Applied Carbon – Terra

Applied Carbon enables scalable agriculture adoption of biochar which builds soil health and durably removes excess carbon from the atmosphere.
Applied Carbon has developed the world’s first mobile, in-field biochar production platform that can collect crop residues, convert it to biochar, and apply the biochar to soil, all while moving in the field and in one pass. These mobile systems can also flexibly co-locate with processing facilities or elsewhere depending on need.
The biochar is applied to soils to improve the soil health of agricultural lands, making the economics work for farmers and our ecosystems.

Key Co-benefits of Biochar in Agriculture
1. pH Buffering and Soil Acidity Management
o Biochar provides effective liming effect for acidic soils (pH buffering capacity)
o Applied Carbon's biochar has a pH of 9.7 with 11.8% CaCO3 lime equivalent
o Each MT of biochar applied increases soil pH by approximately 0.1 units
2. Soil Organic Matter Enhancement
o Biochar rapidly enhances the soil organic matter (SOM) pool
o Applied Carbon's biochar increases SOM by approximately 0.05% per MT applied per acre
o Benefits accumulate over time due to biochar's stability
3. Nutrient Retention and Value
o Retains key nutrients during pyrolysis process: phosphorus (3.0 kg/MT) and potassium (30.5 kg/MT)
o Represents nutrient value of ~$22/MT biochar at 2022 fertilizer costs
o Keeps nutrients in field rather than removing them with crop residue
4. Water Holding Capacity and Irrigation Efficiency
o Increases soil water holding capacity, particularly in sandy soils
o Improves water infiltration and reduces surface runoff
o Research indicates 15-20% increase in soil water retention and 25-30% reduction in runoff
5. Erosion Reduction
o Improves soil aggregation and structure
o Studies show 20-30% increase in soil aggregate stability
o Reduces soil erosion through better water management and improved soil structure
6. Crop Productivity Improvements
o Meta-analyses show average yield improvements of 16% across various soils and crops
o Greatest benefits observed in acidic soils (pH ≤ 6.5)
7. Carbon Sequestration
o Provides durable carbon storage while maintaining or increasing soil organic carbon
o Reduces CO2 emissions from soil compared to direct crop residue application
o More effective at sequestering carbon than crop residue removal alternatives.