Enhancing soil fertility through Biochar using slaughter-house waste as a feedstock

The Ethiopian economy primarily consists of the agricultural sector. However, water logging, acidity, and soil fertility all have a significant impact on productivity. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of composite biochar (paper-cud) on soil nutrients in terms of pH, Organic Carbon, Nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity. 10 kg of acidic soil for each sample were prepared and the experiments were conducted at Gondar Soil Laboratory test, starting in December 2023 to May 2024 in Ethiopia.The result was examined by combining biochar produced at a slow pyrolysis temperature of 167 °C with soil in a 1:2 ratio. Samples of control, paper char and soil, cud char and soil, composite char and soil were prepared using weight-by-weight combination approach. Following 68 days of incubation in the dark room, the mixtures were subjected to analysis. As the result shows, soil treated with Cud char to soil and paper char to soil mixture provides pH of 9.80 and 7.8 respectively. The net change in pH, 4.43 and 2.43, was found in comparison to untreated soil. The organic carbon within the soil was increased by the mean value 6.22 in cud and 2.31 in paper char application to the soil. However, the composite biochar (paper-cud) amended to soil has resulted in a mean value of 4.95 in organic carbon and the total nitrogen 3.12. Applying cud biochar to the soil at the same biochar temperature and mixing ratio generally results in improved soil nutrients more so than paper biochar.