A Novel Method of On-site Biochar Production from Crop Residues and Further Application to Soils for Improvement in Soil Characteristics

Abstract

AbstractIt has been noticed during the last four–five years that the national capital of India, New Delhi faces a peculiar problem of high air pollution and smog during Kharif season when crops are harvested in the nearby states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is believed that open and direct burning of agricultural crop residues by the farmers of these states is one of the responsible factors for this annual crisis. The emission of greenhouse gases during burning of crop residues is a prime factor responsible for deterioration of ambient air quality and environmental health hazard. A study has been carried out to find out an economic and optimal solution of the problem. During the process of finding a feasible solution, a novel method of on-site conversion of crop residues into a product called biochar has been developed. The method is based on the concept of thermal conversion, wherein the crop residues are subjected to a process of pyrolysis either in the absence or little presence of oxygen. The most important feature of this method is its adoptability. The farmers can easily convert their crop residues into biochar at their own fields and the biochar so produced can be further applied to the soils to improve the soil properties, which eventually lead to increased crop yield. Hence, there is a need to create awareness among the farmers about this method of biochar production and application. The novel method of producing biochar and the effect of utilizing biochar on the soil properties have been presented in this paper, which will prove useful for the Indian context where large quantities of agricultural waste are produced that create environmental air pollution when directly burnt in the fields.KeywordsCrop residuesGreenhouse gasesPyrolysisBiocharSoil properties