Agronomic Potential of Avocado-Seed Biochar in Comparison with Other Locally Available Biochar Types: A First-Hand Report from Ethiopia
Demissie, H | Gedebo, A | Agegnehu, G
Biochar is a promising option for improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. (e potential of biochar for speci.c purposes depends on its physical and chemical characteristics. (e avocado seed is widely available as a leftover after the /eshy part is used for food and as a byproduct of avocado-oil producing agro-industries in Ethiopia. Its potential as a biochar for an agronomic purpose has not been studied. (e objective of this study was to compare the agronomic potential of avocado-seed biochar (ASB) type in comparison to other biochar types produced from locally available feedstocks at two selected pyrolysis temperatures (450 and 550°C). It was identi.ed that on a mass-base, the produced biochar yields were in a range of 29.68 to 47.45%, higher for ASB pyrolyzed at 450°C. (e scanned images of the biochar types showed a remarkable surface morphology for bamboo biochar (BB) and ASB. (e bulk density of the biochars were in the range of 0.21 to 0.49 g/mL. (e highest volatile matter was measured for BB-450°C, .xed carbon for BB-550°C, and ash content for BB-450°C. (e mean pH values were in the range of 9.1 to 11.3. (e ASB-450 and 550°C exhibited higher nutrient content. (e highest cation exchange capacity (CEC) was recorded for ASB-450°C; organic carbon (OC) for corncob biochar (CCB) was followed by ASB-450 and 550°C. (e calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content of ASB-550°C was the second-highest value next to co>ee husk biochar (CHB). In this study, ASB and BB were found to have important qualities for improving degraded agricultural soils in terms of soil acidity, nutrient content, and soil fertility. (erefore, ASB-450°C and BB-450°C can be suggested to be promising candidates for reclaiming acid-soils and for improving nutrient-depleted infertile soils into agriculturally productive soils.
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