Three seasons of proof: study shows biochar delivers ongoing crop benefits

MASH Makes’ third season of biochar trials in India’s Ambajogai region revealed continued crop yield increases, despite challenging drought conditions. Conducted on farms in partnership with our partners at MANAVLOK, these trials are one of India’s first to show biochar’s long-term ability to enhance soil fertility and crop resilience. 

Biochar’s role in reversing drought impact

Rainfall in the Ambajogai region has dramatically declined over the past three decades, with an average decrease of 2.31 mm per year, according to the Institute of Economic development, This makes traditional farming a risky endeavour in the region, especially for crops like soybeans and chickpeas, which are susceptible to low soil moisture and poor germination rates. Farmers in this area struggle to cope with worsening droughts and face economic instability.

MASH Makes is completing a series of biochar field trials throughout India aimed at assessing biochar’s impact on crop yields. Biochar, a stable form of carbon produced from biomass, is known for its ability to improve soil moisture retention and enhance soil fertility. 

The most recent trial is in its third season, and involves two different dosages of MASH Makes biochar (2 tons/acre and 4 tons/acre) applied in Season 1 with organic fertiliser to plots of chickpeas and soybeans, compared against a control group using only organic fertilisers applied each season.

These trials were done on commercially operating farms in the region, with farmers reporting positive results throughout the trials. Irfan Shaikh, Head of Agriculture at MANAVLOK, where the trials took place, says that biochar is a win-win for farmers.

“Biochar is a long term investment that keeps benefiting our crops season after season. This is different from fertilisers, which need to be reapplied regularly. For farmers like us, biochar makes sense economically and environmentally."

Key study findings:

• Season 1 (Chickpea): Biochar-treated plots showed a 18% yield increase at 2 tonnes/acre and a 25% increase at 4 tonnes/acre over the control. 
• Season 2 (Soybean): Despite severe drought, biochar led to a 40% yield increase at 2 tons/acre and a 110% increase at 4 tons/acre over the control. Yield changes due to drought were less severe in biochar-treated plots.
• Season 3 (Chickpea):  Even with recurring drought, biochar increased yields by 5.7% with 2 tons/acre and 14.3% with 4 tons/acre over the control.

A fourth season trial is currently underway, with results expected in Q4 2024. Farmers in the region have reported good weather and optimal rainfall in season 4, providing optimal conditions for the crops to grow

Setting new standards with multi-season biochar trials

MASH Makes is one of the only biochar producers worldwide with a comprehensive, multi-season research approach. While many studies focus only on short-term outcomes, this trial provides a broader view of biochar’s long-term benefits. The findings suggest that integrating biochar into farming practices can significantly improve both economic and environmental outcomes for farmers in drought-prone regions.

Unlike fertilisers, which provide immediate but short-lived benefits, biochar improves soil health over multiple seasons. Its gradual effect is particularly valuable in drought-affected areas like Ambajogai, where consistent agricultural output is essential for economic stability.

Priyanka Sathe, Head of Biochar Fertiliser Research at MASH Makes, is optimistic about the third-season results, noting:

“Biochar is a late-bloomer. It takes time to show its full potential. This trial shows its long-lasting positive impact on soil health and crop yields. This is good news for farmers and for the future of sustainable agriculture."

Other proven effects of biochar

Our research shows that our biochar can enhance water holding capacity, reduce bulk density, and improve yields, all while contributing to global carbon dioxide removal (CDR) efforts. We are also researching biochar’s use in the construction industry.

Interested in using biochar on your fields? Get in touch.

Technical details of the study

We conducted the experiment over multiple seasons (Rabi and Kharif) to understand the effects of biochar on different crops and seasonal conditions. By testing in both wet and dry growing periods, we gained insights into how biochar performs under diverse environmental circumstances. We maintained a control plot treated solely with organic fertilisers to establish a clear baseline for comparison.

We chose chickpea and soybean, two significant crops in the region, so the findings are relevant and impactful for local agricultural practices. To determine the optimal application rate, we tested two levels of biochar (2 and 4 tons per acre), providing valuable insights into how dosage affects crop yield and soil health.

The study took place in a drought-prone region, with drought conditions affecting the second and third seasons. These challenging circumstances added validity to our findings, particularly regarding biochar’s role in mitigating water stress and enhancing crop resilience under limited water availability. By using black cotton soil, prevalent in the area, we ensured the results would be applicable to geographical regions with similar soil characteristics.

We focused on the Ambajogai area in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, tailoring the results to regions with similar climatic and agricultural challenges. The large-scale demonstration trial allowed us to observe biochar's effects at field scale, providing key insights into how biochar can be integrated into agricultural practices on a larger scale.

We also evaluated the combined use of biochar with organic fertilisers, such as Phosphate Rich Organic Manure (PROM) and biofertilizers. This combination allowed us to understand the synergistic effects of biochar and organic amendments on soil fertility and crop productivity.

Limitations

Our study provided useful insights, but focused only on two crops—chickpea and soybean. The way biochar works might be different for other crops, especially those with deeper roots or different water needs. We also didn’t take into account factors like rainfall, temperature changes, or pests, which can affect how well biochar works and how much crops grow.

While we mentioned droughts, we didn’t measure exactly how much water was available or how stressed the plants were. More accurate measurements of soil moisture and how plants take up water would have given us clearer results about biochar’s role in helping crops during dry periods. Testing biochar on more plots would have also given us more reliable results by covering a wider range of environmental conditions.

We used biochar with particle sizes between 1 and 10 millimetres, but looking at how different sizes affect results could help us improve its use. We didn’t look into long-term effects on soil life and nutrients, which limits our understanding of how biochar impacts the environment over time. We also didn’t consider things like wind, water runoff, or chemicals from nearby plots, which could have influenced our findings.

Biochar can also cause different plant reactions—small amounts can boost growth, but larger amounts might slow it down. In this study, we applied biochar at 2 and 4 tons per acre, and both amounts increased yields. Future studies should explore higher amounts to better understand how plants respond. The experiment results could also have been more robust and reliable if they had been repeated in different areas to take into account changes in the environment.