Introducing urine-enriched biochar-based fertilizer for vegetable production: acceptability and results from rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Improved agricultural practices that increase yields and preserve soils are critical to addressing food insecurity and undernutrition among smallholder farmer families. Urine-enriched biochar has been shown to be an accessible and effective fertilization option in various subtropical countries; however, it is new to Bangladesh. To better understand attitudes and experiences preparing and using urine-enriched biochar fertilizer, mixed-methods research was undertaken among smallholder farmers in northeastern Bangladesh in 2016/2017. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 respondents who had compared the production of crops grown with biochar-based fertilizer to usual practice. In addition, in areas where trainings on biochar-based fertilization had been offered, 845 farmers were asked about their experience through a quantitative survey. Interview results indicated that cow urine-enriched biochar was favored over human urine because cow urine was perceived as clean and socially acceptable, whereas human urine was considered impure and disgusting. Respondents praised biochar-based fertilizer because it increased yields, cost little, was convenient to prepare with readily available natural materials, produced tastier crops, and allowed families to share their larger yields which in turn enhanced social and financial capital. Comparative field trials indicated a 60% yield benefit in both cabbage and kohlrabi crops. Challenges included uneven access to ingredients, with some respondents having difficulty procuring cow urine and biomass feedstock. The low social, health, and financial risk of adoption and the perceived benefits motivated farmers to produce and apply biochar-based fertilizer in their gardens, demonstrating strong potential for scale-up of this technology in Bangladesh.

Potential of Land‐Neutral Negative Emissions Through Biochar Sequestration

“…(2017) and Sutradhar et al. (2021): average YI of 50%–100% within a large number of practitioner field trials), leading to high YI levels as represented in our 30% YI scenario.…”

“…However, the yield response will depend on the management intensity before the biochar amendment. Consequently, when planned reasonably, realizing a biochar program on scarcely managed cropland would include charging the biochar with additional or previously unused organic fertilizers (such as cow urine, Schmidt et al (2017) and Sutradhar et al (2021): average YI of 50%-100% within a large number of practitioner field trials), leading to high YI levels as represented in our 30% YI scenario.…”

“…It can be expected that, as our knowledge in biochar‐based fertilization increases, the use of tailored biochars for different soils and crops will shift toward the most effective, return‐of‐investment strategies of implementation (Joseph et al., 2021; Schmidt et al., 2021). Thus, assuming average YI (as provided by meta‐studies) can be seen as a conservative baseline considering the fact that YI have also been reported for temperate soils at or above 10°C annual mean temperature, or that farmers will use the best (highest) YI practices (Pandit et al., 2018; Schmidt et al., 2017; Sutradhar et al., 2021).…”

Sustainable biochar: A facile strategy for soil and environmental restoration, energy generation, mitigation of global climate change and circular bioeconomy

“…The modification in biochar based fertilizer with polylactic acid has demonstrated 70% crop production efficiency over conventional nitrogen fertilizers that have 30-40 % efficiency (Cen et al, 2021). The evidence from the field study indicated that a urine-enriched biochar enriched the crop production yield by 60% in rural areas of Bangladesh (Sutradhar et al, 2021). Praveen et al (2021) reported that the biochar derived from feed stocks such as coconut shell (CS), groundnut shell (GS) and rice husk (RH) costs about 0.61 USD, 0.57 USD and 0.57USD per kg, respectively.…”

Application of Sheep Urine Fermentation and Biochar Coconut for Growth Vegetables Plant

“…Urine, both animal and human products, includes liquid waste that is easily accessible, inexpensive and is an organic product that contains high nutrients for plant growth (Sutradhar et al, 2021). Urine waste contains various substances needed for plant growth.…”