Save Our Earth

Enviroscaping is the art and science of establishing and maintaining an environment-friendly, more sustainable landscape, conserving and recycling the available natural resources. It is designed and established keeping in view the specific environmental issues associated with an area of land. Enviroscaping is a low-impact landscape that conserves energy and supports natural resources.  

Aspects of Enviroscaping

In short, enviroscaping aims at conserving energy/resources. it has the following environmental aspects:

Energy conservation

Increasing heat directly impacts the overall global temperature. There is a need to conserve energy as much as possible to make the earth survivable for the coming generations. Planting shade trees, groundcovers, and windbreaks to make the surrounding environment a little bit cooler is an old and valuable practice. Trees and ground covers are the commodities that require the least maintenance. Once established, they will keep growing without demanding much attention. They provide shade, shelter, oxygen, and absorb carbon dioxide, air pollutants, unpleasant sounds, wind-shelter, and much more. Native plants are usually preferred in enviroscaping; however, some non-native plants grow better in local climates as compared with the native ones (Buffington & Black, 1985).

Soil conservation

Soil conservation means keeping it healthy. Healthy soil can produce healthy plants that directly impact people’s lives and health. Soil filters the water and passes it into the natural waterways preventing soil erosion by conserving a seamless vegetative soil cover and providing life to the terrestrial animals. 

Air quality

Polluted air is the cause of numerous diseases and disorders in both humans and animals. Air quality also affects climate; for example, it can alter the precipitation level, which is directly related to rain patterns. Plants, either trees, shrubs, grass, container plants, or even indoor plants, can bring slow but impactful changes in the air quality. Plants constantly absorb carbon dioxide (which is one of the major gases among greenhouse gases), release oxygen, transpire one-third of the water they absorb, phytoremediation of the pollutants in the air and soil, and provide shelter to the wildlife, conserve biodiversity, and a lot more. 

• In enviroscaping, evergreen plants, either trees or shrubs, are preferred. 
• Native plants which require less water and maintenance and have less susceptibility to insect pests attack are given preference.
• The aim of planting trees in enviroscaping should be to bring positive changes in the air, soil, water quality, and health. 

Solid waste management

Recycling is the best solution for managing solid waste. There should be a proper system to recycle the household waste at the house or town level so that it can be convenient to manage and redeliver. An enthusiast of enviroscaping would not let a single material go wasted that is of any use whatsoever. You can make compost, vermicompost, containers, and decorative materials for the plants from the solid waste. 

Noise abatement

Noise pollution disturbs wildlife, mating schedule, sense of hearing, etc.; plants absorb the sound waves and deflect them. In enviroscaping, plants are established in eye-catchy patterns to not only give an attractive view but also absorb unwanted sounds (Botteldooren, 2008).

ENVIROSCAPING FUNCTIONS

Improving wildlife habitat

With the decrease in the trees and shelter places for the animals and birds and with the increase in the water, air, and noise pollution, wildlife is under serious threat. There is a need to conserve the wildlife in their natural and also outside their natural habitats to conserve the food chain. This is possible by establishing botanical gardens, gene pools, DNA banks, zoos, wildlife parks, etc.

Creating open-air living spaces

Decorating the outdoor spaces with plants and plant materials beautifies the environment and cleans the outdoor air. 

Making home and work green places/value-addition

Creating patios, decks, and outside seating enhances the value of your property. Enviroscaping aims at establishing low-impact landscapes and gardens that conserve energy and natural resources. Backyard landscaping is one of the best parts of enviroscaping.

Filtering and reusing the drinking water

“If there is magic in nature, it is in the water.”

Water is the main driving force behind every life and mechanism. According to the WWF report, more than 1.1 billion people do not have access to fresh water, and 2.7 billion people face water scarcity for at least one month/year. It has been predicted that by 2025, 2/3rd of the world population may face water shortage problems. 

Therefore, there should be a proper mechanism to harvest the rain and irrigation water. Catchment areas should be converted into vegetable gardens to not let even a drop of water go to waste. 

Cleaning and filtering the outdoor and indoor air

There are many air cleaning machines, but none as efficient as plants. Plants have built-in mechanisms to take in the gases that are harmful to humans and the climate. The most dangerous gases present in indoor and outdoor air are carbon monoxide, methane, benzene, toluene, and many air pollutants like oxides of nitrogen and Sulphur. Not a single plant can absorb all pollutants; however, every single plant absorbs pollutants. If we can efficiently plant enough trees, keeping in mind their specifications, it is possible to control air pollution. We just have to take the initiative, and the plants will play the next role!

Conservation of natural resources

“If we fail in conserving our natural resources, we can never succeed in any field of life” Natural resources include water, soil, fossil fuels, minerals, and animals. Everything from food to fuel that human beings consume has a direct or indirect link with natural resources. The question is, how can we conserve these natural resources through enviroscaping?

• Recycle, reuse the water, plant trees that absorb minimum water from the soil, efficiently utilize the rainwater, build ponds and small dams to store excess water, etc.
• Plant trees and cover crops to prevent soil erosion, build soil’s organic matter, and restore soil biota.
• Fossil fuels come at the top of the list of causes of global warming and climate change. There is a need to switch to less destructive and more environment-friendly sources of energy, for example, solar cars, electric vehicles, etc. 

Books and Publications on Enviroscaping

• Meerow, A. W., & Black, R. J. (1993). Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy: Guide to Microclimate Modification. University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, EDIS.
• Sharath, M. K., & Peter, K. V. (2019). Enviroscaping: An environment friendly landscaping. In Sustainable Green Technologies for Environmental Management (pp. 1-27). Springer, Singapore.
• Baruah, N., Sarkar, S., Roy, B. C., & Sinha, R. C. (2019). Quantitative analysis of sound absorption properties of plants in indoor environment for enabling sustainable practices. International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 22(4-5), 223-235.
• Buffington, d., & black, r. (1985). Plant materials for residential energy conservation–life cycle costing. In passive and low energy ecotechniques (pp. 795-805): Elsevier.
• Botteldooren, D., De Coensel, B., Van Renterghem, T., Dekoninck, L., & Gillis, D. (2008). The urban soundscape–a different perspective. Sustainable mobility in Flanders: The livable city, 177-204.

What is Vermiponics?

Vermiponics is a combination of two techniques, “Hydroponics or Aquaponics” and “Vermiculture or Vermicomposting.” It involves the utilization of diluted worm tea (water run through the worm poop), which is a nutrient-rich material as the source of nutrients for growing plants. The difference between aquaculture and vermiponics is that the vermiponics technique utilizes vermicompost as a nutrient source instead of using fish waste as they do in aquaponics.

Vermiponic Garden Establishment

A vermiponic garden is a great idea for anyone who doesn’t have the space or the soil quality to grow a conventional vegetable garden. By creating a somewhat closed system of water circulation and worm composting, we can create a system that can grow vegetables for the family, regardless of local rainfall, soil fertility, and water restrictions.

 Most folks who hear the term worm tea get a bit turned off at first, but once they realize the growth potential and environmental benefits of this system, they understand the value.

There isn’t much information out there about creating your own vermiponics setup, so we will do our best to get you the essential information you need to get started. The beauty of a system like this is that it doesn’t need to be built in any particular way; you can use whatever resources you can get your hands on, as long as they serve their purpose.

The Advantages of Vermiponics

• Use yard and kitchen waste to create nutrients for your vegetable garden.
• The water used in the system is recycled over and over again.
• As long as you don’t add anything weird to your compost, the” worm tea” will be organic.
• The system is contained, so it can function almost anywhere that it can get sun.
• The system is contained, so it won’t make a big mess and can sit in a driveway or on a patio.
• The system can help collect rainwater to be even more efficient.
• The worm tea is very rich and beneficial for plant health and growth.
• The entire system can be run on solar energy if you would like.
• The system can be built using salvaged parts if you are clever and creative.

The Basic Concept

• One tank up high – Water from the bottom tank (worm tea) is slowly pumped into this upper tank. When the tank fills, a bell siphon is used to draw the nutritious water from this tank and sprinkle it on the mid-level tank.
• One tank down low – This bottom tank collects and holds the worm tea (mix of water and worm poop). A small pump in this tank (can be solar if you like) slowly pumps the tea into the top tank to fill it.
• Middle tank or tanks – There are three ways to approach the middle. You can use one tank with a perforated bottom, fill it with compost and worms, and plant right into it. When the water from the upper tank gets sprinkled on this tank, it will drain through and fall back into the bottom tank. Or, you can use two or three middle tanks. In addition to the compost and plant tank, an upper middle tank with gravel or some other fast-draining material that you plant into and a lower-middle that holds only compost and worms.

The one middle tank setup is the quick and dirty approach which may not be ideal. With this approach, compost, worms, and plants are in the same tank, so adding and stirring compost will be tricky when it is full of plants.

The two or three middle tank setups separate the plants from the worms and compost, making it easier to manage the vermicomposting activities without disturbing the plants.

This entire system is very experimental, so if you are going to attempt this, you should do so with the understanding that it will take a bit of trial and error before you get it right.

Design Considerations

• Having the tanks stacked makes it easy to have water draining from one tank to the next using gravity and very little plumbing but makes tending the plants and compost more difficult as stacked tanks are hard to work with.
• Having each tank separate will take up more room and require more elaborate plumbing but will make planting, harvesting, and working the compost much more manageable.
• Realize that any time that you have plumbing fittings entering and leaving tanks, you have the potential for leaks.
• Consider placing the upper tank somewhere where it can collect rainwater to lessen the need to fill the tank.
• This system can also be built without the upper tank and simply have a pump on a timer to move water from the lower tank to sprinkle the middle tanks. The use of the upper tank allows for constant slow pumping, simplifying the system (maybe).
• Different plants will want different growing mediums. While lettuce will do well in gravel washed in water, other plants such as vine crops might need some soil to grow in.
• Make sure that the middle tanks have excellent drainage on the bottom. Usually, washed stone covered by a geosynthetic cloth will do.
• Understand that with any water flow system, composting, and plants, it will take some time to get the correct water flow and media for the system to work correctly.
• Pipe sizing, perforation sizing, siphon construction, media type, tank size, and plant type will all vary depending on your individual needs and wants.
• The material added to the compost tank will determine the nutrients in the worm tea, so be sure to add a wide variety of compostable materials and make sure that they are all organic.
• It is always beneficial to aerate water, so adding a small aerating diffuser to the bottom tank will help to keep the water healthy.
• Adding goldfish to the bottom tank can help keep the water healthy and alleviate any concerns about mosquitoes.

Building a Vermiponic System

1: Material required for Vermiponic garden establishment:

• Tanks – These can be any sort of tank, barrel, IBC(intermediate bulk) containers, storage bins, or any other kind of vessel that you can get your hands on. You are the designer and the builder, so feel free to use whatever you think will suit your needs the best.
• Growing medium – This can be plain compost or any smooth gravel, husks, clay balls, perlite, coco coir, etc.
• Pump – The pump should be small and submersible. The size of this pump will depend significantly on the size of your system. More water flow will require a bigger pump. It can be 110 volts, but running it on solar might be more earth-friendly.
• Fittings – These are usually either plastic or PVC. Choose fittings that match the rest of your materials. Mixing different plastics, etc., will often result in leaks.
• Piping – pick what is easiest to work with for you. Many people choose PVC for its rigidity and ease of coupling, while others select poly for the ability to curve and flex.
• Fabric – This must allow water to pass readily and should not decompose. It will be used above the drainage stone to keep the soil separate. Geosynthetics are typically chosen for their economy and longevity.
•  Drainage stone – You will need this on the bottom of the middle tanks to make sure that water flows freely out of the bottom of the tank. Typically a few inches of 1″ washed stone will work. Without the stone, the perforations on the bottom of the middle tanks will get plugged with soil, and the tanks will stop draining.

2: Assembly

I will not give you specific building instructions but rather some basic diagrams to illustrate the concepts. The exact layout and design will be dictated by your abilities, the availability of materials, and your project’s scale. I would recommend getting the system working before planting to ensure the health of the plants.

The five-tank stacked vermiponics system – This system will work well once the proper water flow is established.

The four-tank stacked vermiponics system – This one is just a bit more simple, removing the lower plant tank; otherwise, all of the same concepts apply. You can simplify it further by planting directly into the worm and compost tank, turning it into a three-tank system.

The four-tank horizontal vermiponics system – This is the same concept, just spread out horizontally to make it easier to work with each tank. This will simply take more structure and plumbing.

The three tank and trough vermiponics system – This system works just like traditional hydroponics where the worm tea is run through planting troughs. These work well for leafy plants like lettuce.

Benefits of Vermiponics

• Enhanced Plant Growth and Development – Earthworms partially digest the organic matter and excrete that partially digested food without absorbing its nutrients. That is the secret behind the nutrient status of worm castings. Vermiwash or worm tea is composed of micronutrients (Ndegwa and Thompson, 2000), Cellulose and Amylase, Vitamins, Phosphate (Das et al., 2014; Tripathi et al., 2005), and decomposer bacteria involved in growth, solubilization of minerals, soil buffering, and pathogen control respectively. That should about cover it!
• Easy to Maintain and Grow – Worms are easy to keep alive compared to fish. They can withstand wide changes in alkalinity and acidity, reproduce rapidly, and have a longer life span than fish. Earthworms, specifically red wigglers, tolerate extreme summer and winter temperatures, while fish cannot withstand such large temperature fluctuations. Earthworms have an average life span of 7-10 years, so one investment in worms can mean a whole lot of worm poop. This system will take care of itself for years to come.
• Sustainable Gardening Practice – Growing vegetables sustainably can benefit people of all lifestyles and help our earth at the same time. Imagine all of the additional plants and healthy people we would have if this idea caught on and became popular. Aquaponics is an expensive investment and more challenging to manage, while hydroponics usually relies on the purchase of synthetic fertilizers, which are much less earth-friendly than worm poop. Neither of these can hold a candle to vermiponics.
• Organic Food Supply – From preparation to harvest, everything is natural. Vermiponics is a sustainable source of food production that utilizes earthworms to convert waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer. People usually confuse Vermiponics with vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a natural organic compost prepared by feeding the earthworms upon organic waste, whereas, Vermiponics is the production of plants by utilizing the worm tea as a source of nutrients.
• Waste/Pollution Control – According to the EPA statistics, an average American produces almost 4.40 pounds of solid waste per day, and that is a lot! If every 4 out of 10 persons started utilizing at least some of their waste in a Vermiponics system, we could sure grow a lot of yummy vegetables.
•  Vermiponics is Economical – You have to make an initial investment and get food at home for the next ten years with minimal to no effort. Singh, R. P., Singh, P., Araujo, A. S., Ibrahim, M. H., & Sulaiman, O. (2011)
• Suppression of Soil Diseases – Earthworm castings are antibiotic containing several phenolic compounds that are very useful against soil pathogens and insect pests. They establish a symbiotic relationship with the soil microbes, producing plant growth hormones and suppressing plant rot diseases. For example, Fusarium fungi are damage-causing pathogens of all winter vegetables, cereals, etc. and earthworms are suitable in controlling Fusarium infection (Hendrix, P. F., & Bohlen, P. J. (2002)
• No Watering or Weeding – Compared to your conventional vegetable garden that takes hours of weeding and many gallons of water to maintain, this system practically takes care of itself. Even if you have a vast tract of land, you may still be interested in vermiponics for these two reasons alone.

Conclusion

Creating a vermiponics system that suits your lifestyle isn’t necessarily an easy or straightforward endeavor, but it certainly has the potential to pay big dividends over time. Keep in mind that we are trying to get the best that nature has to offer in a small space. We need to take care to ensure the plants and worms in our system stay healthy. Circulating too much or too little water through your system can undoubtedly influence the health of both. It is up to you to take the time to experiment with different variations until you find the proper balance. Start small and grow the system as your comfort and knowledge grow.

FAQs:

Question: what is the difference between Aquaponics and Vermiponics?

Answer: Aquaponics is the production of plants by utilizing the farmed fish or other aquatic animal waste (nutrient-rich) as a nutrient source for the plants. While in Vermiponics, worm castings or worm tea (and not fish waste) is utilized by the plants as a source of nutrients for their growth and development.

Question: Why prefer Vermiponics over Aquaponics?

Answer: Vermiponics has many advantages over aquaponics. For example, earthworms are tolerant to wide temperature fluctuations; hence, they are easy to keep alive. They have a life span of more than eight years, while fish are challenging to raise and maintain. Worm castings are wholesome food for the plants, while fish waste is not a complete plant food.

Question: Which species of earthworms are suitable for Vermiponics?

Answer: The following 4 are the most commonly used earthworm species by gardeners and Vermiculturists:

• Red Wiggler (Eisenia fetida)
• European Night-Crawler (Eisenia hortensis)
• African Night-Crawler (Eudrilus eugeniae)
• Blue-worms (Perionyx excavates)

Question: How do you practice Vermiponics?

Answer: Vermiponics is not difficult to establish and maintain, and it just needs a few types of equipment, e.g., containers, soil, compost, and most importantly, “earthworms.” You can seek help from the above article to establish and maintain your very own vermiponics system.

References:

Gudeta, K., Julka, J. M., Kumar, A., Bhagat, A., & Kumari, A. (2021). Vermiwash: An agent of disease and pest control in soil, a review. Heliyon, 7(3), e06434.

Roy, R., Singh, S. K., Chauhan, L. K. S., Das, M., Tripathi, A., & Dwivedi, P. D. (2014). Zinc oxide nanoparticles induce apoptosis by enhancement of autophagy via PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition. Toxicology letters, 227(1), 29-40.

Singh, R. P., Singh, P., Araujo, A. S., Ibrahim, M. H., & Sulaiman, O. (2011). Management of urban solid waste: Vermicomposting a sustainable option. Resources, conservation and recycling, 55(7), 719-729.

Hendrix, P. F., & Bohlen, P. J. (2002). Exotic earthworm invasions in North America: ecological and policy implications: expanding global commerce may be increasing the likelihood of exotic earthworm invasions, which could have negative implications for soil processes, other animal and plant species, and importation of certain pathogens. Bioscience, 52(9), 801-811.

Sustainable agriculture is the implementation of wise agricultural methods now to fulfill our present needs for food and fuel without compromising the needs of future generations of people. Sustainable farming methods not only provide sustainability to the food systems but also to the economy of a country.

Methods of Sustainable Agriculture

Intensive soil cultivation using synthetic chemicals and fertilizers destroys soil through soil erosion, nutrient deficiency, and uncontrollable plant diseases. The sprays used to control plant diseases affect human, animal, and environmental health. Sustainable Agriculture provides various flexible ways to restore soil fertility, plant immunity, and ecosystem health.

Sustainable Intensification

Sustainable intensive farming utilizes various mechanisms, including improved cultivars, decreased frequency of fallow years, alternative ways of disease control, crop rotation, highest crop yield per area of land, etc., to best develop food and animals.

Sustainable Intensification has become popular among the United Nations because it mainly focuses on sustainable energy flow, nutrient recycling, water cycle, and productivity. Intensive farming can be accomplished through the use of intercropping, crop rotation, and permaculture.

Zero-Waste Agriculture

Zero-waste agriculture involves planting cover and legume crops during fallow periods to improve the soil’s nitrogen and other nutrient levels. Another example is the introduction of ornamental flowers in commercial crops to suppress the pest population and improve pollen availability rate.

Vertical Farming

Vertical farming is of great importance in urban areas where space and water availability are the primary issue. Production of vegetables, low-calorie plants, lettuce, etc., can be easily and efficiently (soil-less farming methods are usually adopted) grown through vertical farming.

Multi-trophic Aquaculture

In Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, the waste from one side is utilized as a fertilizer or compost on another side; for example, the nutrient-rich wastewater from aquaculture can be utilized as irrigation water in vertical farming.

Soil Nutrients

“The soil is our eternal metabolism. It must be free of herbicides and pesticides, or the body cannot heal”. The use of compost, Vermicompost, Farmyard Manure, Biofertilizers, etc., to improve soil fertility instead of continual chemical applications are organic ways to heal our soil, plants, humans, and environment. Organic fertilizers ad microorganisms into the ground, which are the essential elements that give life to the soil. They improve soil aeration, decompose the substances to convert nutrients into plant’s available forms, and develop a symbiotic association with the plants that benefit both of them.

Pests and Weeds

Common garden pests, including aphids, mites, moths, bats, snails, etc., can be easily controlled using homemade garlic soap solutions, appropriate cultural practices, and aspirin solutions for various common fungal diseases. In the same way, all kinds of garden weeds can be easily controlled using corn gluten (acts as a pre-emergence herbicide), vinegar-soap solution (having acidity 5), and hoeing.

Using disease resistant and stress tolerant plants is a sure-fire way to allow nature to care for itself. By planting hardy native plant varieties, we eliminate the need for us humans to interfere on behalf of the plant.

Wendell Berry says that “A Sustainable Agriculture depletes neither the People nor the Land.” The only investment we can make for a better future is in agriculture. The key factors in sustainable agriculture are the time of sowing, sowing of perennial crops, crop rotation in commercial farming, efficient irrigation practices, suitable harvesting methods, and creating no waste or utilizing every kind of waste.

In modern agriculture, various disease resistance and stress-tolerant varieties have been planted to minimize pesticide usage and compete with climate changes. If you are not harming your environment, you can grow whatever you like (every kind of plant is a contribution to sustainability); either you want to opt for kitchen gardening, ornamental plants, or turfgrass only on your property. (dos Santos, de Moura Régis, & do Nascimento, 2021) 

Indigenous Agriculture

Native Americans have been practicing sustainable farming for decades. They grow their indigenous plants and use them as food, animal feed, and soil composts production. They produce a variety of seasonal crops to avoid the dependence on a single crop throughout the year. In indigenous farming, farmers plant the native varieties to ensure minimum disease and maximum yield. They practice crop rotation by planting leguminous crops in between every commercial crop or seasonal vegetable to replenish the soil nutrients harvested. They perform zero-waste farming by manufacturing compost from every kind of field waste, crop by-product, animal manure, etc. And, they practice Intercropping by planting an additional short-term crop within a standing crop to get additional income or food.

“Anishinaabe” is a tribe in the US that follows the ideology of “Honorable Harvest.” This ideology emphasizes that “People should take only what they need and consume and utilize properly what they take.” They further explain it as never harvest more than you need, never harvest more than half of the plant, and never harvest the first plant to keep it growing in the future. (Frandy & Cederström, 2017)

5 Key Principles of Sustainable Agriculture

1. Sustainable Food and Agriculture
   • According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) vision, sustainable agriculture is one in which food is available for everyone without compromising the availability to the coming generations and must be obtained by natural means.
   • Under this vision, the foresters, farmers, gardeners, fisherfolk, and rural dwellers must have equitable rights, access to the resources, have their voices heard, have financial stability, and enjoy decent employment because No Farmers means No Future.
2. Protection of Natural Resources
   • You can say that sustainability is directly related to protecting our natural resources. We must protect our soil from erosion and degradation, and we must protect and conserve our water. We are protecting our native plants and our population from extinction by protecting these natural resources. Over the last fifty years, the rampant use of chemicals has degraded soil, made the pests more resistant, and polluted the groundwater in a way that is not likely to be recovered even in the coming fifty years.
3. Stability of the Farmer ensures the Stability of Farming
   • “Farming is a Profession of Hope.” Farmers are the backbone of agriculture. The only source of income for the farmers is their land and what it can produce. They are often pressed to grow as much as possible regardless of the side effects. There is a need to educate the farmers about pesticides and herbicides’ damaging effects and teach and inspire them to conserve natural resources. Many of the destructive farming practices of today stem from government policy and incentives, so turning the tide back toward nature will need to start there.
   • Farming is not the stable, hard work that it used to be. Nowadays, it is very expensive and risky, and more and more, the smaller, more natural farmers are being overtaken by the large, industrialized commercial farms. If we want stability and sustainability, we must move away from chemicals and invest effort into nature.
4. Introduction of Drought and Salt tolerant Plant Varieties
   • “Profit is yours, and Loss is ours” farmers hesitate to plant new varieties due to the fear of unknown results. In developed countries, the government facilitates the farmers through subsidies to build their confidence to adopt the new plant varieties and methods of farming. Recourse conservation, increased yield, a healthy environment, and biodiversity are the principles of sustainability. (Sullivan, 2003)
5. Regenerative Agriculture
   • Regenerative agriculture is the recycling of resources as much as possible. It also involves the protection of topsoil, water, biodiversity, and climate. How can a farmer do this? He cannot do all this alone; everyone has to contribute in the same way as all the body parts contribute so that we become able to perform a task. (Rhodes, 2012)

Advantages of Sustainable Agriculture

• Economic Stability – More than 40% of the world population is directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. Increased crop productivity provides more raw material to the industries associated with agriculture. The export rate of major crops also directly benefits a country’s economy.
• Healthy food – I am sure that if we were all educated on organic food’s value and healing effects, we would make wiser choices at the market. Misleading advertising and packaging and government agencies selling to the highest bidder have led us to believe that chemically treated and overprocessed foods are the norm. Society, as a whole, must stand up and insist on organic, healthy food. Our lives depend on it.
• Conservation of Nonrenewable Resources for Future – The principle of sustainability is to provide food for the present without compromising the needs of the future. Conservation of nonrenewable resources is the need of the day.
• Pollution Reduction – When humans aren’t physically or chemically destroying natural resources, the environment can maintain itself. All that we need to do is get out of the way. Adopting biological pest control and fertilization methods and the conservation of native species are all methods of sustainable farming that will allow nature to heal itself over time.
• Urban Pollution Reduction – Urban areas worldwide are the most polluted areas in terms of air, water, noise, and soil pollution. Sustainable gardening and environmental cleaning methods such as vertical farming, aquaculture, and wetland filtration systems are all applicable in urban areas where land and water depletion are significant issues.
• Biodiversity Conservation – Native plants and conventional organic farming methods promote biodiversity. Stable biodiversity ensures an undisturbed food chain.
• Elimination of Soil Erosion – Continued harvesting and chemical fertilization deprives our soils of beneficial microbes and organic nutrients, causing the loss of topsoil. Soil erosion is a serious threat to future crops. Planting beneficial and native vegetation and practicing permaculture will eliminate this threat, but soil restoration is a slow process. 

Conclusion

There is no model where the current destructive and toxifying practices of commercial, industrialized farming can be sustained for the long term. Our current consumptive mindset and methods serve this generation, but at severe cost to the next generation. Our only hope for sustained, long-term use of this earth and its valuable, nurturing resources is to educate the population to support sustainable agricultural processes exclusively. Every time you buy industrially processed foods from large agriculture, you are casting a vote to destroy this earth. This needs to stop, so that future generations can enjoy the natural world that we have been enjoying.

References:

Avgoustaki, D. D., & Xydis, G. (2020). Indoor vertical farming in the urban nexus context: Business growth and resource savings. Sustainability, 12(5), 1965.

Besthorn, F. H. (2013). Vertical farming: Social work and sustainable urban agriculture in an age of global food crises. Australian Social Work, 66(2), 187-203.

dos Santos, L. S., de Moura Régis, M., & do Nascimento, A. P. B. (2021). Community gardens: contribution to food safety and social inclusion. Revista Nacional de Gerenciamento de Cidades, 9(69).

Frandy, T., & Cederström, B. M. (2017). Sustainable power: Decolonising sustainability through Anishinaabe birchbark canoe building Going Beyond (pp. 217-230): Springer.

Rhodes, C. J. (2012). Feeding and healing the world: through regenerative agriculture and permaculture. Science progress, 95(4), 345-446.

Sullivan, P. (2003). Applying the principles of sustainable farming. National Center for Appropriate Technology, http://attra. ncat. org/attra-pub/PDF/Transition. pdf (accessed January 2011).

Biochar is a charcoal-like material made by burning forestry or agricultural wastes in the absence of oxygen. The process of manufacturing biochar is called pyrolysis. In the absence of oxygen, organic matter burns slowly without releasing the contaminating fumes and stored carbon during the process. Due to the lack of oxygen involved in pyrolysis, we are left with hard, porous black, carbon-rich material rather than the soft white ash that we get with an oxygen-rich burn. Biochar is lightweight, similar in appearance to ordinary coal, and is an environmentally friendly material that is mostly carbon. Biochar can be bought commercially, but the best part about biochar is that you can easily make it yourself using your waste twigs and wood.

Applications of Biochar

Soil Amendment

Biochar is a healthy soil conditioner that improves the physical as well as chemical properties of the soil. It helps soil in two ways; its physical presence will help to increase the porosity and water holding capabilities of the soil, while its nutrient properties will leach into the surrounding soils and improve their ability to sustain and nourish plant material. Biochar will also increase the soil pH, and biochar will contribute Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium.

Biochar works best with the inorganic fertilizer as it absorbs the nutrients first from the soil. Recently, it has been found that biochar improves the microbial life of soil as well (NAJAR, GANIE, & Tahir, 2015). When soil’s physical, chemical, and biological life improves, water retention capacity also improves. The pore size of biochar is also important as bigger pores will retain water for longer time periods (Guo, 2020).

Slash-and Char

Slash-and Char instead of Slash-and Burn is a comparatively better technique adopted in Brazil to get the better crop yield, protect the Amazon basin from deforestation, and reduce carbon dioxide emission. Slash-and Char has the ability to retain more than 50% of the organic carbon from the organic materials into the soil, while slash-and-burn retains only 3%. It slowly releases the nutrients creating a long-term and beneficial investment for the farmers (Lehmann et al., 2002).

Far too often, vast piles of hard to dispose of branches, twigs, bark, and leaves are burned in open pile fires to dispose of the material perceived as waste when land is cleared, and trees are cut. By implementing a system for instead creating biochar from this “waste material,” we can store carbon instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. Then we can blend it into the existing soils, dramatically increasing future crop yields.

Carbon Sink

The burning of fossil fuels releases a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide that eventually becomes the source of global warming. Biochar manufacturing also releases carbon dioxide; however, less than half as much when compared to fossil fuels, and the remaining carbon becomes indefinitely stable. It sequesters carbon for hundreds of years. Climate change experts report that the continuous use of biochar could decrease the carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and methane emissions up to 1.8 billion tons (Abagandura, Chintala, Sandhu, Kumar, & Schumacher, 2019).

Stock Fodder

An Australian farmer has reported that biochar mixed with molasses can be used as livestock fodder. He claims it improves metabolism and milk production with reduced odor and has no negative impact on the health of animals. Please use caution and start very slowly when experimenting with alternate uses of biochar. As with any new process, great care and patience should be exercised.

How to use biochar in your garden?

Charge Your Biochar

Charging the biochar simply means that by mixing biochar with organic compost, the biochar will soak in some of the nutrients from the compost and make it ready for the soil. This is beneficial because biochar is so porous and absorptive on its own that it will pull nutrients out of the soil at first. By charging it with compost, you allow the biochar to charge itself with nutrients from the compost rather than the topsoil. By doing this first, you can alleviate the short-term adverse nutritional effects that pure biochar will have on garden soil.

An excellent charging mix is to use half biochar and half compost, mix it and allow it to sit for ten days or so before adding it to your planting soil.

Be aware that biochar can be hot and flammable for a long time, even if it is cool to the touch on the outside. Experts suggest wetting your biochar when removed from the cooker and never storing it indoors or near any flamables.

Application Method

Seeding your soil with biochar is a great way to guarantee that the coming generations will have clean air and healthy soils.

You can apply biochar in the following three ways:

• Topdressing: as the term indicates, you simply lay down a layer of your biochar and compost mix and wet it down.
• Tilling: with the help of a tiller machine, you can easily till in the compost and biochar mixture as you would any other soil amendment.
• Soil Mix: in the case of containers and pot plantings, you can simply blend the biochar mix you’re your planting soil and use it as you would any other planting medium.

Why do we use biochar in home gardens?

1. Non-Toxic: increased carbon sequestration decreases its concentration in the atmosphere. Biochar will help our environment, and it sequesters carbon and releases it very slowly compared with the other organic fertilizers, thus reducing the greenhouse effect.
2. Improves Plant’s Growth: the structure of biochar is the actual nutrient holder. It was a living tissue that got burned, so it contains carbon and magnesium, nitrogen, calcium, and other minor nutrients.
3. Habitat for the Soil Biota: Biochar is manufactured by a process known as pyrolysis. This creates many microscopic spaces in the structure of the charcoal-like material, which provides a very favorable environment for the soil microbes to thrive.
4. Buffer for the Soil: Biochar effectively reduces the toxicity of heavy metals present in the ground. A scientific study reveals that the green bean plants grown in biochar-amended soil did not show the heavy metal toxicity (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, etc.) compared to the plants grown in non-amended soils  (Prapagdee, Piyatiratitivorakul, Petsom, Tawinteung, & Pollution, 2014).

FAQs Related to Biochar

Question: How can I make my own biochar?

Answer: To make the perfect biochar, sources will tell you that you should build an outer drum with high and low holes and then insert an inner drum into it with low holes. Fill the inner drum with twigs, branches, and wood debris, cap the inner drum, fill the areas between the two with wood to burn. Light the entire top and edges above the drum and then cap it with the drum lid with a chimney. This lets the outer drum burn and heat the inner drum to create biochar but not burn.

In reality, you can create some form of biochar without all of the contraptions by simply creating a hole in the ground or using a drum and placing wood in it to start it burning and then lay on layers as it begins to charcoal. Add more and more layers as the burn progresses. The idea is to snuff out the oxygen from the lower layers before they entirely burn and turn to ash. Once your hole is full of slowly smoldering wood and the top is starting to look like charcoal, douse it with water to put it out, let it sit for a day or two, dig it out, mix it with aged compost and let it sit for ten days or so.

Any biochar-making process will take some time to perfect, and you are sure to make some ashes in the process, but stick with it, and you will come up with a process that works for you.

Question: Is making biochar dangerous?

Answer: Making biochar is essentially playing with fire, so yes, it is potentially very dangerous. If you create a biochar cooker out of drums, the steel will get very hot and dangerous. The flames and sparks from biochgar making can certainly start houses, grasses, trees, and any flammable matter on fire. You must always use caution to only create biochar in areas where there are no dry materials to catch fire and always keep ample water available to quench your fire.

Question: How much biochar will be good annually?

Answer: This all depends on your soil. You could plant right into your compost and biochar mix, so it is not a problem. Be aware that it is essential to mix the compost and biochar and let it sit for at least ten days. You will see good results if you make a 50/50 mix of compost and biochar and then mix that at about 20% bichar mix/80 soil. There is really no need to be so precise, just spread your mix over the ground and blend it in. Adding more mix year after year is also a good practice.

Question: Is biochar good for the garden soil?

Answer: Biochar is absolutely good for garden soil. Adding this to your already established gardens will improve yields. Using biochar in any soil can help you create a vibrant, nutrition-filled garden almost anywhere.

Question: What is the difference between Biochar and Compost?

Answer: Biochar is made under controlled conditions by heating and essentially cooking the moisture out of plant-based products to produce the charcoal-like substance. Compost is simply organic matter mixed together over time and allowed to begin to decompose naturally. Biochar mixed with compost is your best option. Both get better with age. Fresh biochar can pull nutrients away from plants, and fresh compost can be too rich and can burn plants. A nice mixture of both that is well-aged is always best.

References:

Abagandura, G. O., Chintala, R., Sandhu, S. S., Kumar, S., & Schumacher, T. E. J. J. o. E. Q. (2019). Effects of biochar and manure applications on soil carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide fluxes from two different soils. (6), 1664-1674.

Guo, M. J. S. S. (2020). The 3R principles for applying biochar to improve soil health. 4(1), 9.

Lehmann, J., da Silva Jr, J. P., Rondon, M., Cravo, M. d. S., Greenwood, J., Nehls, T., . . . Glaser, B. (2002). Slash-and-char-a feasible alternative for soil fertility management in the central Amazon. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 17th World Congress of Soil Science.

NAJAR, G. R., GANIE, M. A., & Tahir, A. J. P. (2015). Biochar for sustainable soil health: a review of prospects and concerns. 25(5), 639-653.

Prapagdee, S., Piyatiratitivorakul, S., Petsom, A., Tawinteung, N. J. W., Air, & Pollution, S. (2014). Application of biochar for enhancing cadmium and zinc phytostabilization in Vigna radiata L. cultivation. 225(12), 1-13.