Johannes Lehmann is a soil scientist at Cornell University. He’s also an expert on biochar. That’s what’s created when biomass – things like leftover crops, manure, and yard waste – are heated and charred.
Johannes Lehmann: You make a resource out of your waste stream.
Charring is different from burning, Lehmann said. If something is charred, it retains its carbon, rather than releasing it. That’s why, he explained, charring can turn waste into a valuable resource for farmers.
Johannes Lehmann: One possible biochar system is, for instance, a poultry farmer that would otherwise not know where to put the poultry litter.
Lehmann went on to explain that fertilizer made from chicken manure is a source of water pollution. But if the manure were converted to biochar, he said, the charring process could create enough energy to heat the farmer’s chicken coop. And, the biochar itself could be used to enrich the farm’s soil.Lehmann hopes more small farmers will use biochar to create a more sustainable and localized agricultural system.
Johannes Lehmann: To deal with biomass locally, where you can take care of the waste, generate energy at the same time, and generate a product that will enhance soil health locally is a smart idea to do. More interviews with sciences at our website. I'm Deborah Byrd.
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