The potential of using fabricated drum to produce vetiver grass biochar and pineapple leaf biochar

Abstract

Abstract Biochar is a very stable carbon-rich product produced by a process called slow thermochemical pyrolysis. Biochar is a widely known soil amendment and the potential of using it to improve soil properties is undeniable. However, the process of producing biochar is expensive and needs advanced technology which is usually unavailable for small-scale farmers. This study aimed to produce two types of biochar from different raw materials (vetiver grass raw material and pineapple leaf waste) using fabricated drum and check their characteristics in terms of quality as soil amendments. The process of producing biochar was based on a farm level and it was conducted using drum at the Farm Unit, UiTM Sarawak, Malaysia. The yield of produced biochar and ash was calculated. Physico-chemical properties and elemental composition were also analyzed. The yield of biochar produced is 20.88% and 51.43%, correspondingly 18.94% and 33.92% ash content from vetiver grass raw material and pineapple leaf residues respectively. The pH value of vetiver grass biochar and pineapple leaf biochar is 8.62 and 8.78 respectively, which indicates the potential of using both types of biochar for soil acidity amelioration. Both types of biochar contain amount of the major nutrients that are essential for plant growth and soil fertility improvement. Therefore, this study reveals that the production of biochar using fabricated drum is suitable for small-scale farmers and the vetiver grass and pineapple leaf biochar have the potential to be utilized as soil amendment to enhance the quality and the nutritional content in soil.