This intriguing soil combination called “biochar” was first used hundreds of years ago by indigenous people of the Amazon River when they added a mixture of charred organic materials to their soil, creating vast and fertile farmland that is still some of the richest soil on Earth today.

“The idea is that by putting char in the soil you can increase the fertility of that soil,” Bibens said.

As evidenced by Terra Preta, biochar can stay in the soil for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, sequestering carbon, increasing crop yields and possibly improving water quality.

According to the International Biochar Initiative, because it is so stable, adding biochar to soil increases retention of nutrients so that less fertilizer is needed and therefore less is released as pollution.

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