A Proof of Concept Assessment Producing and Applying Biochar as a Soil Amendment to a Typical Winter Grain Farm in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Summary:
Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) present major challenges throughout South Africa, negatively affecting natural resources, ecosystem services and biodiversity. This project aims to pilot the feasibility of converting IAP biomass into biochar using a small-scale, low-technology, mobile pyrolysis unit and applying the biochar as a soil amendment on a commercial winter wheat farm.
Apex Conservation Services was contracted to undertake the pilot study which, aims to establish the costs and operational requirements involved in producing biochar, activating the product and applying it at different treatment rates per hectare. The pilot looks to establish if any meaningful benefits can be associated with the application of biochar and aims to do this through the development and introduction of a monitoring programme which will run for the duration of the pilot (2023 to 2025).

Summary of project aims include:

• Development of small-scale, mobile in-field, low-technology pilot that may inform the rolling out of a larger project at a landscape scale.
• Demonstrate the practice of applying biochar as a soil amendment on an active commercial farm.
• Demonstrate to local farmers that the application of biochar can lead to improved soils and associated yield increases.
• Establish the costs and feasibility of small-scale mobile technology.
• Establish the potential social economic benefits.
• Assess the suitability of the studied scheme for Carbon credit generation under (VERRA)

Phase 1 of the pilot was implemented during the 2023 period and involved the production and application of biochar, the initial financial feasibility costing and benefit model, soil sampling and analysis and the capturing of yield data. Initial results regarding soil health and yield data improvement are extremely promising and have gathered increased interest within the agricultural and climate mitigation industry. Phase 2 of the pilot will be implemented during the 2024 and 2025 periods and will focus on the continued sampling and analysis of soil carbon, chemistry and biological health as well the interpretation of yield data.

The findings established during the pilot will provide valuable insights into the application of biochar as a soil amendment for the agricultural and climate mitigation industries.