Biochar is charcoal made from crop waste and applied to soil.
Where it helps
- Sandy or degraded soils: it holds water and nutrients and gives microbes a home.
- Acid soils: it can raise pH slightly.
- Long life: it stays in soil for decades.
Limits
Biochar has few nutrients of its own. Raw biochar can even bind nutrients at first, so mix it with compost or manure ("charge" it) before use. Quality varies with feedstock and how it was made. Results are usually modest and take time, so test on a small area before investing.
Using it
Apply in small amounts (a few tonnes per hectare), mix into the topsoil and combine with normal fertility management.
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