Morris AJ

Biochar Makes Organic Farming Practical
AJ Morris,Organic Gardening December 18, 2008

"Almost every farmer is aware of organic techniques for fertilizing crops, yet the majority still use chemical fertilizers — why is that? Dig a little deeper (excusing the pun) and you will find that it is not uncommon for a family farm to have an organic garden for their own vegetables, but still use chemical fertilizers on their commercial crops. They know organic is better, so why use chemicals?

The answer lies in simple economics. Preparing compost is labor intensive, and labor is expensive. Also, specialized farmers rarely produce the right mix of high-carbon and high-nitrogen materials to produce compost in sufficient quantities to keep large acreage productive. Then there are the issues with pest control, which is easier with chemicals. That is one area I can’t claim biochar will help much — but for the soil fertilization it solves several problems at once.

The rising cost of petroleum-derived fertilizers has some traditional farmers taking a second look at organic methods already — add biochar to the mix and the equation turns around completely."

See full story at: Organic Gardening - Biochar