May 2024

Initial greenhouse observations on use of coal char as a soil amendment: Influences on plant growth and soil water holding capacity

A greenhouse study was conducted to begin testing the use of coal char (CC) as a soil amendment. CC is a solid, porous activated carbon material resulting from high-temperature pyrolysis of coal. The objectives of this preliminary trial were to evaluate the impacts of different concentrations of CC added to the soil (0% (control), 1, 5, and 10% (v/v)) on plant biomass yield and soil water holding capacity (WHC). The...

Author(s): Resham B. Thapa, Sean X. Tang and Peter D. Stah