Australia
March 8, 2013

Biochar made from wheat chaff.

Biochar can significantly increase mycorrhizal fungi colonisation of wheat plant roots, Western Australian studies have shown.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) supported research showed that with the addition of biochar 50 to 60 per cent of plant roots were colonised by the potentially beneficial fungi, up from 10 to 20 per cent in soils without biochar.

In some soil types, biochar has the potential to enhance soil fertility, increase soil carbon storage and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

But before it can be widely adopted in agriculture, better understanding is needed of its properties and how it interacts with soil.

A GRDC fact sheet Understanding Biochar has been released outlining information about the solid, carbon-rich material.

The fact sheet was included in the January-February edition of the GRDC magazine Ground Cover and can be downloaded from www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-FS-Biochar

GRDC Project Code: CSO 00041, UWA00130 

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: March 8, 2013