Building healthy soils with biochar and microbes

How could this soil additive help to boost biodiversity and food security?

Spotted: Biochar is organic material that has been carbonised under high temperatures in the presence of little, or no, oxygen. This process (called ‘pyrolysis’) releases bio-oils and gases and leaves a solid residue, which is around 80 per cent elemental carbon. Not only does biochar make an excellent soil improver, but it also sequesters carbon.

Now, Japanese startup Towing has developed a high-performance biochar, called Sorotan, which makes it possible to form healthy soils in only about one month, instead of the three to five years it usually takes. The company, which was spun off from Nagoya University, developed Soratan by adding microorganisms and organic fertiliser to biochar.

The company’s proprietary process involves cultivating multiple bacteria at the same time inside the porous biochar. These microorganisms then allow the soil to decompose organic material much faster, building healthier soils.

The biochar is generated from materials such as plant waste, sewer sludge, and livestock manure, which would normally be discarded or incinerated. Creating the biochar generates fewer CO2 emissions than would be created during incineration. In combination with the biochar’s carbon-fixing qualities, this allows the government to issue Towing with carbon credits.

Towing has so far raised around $7.7 million from Japanese investors, including venture firms such as Aichi Capital. The funding will be used to further develop the technology and expand the company.

Written By: Lisa Magloff