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Biochar from crop waste lifted maize up to 29% in Bangladesh trials
The full story behind my Short: Trials presented at a BARC workshop in Dhaka (18 Oct 2026): biochar with balanced fertiliser raised maize up to 29%, aus rice 23% and boro rice 21%, and biochar-coated urea gave the full yield with 75% of the recommended nitrogen.
The short version
In trials presented at a Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) workshop in Dhaka on 18 Oct 2026, biochar made from crop residue and applied with balanced fertiliser raised maize yields by up to 29% (to 9.21 tonnes a hectare), aus rice by 23% and boro rice by 21%, compared with the conventional recommended fertiliser. Biochar-coated urea gave the full yield with 75% of the recommended nitrogen, a possible 25% nitrogen saving, and biochar with compost cut ammonia losses by 36 to 37%. Advice: mix raw biochar with compost or manure before spreading, and test any product sold as biochar for heavy metals. Results vary by soil and costs still need working out (Krishi Shomoy, 19 Oct 2026).
+29%maize, up to 9.21 t/ha [1][2]
+23% / +21%aus / boro rice [1][2]
75%of recommended N gave full yield (biochar-coated urea) [1][2]
−36–37%ammonia losses, biochar + compost [1][2]
What happened
The keynote at the BARC national workshop in Dhaka on Sunday 18 October 2026 was given by Professor Mohammad Mofizur Rahman Jahangir of Bangladesh Agricultural University. Biochar is made by heating straw, wood and crop residue with little or no oxygen (pyrolysis); its porous structure holds water and nutrients. With balanced chemical fertiliser, maize reached 9.21 t/ha, aus rice 4.97 t/ha, boro 6.02 t/ha and mustard 1.28 t/ha (+17%). Trials applied 1 to 3 t/ha in rows or near the roots [1][2].
Watch the Short
About this page
The Short uses illustrative photos from Wikimedia Commons (credited below) and my own sketches; they are not photos of the trials themselves.
The narration is an AI clone of my own voice, used with my consent.
Why it matters
- Waste into soil. Much straw and crop residue is wasted or burnt; turning it into biochar could improve soil structure, cut nutrient losses and raise the pH of acidic soils [1].
- Fertiliser savings. Bangladesh uses about 2.7 million tonnes of urea a year; a quarter less nitrogen for the same yield would matter [1].
- Do it safely. Co-compost raw biochar with compost or manure first, test products for heavy metals, and use locally tested rates; national standards were called for [1].
Full narration (transcript)
Why are farmers burning the one thing that could boost maize by up to 29 percent? So let's talk about what's happening in Bangladesh. Much straw and crop residue there is wasted or burnt. Heat it with little or no oxygen, and you get biochar, which holds water and nutrients. In trials, biochar was added to balanced fertiliser. Maize rose up to 29 percent, to 9.21 tonnes a hectare, roughly two extra tonnes. Aus rice rose 23 percent, and boro rice 21 percent. And here's where it gets interesting: biochar-coated urea gave the full yield with 75 percent of the recommended nitrogen. With compost, it also cut ammonia losses by 36 to 37 percent. Tip one: mix raw biochar with compost or manure before spreading. Tip two: test any product sold as biochar for heavy metals. One caveat: results vary by soil, and costs still need working out. Why it matters: today's burnt waste could feed tomorrow's soil. For the full story, follow the link in the description.
Sources
- [1] Krishi Shomoy (19 Oct 2026). “Biochar made from agricultural waste could be a promising solution” (Bengali original report of the BARC workshop). krishishomoy.com
- [2] Agro News Today (19 Oct 2026). “Biochar from farm waste lifted maize yields up to 29% and rice up to 23%, scientists say.” agronewstoday.com
Credits
Photos and images via Wikimedia Commons (illustrative): Stubble Burning - Chendua - North 24 Parganas 2018-01-07 6196.JPG (Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0); Rice threshing in Bangladesh.jpg (Atikur.khokon, CC BY-SA 4.0); Burning of rice straw. Thailand AD4A5841bs (14502943867).jpg ([email protected] from Phuket, Thailand, CC BY 2.0); Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council.jpg (Md Joni Hossain, CC BY-SA 4.0); Maize field in Rural Development Academy, Bogra 01.jpg (Afifa Afrin, CC BY-SA 4.0); Paddy Harvest 02.jpg (Zaheed Sarwer Khan, CC BY 4.0); Ghorashal Polash Fertilizer PLC.jpg (Qmr Zaman 009, CC0); Compost final.jpg (Bernard Dejean, CC BY-SA 4.0); Yellow mustard fields in rural Bangladesh 01.jpg (A S M Jobaer, CC BY-SA 4.0); Charged and inoculated biochar ready for soil application.jpg (Tim Brunauer for GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), CC BY-SA 4.0). Sketches and animation: my own. Narration: synthetic voice.