By Qudsia Bano ISLAMABAD, May 11 (INP-WealthPK): Increased soil pH, heavy metal pollution, a lack of waste treatment technology, unstable soil organic carbon, and soil capacity to exchange ions for use by crop plants, particularly in dryland agriculture, are all well-known issues in Pakistan. The solution to all these issues comes in the form of biochar – the carbon resulting from heating biomass at a high temperature without using oxygen. Biochar offers solutions in terms of climate, agriculture and renewable energy and is emerging as one of many credible solutions to help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. It has a microstructure and acts like a carbon sponge. When mixed with topsoil, its ultraporous structure helps retain water and nutrients which improves the soil quality. Biochar helps counter the negative effects of soil acidity. It also favours the development of microbial life in the soil and its use allows to reduce or even eliminate the need for fertilizers. Talking to WealthPK, Dr. Ashfaq from Agro Climatology Lab of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, said pyrolysis [thermal decomposition of organic material in the absence of oxygen] produces biochar that promotes nutrient and water retention while also producing syngas for bioenergy generation. He said biochar allows the recycling of farm waste. Made at 400°C with a low pH and high cation exchange capacity, biochar is a better option than other amendments because it has the maximum cation exchange capacity and is acceptable for Pakistan's alkaline soils when fed with adequate feedstock, preferably bagasse. According to Dr. Ashfaq, plant nutrients may be directly provided by biochar mixtures of high nutritional value, such as municipal solid organic wastes and animal manures. Biochar treatment improves plant growth and yield in arid environments. There are abundant sources of biomass in Pakistan. 225,000 tonnes of crop residue and approximately 1 million tonnes of animal manure are produced a day in agriculture. “Annually, 5.4 million tonnes of sugarcane bagasse are generated, with 70% of that being used for fuel production; the rest can be used as a feedstock for biochar production rather than being burned. Sugarcane debris and leaves are created at a rate of roughly seven tonnes per hectare, and while most of it is burned, it might be utilized to make biochar,’’ said Dr. Ashfaq. Dr. Ashfaq said while there was enough biomass in Pakistan for biochar production, it was in short supply for biogas production, composting, animal feed, and other uses. Residential neighborhoods, commercial markets, major organizations, businesses, municipal services, and agricultural commodities processing hubs are all suitable locations for solid organic waste collection according to Ashfaq. It's important to distinguish between the municipal solid trash and farm organic waste while making biochar. He said majority of wastewater treatment plants in Pakistan were unable to remove trace metals from the contaminated wastewater and the use of biochar could help tackle this serious challenge, making water fit for use for different purposes.