Bio-char from sawdust, maize stover and charcoal: Impact on water holding capacities (WHC) of three soils from Ghana

2010

English

This paper reports part of an on-going investigation into the effects of bio-char on soil physical properties in Ghana. Bio-char from sawdust (B1) and maize stover (B2) were prepared using a muffle furnace. The effect of local charcoal from Ghana (referred to in this paper as B3) was also studied. These three types of bio-char were applied to three soil types from Ghana, at 5, 10 and 15 t/ha. Results indicated that WHC was increased when bio-char was applied at all rates compared to zero application. However, there wasn’t much difference in effect on WHC between the rates. It is suggested that water repellency of the bio-char partly explains this behaviour. Improving WHC by bio-char application was more effective in sandy textured soils.

Dugan, E.; Verhoef, A.; Robinson, S.; Sohi, S.