The project is being funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, will complete in 2029, and promises emissions reduction, flood protection and improved crop yield.
A Healthier Earth, Cefetra, the UK Agri-Tech Centre and UK Centre for Ecology & Hyrdrology have secured £1.34 million in grant support from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
Working as a consortium, the group will develop a biochar-based, low cost and low carbon fertiliser specifically for UK cereal farmers. The aim is to reduce the presence of both carbon emissions and nitrogen run off in the environment, improving soil health.
’Farmers are already leading the next wave of innovation, and we’re backing them through the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered with Innovate UK, to turn cutting-edge research into practical solutions on farm,’ said Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle.
‘This project will develop a lower-cost, low-carbon fertiliser for cereal growers is a strong example: cutting emissions linked to nitrogen use and improving soil health and resilience,’ she continued. ‘It’s exactly what our Plan for Change is designed to deliver – supporting rural growth and long-term food security by helping farms cut emissions and increase productivity.’
In order to produce the fertiliser, farm waste will be converted into biochar before being added to poultry fly ash. This material has the potential to lock away carbon for centuries and, if added to farmland, significantly boosts production and water retention, helping with flood mitigation.
UK agriculture currently produces 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, with more than half – 1.47 million – linked to nitrogen fertilisers through field emissions and manufacturing processes. Biochar Innovations, a British company, first began work on this concept several years ago, with initial trials generating around 23% less applied nitrogen with no loss of yield.
‘This is an exciting moment for us, as we bring together a consortium of leading experts and organisations to build a robust, science backed use case for biochar in UK agriculture,’ said Alastair Collier, Chief R&D Officer, A Healthier Earth.
‘Biochar is one of the most promising forms of carbon removal available today and has the added benefit of improving soil, but right now farmer adoption is low,’ he continued. ‘The funding will go towards our research and development to create a product that helps address this issue, engineering a fertiliser that works agronomically, reduces emissions, and creates clear economic value for farmers.‘
Image: Collab Media / Unsplash
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