Combining Biochar and Vermicompost, possible growth edge?
, by Antoinette Joubert-Sun, 2 min reading time
Could combining biochar and vermicompost be the growth edge that could take sustainable agriculture practices and crop yields to a new level?This blog post will aim to give more information that could assist answering this question.
Could combining biochar and vermicompost be the growth edge that could take sustainable agriculture practices and crop yields to a new level?
This blog post will aim to give more information that could assist answering this question. We will be reminded of what biochar is and it's properties, understand vermicompost and it's properties as well as establish the results of the combination of these two products.
Biochar Station has previously provided blog post that help us understand what biochar is and how it works. A porous carbonaceous material made from biomass through high-temperature pyrolysis in a limited oxygen space, which helps improve soil health through a variety of mechanisms, leading to more productive and sustainable agricultural practices.
Vermicompost or better known as earth worm castings is worm excrement or worm manure / poop. This kind of compost is considered to be one of the best soil amendments available by many. It contains water-soluble nutrients which is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner; that improves soil drainage, aeration, water retention and provides beneficial bacteria, enzymes and microbes.
Combing biochar and vermicompost as a soil amendment has the potential to be a very fertile environment, due to the beneficial microorganisms and nutrients of the vermicompost that can activate and colonize the porous structure of the biochar (Zhao et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2022). Biochar and vermipost complement each other, co-application has a synergistic and symbiotic effect that improves the nutrient status and microbial environment of continuous crop-baring soils.
Therefore it can be concluded that the combination and co-application of biochar and vermicompost as a soil amendment will increase crop yields, maintain and improve soil quality as well as reduce water consumption thereby improving agriculture conditions in areas affected by dryness and water shortages (Wu et al.,2019; Wang et al., 2021; Rivelli & Libutti, 2022).
To answer the question could combining biochar and vermicompost be the growth edge that could take sustainable agriculture practices and crop yields to a new level? Combing biochar and vermicompost as a soil amendment has the potential to be a very fertile environment. It is clear to see that these two components compliment each other and could potentially be an answer to help promote sustainable agriculture practices and crop yields.
