Simple Biochar Production Generated From Cattle Dung and Coconut Shell

Abstract

Biochar has been widely accepted as a prospective soil amendment. Simple biochar generated form dry cattle dung (15% H2O) was produced using simple stove made of brick (70 cm wide, 120 cm length and 40 cm high) in which 2 drums as containers for feedstock’s being combusted using sawdust as fuel. Heating temperature for this process was fluctuated in between 200 to 330 o C. The production of coconut shell biochar (CSB) was done under different method, which was by authothermal-combusting of feedstock’s in pit (1 m depth, 1.0 m wide and 1.5 m length) (temperature was fluctuated in between 190 to 280 o C). Biochar yield was 70 % and 65.82% (mass/mass) from cattle dung and coconut shell respectively. Biochar produced from coconut shell (CSB) had higher C, typically less ash and containing smaller nutrients compared to cattle dung biochar (CDB). The CSB had pH 9.9, EC 1.75 (dS/m), ash (7.36%), C (80.59%), N (0.34%), P (0.10%), K (0.84%), Ca (0.04%), Na (0.12%), Mg (0.06%) and CEC 11.78 cmol kg -1 while the Cattle dung-biochar (CDB) had pH 8.9, EC 1.77 (dS/m), ash (75.34%), C (23.53%), N (0.73%), P (0.57%), K (0.69%), Ca (0.51%), Na (0.15%), Mg (0.44%) and CEC 16.79 cmol kg -1 .