What are the benefits of using biochar in the garden?
The following benefits occur with additions of biochar • Enhanced plant growth • Suppressed methane emission • Reduced nitrous oxide emission (estimate 50%) (see 5.10 below) • Reduced fertilizer requirement (estimate 10%) • Reduced leaching of nutrients • Stored carbon in a long term stable sink • Reduces soil acidity: raises soil pH (see 5.01 below) • Reduces aluminum toxicity • Increased soil aggregation due to increased fungal hyphae • Improved soil water handling characteristics • Increased soil levels of available Ca, Mg, P, and K • Increased soil microbial respiration • Increased soil microbial biomass • Stimulated symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes • Increased arbuscular mycorrhyzal fungi • Increased cation exchange capacity
