What Is Biochar? Why We Use It in Our Liquid Biostimulants
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Time to read 7 min
At Bio Charge, we believe good biological products start with good ingredients.
One of the key inputs we use in our liquid biostimulant range is biochar — a stable, carbon-rich material that provides some pretty interesting opportunities when it comes to soil biology, nutrient management and building healthier soils.
Better still, the biochar we use is sourced right here in Southland, New Zealand, from our mates at Southland Carbon.
Biochar acts as a tiny carbon sponge, helping retain nutrients and water in the soil.
Combined with liquid biostimulants, it supports biology and builds a healthier soil system.
Sourced locally in Southland, it's a sustainable way to return stable carbon back to New Zealand soils.
So, what exactly is biochar?
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating organic biomass under controlled, low-oxygen conditions through a process known as pyrolysis.
Rather than allowing all of the carbon contained in biomass to rapidly return to the atmosphere as it decomposes, pyrolysis converts part of it into a much more stable form of carbon.
Southland Carbon produces its Grade 1 biochar in New Zealand from New Zealand wood biomass residues. Their biochar contains more than 85% carbon and is described as natural and chemical-free.
For us, however, what makes biochar particularly interesting isn't simply the amount of carbon it contains.
It's the structure of the stuff.
Think of biochar as a tiny carbon sponge
Look at biochar closely and you'll find an incredibly porous structure containing a network of microscopic pores.
That structure gives biochar a large surface area and helps it interact with water, nutrients and microorganisms.
In soil, biochar can help with:
- nutrient retention and availability;
- water retention;
- increasing cation exchange capacity;
- providing habitat for soil microorganisms;
- improving soil structure;
- reducing nutrient losses through leaching and runoff; and
- storing carbon in a stable form.
Southland Carbon describes biochar as effectively acting like a sponge in the soil, helping retain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus rather than allowing them to move as readily through the soil profile.
That's where things get particularly interesting for Bio Charge.
Why we put biochar into liquid biostimulants
Recommended for your soil
We don't look at biochar simply as something that can be spread onto a paddock.
There's another important distinction to make.
We're not applying 10 or 20 tonnes of biochar per hectare.
We use fine biochar as an ingredient within some of our liquid biological formulations.
Products such as Bio Charge Carbon Boost bring together ingredients including fish hydrolysate, seaweed, molasses and biochar.
Each component has a different role.
The liquid ingredients provide readily available nutritional and carbon compounds, while the fine biochar provides a porous, carbon-rich material within the formulation.
We're interested in how those ingredients can work together, rather than expecting any single ingredient to do all the work.
One way of thinking about it is:
We're not simply adding carbon. We're trying to create a better environment for biology and nutrients to work together.
Products such as Bio Charge Carbon Boost bring together ingredients including fish hydrolysate, seaweed, molasses and biochar.
Each has a different job.
The liquid ingredients provide readily available sources of nutrition and carbon compounds, while the fine biochar provides an incredibly porous carbon-based material within the formulation.
One way of thinking about it is:
We're not just adding carbon. We're trying to create a better environment for biology and nutrients to work together.
Biochar and soil biology
Healthy soil isn't just dirt.
It's a living ecosystem containing bacteria, fungi, protozoa and countless other organisms interacting with plant roots, minerals, organic matter, water and nutrients.
Biochar's porous structure provides an enormous amount of internal surface area.
Those pores and surfaces are one reason biochar is being investigated for its interactions with soil microorganisms, water and nutrients.
This sits closely with our philosophy at Bio Charge.
We're not interested solely in feeding the plant.
We're interested in supporting the soil system that feeds the plant.
Southland Carbon highlights increased soil microbial activity as one of the potential benefits of incorporating biochar into agricultural soils, alongside improvements in nutrient retention and availability.
That's important to us because Bio Charge's philosophy isn't based solely around feeding the plant.
We're interested in feeding and supporting the soil system that feeds the plant.
We're not just adding carbon. We're trying to create a better environment for biology and nutrients to work together.
Holding onto more of what you've already got
There's another reason we're interested in biochar: nutrient efficiency.
New Zealand farmers already put significant quantities of nutrients into farming systems.
The challenge isn't always simply supplying more.
Sometimes it's about making better use of what you've already got.
Southland Carbon highlights nutrient retention, increased cation exchange capacity and reduced nutrient movement as important characteristics of agricultural biochar.
The recent New Zealand field trial also reinforces just how complex these interactions can be.
For Bio Charge, the principle is pretty simple:
Make nutrients work harder.
Support biology.
Build carbon.
Reduce unnecessary losses.
Southland Carbon identifies increased cation exchange capacity, improved nutrient retention and reduced nutrient leaching as important agricultural characteristics of biochar.
That fits closely with what we're trying to achieve at Bio Charge:
Make nutrients work harder. Support biology. Build carbon. Reduce unnecessary losses.
It's also about putting carbon back
One of biochar's most interesting characteristics is the relative stability of its carbon.
Manaaki Whenua notes that stabilised carbon derived from biomass can persist in soil for decades or longer, delaying the return of that biomass carbon to the atmosphere.
That's quite different from readily available carbon sources that soil organisms may consume and cycle relatively quickly.
And we think there's a role for both.
Our approach isn't about deciding between fast carbon and stable carbon, biology and minerals, or biological products and traditional fertility.
It's about understanding how the different pieces can fit together.
Feeding biology now while helping build a better soil environment for the future.
Made down the road, not halfway around the world
There's another part of this story we're particularly proud of.
Our biochar doesn't travel halfway around the planet before finding its way into a Bio Charge product.
It's produced in Pukerau, Southland from New Zealand wood biomass residues.
Bio Charge and Southland Carbon are independent businesses, but we collaborate because we share a similar view of where agriculture is heading.
We think New Zealand has an opportunity to:
- make better use of locally available resources;
- recycle carbon and nutrients more effectively;
- support soil biology;
- improve nutrient efficiency; and
- continue producing high-quality food while improving environmental outcomes.
Sometimes the ingredients needed to do that are a lot closer to home than we think.
We believe New Zealand farming has an opportunity to make better use of locally available resources, recycle carbon and nutrients more effectively, support soil biology and continue producing high-quality food while improving environmental outcomes.
Sometimes the ingredients needed to do that are a lot closer to home than we think.
Sometimes the ingredients needed to do that are a lot closer to home than we think.
Biochar is one piece of the puzzle
This is probably the most important part of the whole article.
We're not going to tell you biochar is some silver bullet that is going to fix every soil problem.
It isn't.
Soil is far too complicated for that.
A functioning soil system involves plant roots, bacteria, fungi, minerals, nutrients, organic matter, carbon, moisture, oxygen and the physical structure of the soil itself.
Change one piece and it can influence many others.
That's why our thinking at Bio Charge is about bringing different components together, rather than looking for one miracle ingredient.
Think about building a house.
Timber is pretty important.
But a pile of timber isn't a house.
You still need foundations, framing, insulation, roofing, plumbing and everything else that makes the whole system function.
Biochar is one of the building materials.
It's not the whole building.
Turned into stable carbon in Southland.
Combined with biological and nutritional inputs.
And ultimately put back onto New Zealand soils.
That's a circular story we're pretty happy to be part of.
Want to learn more?
Learn more about the biochar produced by our mates at Southland Carbon, explore the research being undertaken by Manaaki Whenua and the Bioeconomy Science Institute, or have a look through the Bio Charge liquid biostimulant range to see how we're combining carbon, biology and nutrition for New Zealand farming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biochar?
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating biomass in a controlled, low-oxygen environment through a process called pyrolysis. Its porous structure and relatively stable carbon make it interesting for soil, nutrient and biological applications.
Does Bio Charge apply tonnes of biochar per hectare?
No. Bio Charge uses fine biochar as one ingredient within selected liquid biostimulant formulations, applied at much lower overall quantities as part of the finished product rather than as a bulk soil amendment.
Where does your biochar come from?
Our biochar is produced locally in New Zealand by Southland Carbon at Pukerau, Southland, using New Zealand wood biomass residues.
Why does Bio Charge put biochar into a liquid biostimulant?
We're interested in combining biochar's porous carbon structure with biological, carbon and nutritional inputs rather than expecting any individual ingredient to do everything. Biochar is one part of the formulation and one part of the wider soil-health puzzle.
Does biochar improve soil?
Biochar can influence soil properties including carbon, nutrient dynamics, water interactions and pH, but results depend on the biochar, soil, application rate and farming system. New Zealand field research is ongoing.
