Effect of Charcoal Production on Soil Properties in Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

To investigate the effect of charcoal production on soil properties, composite and core soil samples from 12 sampling points were collected at a depth of 0-15 cm at kiln site and adjacent fields (control). As compared to adjacent soil, bulk density and clay percentage decreased significantly (P 0.05), water holding capacity and silt percentage was reduced at charcoal production site. At Kiln site, pH was increased by 36.4% whereas electrical conductivity was increased by more than 6 times. Similarly, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable bases were also significantly higher at kiln site than adjacent soils. Charcoal residues and charred biomass left on the kiln sites improve soil fertility, however; charcoal production causes environmental pollution. It is therefore useful to consider oxygen limited charcoal production strategy (bio-char) in order to manage soil health and sequester carbon.