Evaluación de la calidad del biocarbón producido a través de restos de podas de tres especies forestales en fundación “La Iguana” ubicado en el cantón Guayaquil provincia del Guayas.

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the quality of biochar (biocarbon or biochar, product of heating tree biomass) through pruning remains of three plant species. This study took place at the La Iguana Foundation, Guayas province, which is an organization without ends of profit, whose objective is to recover and reforest our cities with native trees, being an immediate solution to counteract the effects of climate change. The waste from the plant is used in biochar through a process called pyrolysis inside special furnaces. The result can be used to enrich the farmland, increasing the carbon content, helping to retain moisture and at the same time providing certain chemicals components. After this, the product was taken to the laboratory for the analysis of different properties such as: potential of Hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity, percentage of humidity, percentage of ash and total carbon, among others. The research determined that the biochar of the three species was optimal for incorporation into the soil because their properties were similar to each other, it means that none of the individuals was better than another one, but all three were useful for soil improvement in terms of: balance the pH, increase humidity conservation, favor microbial activity, reduce salinity, develop porosity and help plant growth. Likewise, it was feasible to mix biochar with fertilizer to provide macronutrients to the soil. A production cost of around USD 62.37 per day was also calculated for the production of 85.88 kg of biochar. Finally, it was recommended to carry out studies on the incorporation of biochar in the soil for future research on crop development.