This project had aimed to monitor, evaluate and improve sustainability of biochar systems. Furthermore, this will make key players from rural communities to mitigate climate change. A sustainable biochar system has potential to improve nutrient cycling, crop yields, immobilize trace metals and carbon sequestration. Use of biochar is becoming a much popularly discussed subject in world agriculture today. Its role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigations are also being discussed extensively. All biochar materials were not nutrient loaded stuffs. Some type of biochar was capable of holding five times the amount of water as its weight. During the field trials crops performed well and out yielded the recommended fertilizers when biochar was applied conjointly with recommended fertilizers. Results revealed that biochar materials could successfully be used to raise the crop productivity when combined with the normal fertilizer practice. The use of biochar materials together with chemical fertilizers can improve the productivity under field growing conditions. Although biochar caused problems when tested in greenhouse in small pots, field application did not immediately affect crop growth negatively particularly at the some application rates. However, care must be taken when using biochar as a soil amendment continuously and also in pot culture. This Project recommends for the application of biochar together with fertilizer for the cultivation of vegetables so as to improve on chemical properties of soil. This combination will reduce the amount of usage of chemical fertilizer. But for determining the best application ratio there is further need of extensive research with more replications
Project • ARCP2012-20NSY-Musafer