Mobile Pyrolysis unit , to find out more click on WWW.BIOMASSTOBIOCHAR.IE

Spot the difference.

Normally, comparative pictures of the positive effects off biochar show hand picked vegetables accompanied by the control vegatables. But one would often wonder were the best vegetables just picked.
This picture shows onions growing on composted farm yard manure. The onions on the left all received biochar , whilst on the far right there was NO biochar applied. As they say a picture speaks a thousand words!

Ash die back  commonly know as Chalara or as it as now correctly referred to as Hymenoscyphus fraxineus has been confirmed in 24 of the 26 counties in Ireland. This disease causes leaf loss, crown dieback and will eventually lead to the death of most Ash trees either directly or indirectly via infection of other pest or diseases such as Armillaria fungus.
The Irish Forest Service are actively monitor the disease in Ireland and in commercial forestry plantations there are grants to remove infected Ash. But for the private gardener the option of removing a beloved Ash tree may be a last resort.
Ironically the very trees that are infected can be turned into biochar which can be then used as a preventative measure by air spreading around the roots of the trees.
Recent findings by Bartlett tree expert Dr Glynn Percival have shown that trees treated with enriched biochar did not get the disease whilst not treated treed did.
Dr Glynn Percival, head plant physiologist at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory, said: "While we cannot claim this to be a cure for ash dieback, we are clear that it has a beneficial impact.
"We will need to run further trials to be clear on its qualities to prevent the disease taking hold, but this is an important discovery and we believe using enriched biochar could help improve the survival prospects for the UK's ash trees."

See more art the link below.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/12167224/New-hope-for-tackling-ash-dieback-as-researchers-claim-charcoal-treatment-makes-trees-more-resilient.html

We hear a lot these days about food waste and  a lot of money is spent disposing of it. Yet if you can keep 2 or 3 chickens you can virtually eliminate food waste. Chickens will just about eat anything us humans eat (just dont feed them other chicken by products !) . Having chickens is a way of turning our waste into food  for hens and in turn they turn it back into food for us -- eggs (now thats a real good example of a circular economy ). Adding biochar to poultry feed improves health of poultry and improves the quality of the chicken litter for making an excellent garden compost-- read below.

Our ever increasing awareness of how complex our food supply is. http://www.cowspiracy.com/homepage/
It worth noting that here in Ireland I heard it said that around 1916 the poor people of Dublin  virtually eat no meat whilst the middle classes consumed around 4lbs per week , even people living on farms back then consumed very little meat - they would rather sell it! Of course some of this video does not totally relate to the Irish situation (our cattle are still primalrily feed on grass and harvest it themselves and we have plenty of water). But as George Lee said the recent increase in milk production will lead to increase in green house gases and it will be the Irish tax payer that will foot the bill . How sickening that will be when so many renewable energy projects that could have happened but for lack of real Government support, as opposed to lip service that is so common amongst our leaders.

Another example of making biochar at home.  Simply get an old paint tin (best to pre burn it to remove contaminants). Then make sure you punch hole in the lid to allow gases to escape (as in the picture below) then insert a strong wire to as as a handle and place over any fire, this will take a a couple of hours depending on the heat of the fire, the particle size and moisture content of the biomass.
This an ideal way to turn small pieces such as wood shavings into biochar. You will have to shake the tin every now an then to insure that all the biomass is turned into biochar

One of the attributes of biochar is its ability to increase/improve germination - could what these Cork girls have discovered be the reason for the positive effect biochar has on germination, after all its well know that biochars microscopic pores harbour many bacteria and fungi.

https://www.googlesciencefair.com/en/?project=6105607161511936

The Prize is $25 million and there are 11 finalist of which 3 are Biochar related.
http://www.virginearth.com/finalists/

 Researchers report that wood-biochar supercapacitors can produce as much power as today's activated-carbon supercapacitors at a fraction of the cost – and with environmentally friendly byproducts. 
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-10-team-forest-cheaper-greener-supercapacitors.html#jCp     

NUI Galway’s Geo-Environmental Engineering (GENE) Research Group is currently investigating the adsorption properties of biochar and other filter medias in protecting the environment from nutrient losses arisingfrom various Irish industries. Mre to come.....

First tray with Radish on the  LHS is the control and the others have biochar added.

Picture 1 - chopped dry firewood
Picture 2 - biscuit tin in fireplace with lid and 2 holes for wood gas to escape N.B very important to have holes or it could explode. Also wire wrapped around tin to keep lid on and to remove from fire.

Video shows the woodgas escaping and being burnt off. charcoal is made when flames cease to burn, in this case it tuck about 1.5 hours Remove from fire and seal holes with sand or mud to prevent the charcoal reigniting.
Simply grind up to the required size.

I posted a query on the Foras na Gaeilge web site wondering what the irish for biochar would be and i am told it is Bithghualach which roughly translate to 'bio charcoal'.

Now you can have nice cup of tea and some charcoal and they taste nice!
http://shop.artisanbiscuits.co.uk/savoury-cracker-brands.html?SID=rgo3r6c7ak23nskkcoh8midbl6

Lawrence D. Hills book 'Month by Month Organic Gardening,The Green Gardeners Calender' first published in 1971 is considered a bible for organic gardeners and growers. It well worth having on ones book shelf as a reference book. The pdf file below  is from pages 34 and 35 of 1989 edition and he talks about using wood ash in the chicken house and he goes as far as saying ''It is worth keeping chickens, if you have a wood stove,to get fertilizer". Remember part of the wood ash will be made of carbonized wood ie charcoal.