Sugarcane's second act: Transforming waste into soil gold with biochar
image: Sugarcane biomass-derived biochar for soil quality enhancement in sugarcane-growing soil
Credit: Mayuri D. Aluthge, Asiri S. Weerasinghe, Upeksha M. Wickramasinghe, Buddhika R. Kulasekara, Lahiru M. Kumarasiri, Asitha T. Cooray, Suneth P. Rajapaksha & Meththika Vithanage
In an innovative twist to sustainable agriculture, a new study reveals how sugarcane waste can be transformed into biochar—a powerful soil amendment that enhances soil quality. This research not only highlights a green approach to waste management but also provides a significant boost to soil health, offering a win-win for both the environment and farming practices.
The study compared biochar produced through a barrel technique with laboratory-prepared biochar, evaluating their impacts on soil quality for sugarcane cultivation. Biochar was derived from various sugarcane biomasses—bagasse, trash, and mini mill waste—and was prepared at three temperatures (300, 450, and 450 °C) using both a muffle furnace and a barrel technique. The biochar was analyzed for yield, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and compositional characteristics using advanced techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
A pot experiment was conducted with soil amended with two types of biochar at a 2.5% rate. The soil samples were analyzed at 0, 45, and 90 days, and the soil quality index was determined for the 90-day samples. The results were striking: the biochar was rich in carbon (64.68%–85.43%) and significantly improved soil pH, EC, organic carbon (OC), water holding capacity, and nutrient availability, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn), as well as exchangeable potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg).
After 90 days, soil OC increased by 1.22% due to biochar amendments, available P increased by 2.59% with BBC-BT and 23.05% with BBC-450, and EC increased by 33.33% and 16.67%, respectively. The highest soil quality index was observed with BBC-BT, indicating that this method enhances soil quality effectively.
This study concludes that the barrel technique for biochar production is not only effective but also a viable option for small-scale farmers, offering a sustainable solution for waste management and soil enhancement in sugarcane-growing regions.
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Journal reference: Aluthge, M.D., Weerasinghe, A.S., Wickramasinghe, U.M. et al. Sugarcane biomass-derived biochar for soil quality enhancement in sugarcane-growing soil. Carbon Res. 4, 9 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-024-00175-4
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About Carbon Research
The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.