By
admin on
September 27 2012 A guide on how to make biochar out of slash with low-tech methods instead of simply burning the slash. The biochar can be used to enhance soil quality and improve water retention during the dry season.
Abstract: At the mixed hardwoods and cacao farm of Izabal Agro-Forest in Caribbean Guatemala, instead of burning in the traditional "slash-and-burn" manner, we made an experimental attempt on one hectare to convert into charcoal 10 years of clear-cut, successional, lowland tropical forest re-growth that had been felled to make way for mahogany and cacao planting. The resulting charcoal was to be incorporated into soil surrounding the cacao seedlings.
