Biochar For Date Palm Plantations

Biochar is increasingly being used as a soil amendment with the aim of improving the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil, and reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. In date palm plantations which are mostly planted in dry and sandy areas, the use of biochar will especially increase the ability of water and nutrients holding capacity, meaning that the evaporation of groundwater can also be reduced and nutrient loss for date palms can also be reduced. This of course is very beneficial for the date palm tree. Waste from date palm plantations such as midribs, seeds and leaves can be used as raw material for the biochar. The impact or positive results of the use of biochar have been reported from enormous of studies and experiments. These results are improvements in the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil which ultimately result in the quality and productivity of the fruit yield.

Every year, it is estimated that each date palm tree produces 33 kg of green waste or 20 kg of dry biomass waste. Currently, it is estimated that date palms around the world reach 120 million trees with a biomass waste potential of 4 billion tonnes of green waste or 2.4 billion dry and can be converted into biochar into 800 million tonnes of biochar. The 10 largest date producing countries are Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, South Sudan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The use of modern pyrolysis equipment for processing biomass waste into biochar, also produces excess energy for heat or electricity production which can be used for various purposes. Location of date palm plantations in rural areas can use electricity or store this energy for other purposes such as cooking. The energy storage can be done with large or small tanks for the needs of residents in that location. By utilizing the excess energy from the pyrolysis process, environmental damage such as illegal logging can be minimized. Dry and arid are areas with high evaporation and low rainfall, and such areas as these occupy 41% of the land surface area on earth. Currently nearly 900 million people inhabit this area.

Improved soil quality will result in higher crop productivity. The better the quality of the soil that can be cultivated, the better the productivity will be. Biochar will enrich soil organic carbon which has important roles, including reducing plant nutrient loss, increasing soil aggregation, reducing soil erosion, and increasing water holding capacity. Each plant has its own characteristics regarding the growing medium and environmental condition. Improving the quality of the soil will certainly increase the productivity of dates and even increase the quality of the fruit.