Charcoal leads to high soil fertility – Study

A new study led by the University of Sussex and several African scientists suggests that adding charcoal and kitchen waste to the barren soil leads to high fertility and rich soil, Agriportal reports. This 700-year-old bucolic practice was common among inhabitants of West Africa. Through this method, nutrient-poor rain forest soil could be converted into […]

A new study led by the University of Sussex and several African scientists suggests that adding charcoal and kitchen waste to the barren soil leads to high fertility and rich soil, Agriportal reports.
This 700-year-old bucolic practice was common among inhabitants of West Africa. Through this method, nutrient-poor rain forest soil could be converted into fertile farmland in an instant. The fertile yet artificial soil produced from this method is found to be 200% to 300% richer than ordinary soil, containing tonnes of organic carbon.
This innovative farming technique is expected to revolutionise farming across Africa and also mitigate the global warming and climate change that is escalating in the world today.
It is a tried and tested methodology that, though ancient, is still relevant today. The soil that is obtained from this scheme is termed African Dark Earth.
Liberia and Ghana were the sites where various soil samples were studied on an intensive level.