Farmers in Nghe An province are operating a biochar burner for soil improvement for the first time.
(Baonghean.vn) - A biochar burning furnace model has just been piloted by the People's Committee and the Farmers' Association of Do Luong district with 20 participating households. Each household is sponsored with one biochar burning furnace to transform agricultural waste and by-products into soil conditioners and increase crop yields.
Sharing their thoughts on the "brand new" model recently implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the District Farmers' Association, households in Thinh Son commune said they were very excited and surprised by the positive effects of the biochar burner on their lives and agricultural production.
Mr. Le Van Dung, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thinh Son commune, is one of the first 20 households in Do Luong district to start operating a biochar burning furnace. Mr. Dung said that using this type of furnace is quite simple; anyone can do it. Besides the furnace shell made of two steel sections joined together with locking clips, there is only a funnel-shaped iron core in the middle used to create an anaerobic combustion chamber (limiting oxygen) to help the fuel after combustion turn into biochar instead of ash.
The fuel for this bio-incinerator consists of agricultural waste and organic household waste such as rice husks, straw, wood chips, branches, leaves, vegetable leaves, grass, etc., that have been dried to about 70%. The combustion process of this type of incinerator does not produce smoke or release unpleasant odors into the surrounding environment.
After burning agricultural waste for about 5 hours, biochar can be harvested. This type of charcoal has many applications in daily life due to its environmental friendliness and the benefits it brings, especially to agricultural production.
Biochar helps improve soil porosity, has a very high water retention capacity, prevents evaporation or seepage into deeper layers after irrigation during the dry season; prevents soil erosion, creates favorable conditions for beneficial bacteria to live in the soil, attracts and retains nutrients to gradually release to plants... Therefore, biochar helps increase crop yields, especially when combined with other organic fertilizers.
In addition to its soil improvement benefits, this biochar furnace can also be used for drying agricultural products and for further processing to preserve them more effectively and enhance the value of agricultural products.
Therefore, this is a very useful model for utilizing large amounts of biomass and agricultural waste in localities that are currently using outdated incineration technologies, releasing a lot of smoke, dust, and toxic emissions into the environment.
Mr. Nguyen Ba Chau, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Do Luong District, said that the first 20 biochar burners deployed to the people came from funding sources connected and solicited by the district People's Committee leaders. It is expected that the sponsor will support 200 biochar burners for farming households in the district.
Through practical application of products from 20 incinerators, it has been shown that people are very receptive and clearly see the effect of reducing household waste, utilizing agricultural by-products and waste materials; and at the same time, creating a high-quality organic fertilizer for agricultural production.
According to Mr. Le Van Dung, the active application of green production models by farmers in Thinh Son commune, such as biochar burning furnaces, calcium worm farming, and composting of straw, is in response to the movement of farmers competing in excellent production and business, uniting to help each other get rich, and achieving sustainable poverty reduction. This also aligns with the goals set by the People's Committee and the Farmers' Association of Do Luong district in implementing the objectives of building a new rural district and advanced new rural communes.
In Thinh Son commune, the annual goal for farming households is to participate in building 1-2 economic models; providing support in terms of livestock and knowledge to at least one poor household, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction; and ensuring 100% of the branches effectively collect pesticide packaging from the fields. They also aim to establish at least 10 farming models where farmers raise chickens on thick biological bedding and models where farmer members sort and process waste at source, and compost organic fertilizer from agricultural by-products.
The leaders of the Do Luong District Farmers' Association also stated that the association always prioritizes connecting, disseminating knowledge, and mobilizing members and farmers to effectively implement economic development projects, clean agricultural production, and promote the application of scientific and technical advancements in production to bring about high economic value.
The operating process of a biochar furnace: The furnace's design allows for precise control of oxygen levels and heat generated during combustion, directly impacting the biomass (in this case, agricultural waste) and causing a pyrolysis effect. When agricultural waste is heated to a temperature of 850°C...0C will produce gas (a form of gasification), and the gas will then be fed back into the combustion chamber to create a continuous combustion cycle.
Because the combustion is from gas, no smoke is produced. The gas is completely burned, resulting in extremely low emissions of NOx and CO. The pyrolysis effect and the absence of oxygen supply to the combustion chamber (anaerobic) therefore do not produce CO gas.2 Carbon is released into the environment in gaseous form, but is retained in the form of biochar (biochar is a form of carbon).
