Development of a functionalized clay-biochar from agricultural waste for improving crop water-use efficiency

Climatic and soil conditions played a crucial role in crop productivity, and thus impacted the economic benefits of the entire industry, especially in Canada. Biochar is widely known as a sustainable material as soil amendment. However, conventional biochar lacks the ability to improve water-use efficiency. A new type of biochar is being developed by co-pyrolyzing locally sourced clay materials and native agricultural wastes to solve this problem while maintaining a low cost. Such biochar can help provide a number of positive effects on crop yields, such as conservation of soil moisture and enrichment of soil-mineral nutrients. Such improvement will benefit the producers by reducing the amount of irrigation water while enhancing crop yields under changing climatic conditions. The biochar in the soil can also help to enhance the strength of the ecosystem, decreasing the risk of fertility loss and soil erosion, thus enhancing the stability of Canada’s ecosystem.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gordon Huang

Student:

Partner:

North Forge

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education; Management of companies and enterprises; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Regina

Program: