter. Now potential benefits of integrating biochar into all aspects of farming oper- ations are being considered in California. The concept was presented to farmers, food processors, scientists and inventors gathered at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. “I am trying to get the conversation started within agricultural producers,” said Mayo Ryan, founder of Sitos Group, and a biochar manufacturer. “It doesn’t happen without the farmer.” Modern biochar production results from a process known as pyrolysis, which involves using extreme heat to breakdown biomass without oxygen or fire. The bio- char is the residue left when the biomass
Harvest unfolds at a Monterey County vineyard, left, planted as part of a biochar trial. Below, biochar, known to improve soil quality, water retention and crop yield, is applied to a field in preparation for planting at a Monterey County vineyard.
thermally decomposes. Farmers can apply biochar during planting, when it can improve soil quali- ty, increase water retention and improve yield. After harvest, they can then convert winery pomace, rice husks, nut hulls or dead vines into biochar for sale to others. Given the nearly complete ban of or- chard burning mandated by the California
Air Resources Board by 2025, Ryan is encouraging farmers to look at alterna- tives for the biomass of orchards removed from production. “What’s going to happen to all those orchards and vineyards? It is a great op- portunity for us as California growers and processors,” he said. Already some California counties are
considering biochar processing plants. A German biochar company, Pyreg, which sponsored the Tulare gathering, was aim- ing to connect with California growers and processors to discuss its technology. Pyreg produces multiple-sized units, the largest about the size of a three-car garage, that can cleanly process a variety See BIOCHAR, Page 5
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4 Ag Alert September 14, 2022
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