<
https://theconversation.com/biochar-doesnt-just-store-carbon-it-stores-water-and-boosts-farmers-drought-resilience-235765>
"As the climate changes, large parts of southern Australia are projected to get
drier. Extreme rains are also becoming more common.
For farmers, these changes pose big risks. What can we do to manage changes
already locked in? One adaptation is ensuring water soaks into spongy soils
rather than evaporates or runs off into waterways.
This is where biochar comes in. You might be familiar with the use of this
charcoal-like substance to store more carbon in soil. But biochar has another
very useful property: it’s often highly porous. If you add it to soils, it can
store water from rain or irrigation until plants draw it out. It can also help
unlock soil nutrients and restore soils degraded from overuse.
This year, biochar experts released a farmers’ guide covering how to use
biochar to boost drought resilience, maximise crop yields and increase disease
resistance.
But how do you make it sustainably and at scale? Our new research has found one
answer – use green waste from our gardens and also mix it with other suitable
sources."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
