Soil amendment · powder
EcoPlus Biochar
ECO PLUS BIOCHAR
An eco-friendly soil amendment for carbon neutrality
Business · Biochar
Bringing soil
back to life
Biochar soil amendment made from wood-pellet combustion residue. Supplied as an official distributor.
What is biochar
A porous material that locks in carbon
Biochar is a material with a porous structure produced by pyrolyzing biomass at high temperature with limited oxygen. It has excellent carbon sequestration and adsorption capacity and is an eco-friendly material that can realize carbon neutrality. In agriculture it is used for soil improvement, and in livestock farming as bedding.
Plant biomass
Dead trees · agricultural by-products
High-heat, low-oxygen pyrolysis
Limited oxygen
Biochar
Carbon sequestration · adsorption
Porous structure
Microbial habitat · water retention
Porous structure
- Large surface area and micropores
- A habitat for microbes
- Retains water and nutrients
Effects
Agricultural and livestock effects, and greenhouse-gas reduction
Effects in agriculture and livestock
- Improves soil physical and chemical properties
- Excellent nutrient and water retention / higher crop productivity / neutralizes acidified soil
- Activates native microbes
- Promotes decomposition of soil organic matter / suppresses pathogenic microbes
- Moisture control and odor reduction
- High water absorption and drying rate / antibacterial, reduces manure odor
Greenhouse-gas reduction
- Carbon reduction technology for agriculture and livestock
- The only carbon sequestration technology in agriculture / certified product for the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency's greenhouse-gas reduction program
- Greenhouse-gas reduction
- Reduces CH₄, N₂O and CO₂
- Less harmful gas
- Reduces gas and odor
Livestock and pets receive microbes; biochar gives microbes a place to live.
Soil improvement
Four soil-improvement effects
Soil microbial activity
1.5–3×
The large surface area and micropores provide a suitable habitat for microbes that favor small spaces. In soil treated with biochar, microbial activity is 1.5–3 times that of ordinary soil, owing to greater nutrient availability, a pH suited to microbial activity (neutral to slightly acidic), adsorption of toxic substances (pesticides, heavy metals) and improved aeration.
pH adjustment
pH 8–10
Biochar is alkaline, around pH 8–10, so it neutralizes pH in acidic soil, helping crops grow in a more appropriate pH environment.
Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
NH₄⁺ · K⁺ · Ca²⁺ · Mg²⁺ · Fe²⁺ · Zn²⁺ · Cu²⁺
Biochar has a high cation exchange capacity, making it easy for soil to exchange and use nutrients such as ammonium nitrogen (NH4+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), iron (Fe2+), zinc (Zn2+) and copper (Cu2+).
Better use of nutrients and water
Porous structure
Biochar's fine pores absorb and hold water like a sponge, improving the soil's water retention so crops grow better even in dry conditions. Biochar also helps nutrients stay in the soil longer instead of being lost, prolonging the effect of fertilizer and reducing the amount needed.
High-temperature biochar
Low-temperature biochar · high-temperature biochar · charcoal
EcoPlus Biochar has the characteristics of high-temperature biochar: compared with low-temperature biochar and charcoal, it shows the highest porosity and soil-improvement effect, excellent carbon sequestration, and excellent water and nutrient retention.
| Low-temp. biochar | High-temp. biochar | Charcoal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production temperature | 300–400℃ | 650–800℃ | 1000℃ or above |
| pH | 6–8 | 8–10 | 10–12 |
| Organic matter | 65–70% | 20–30% | 10–20% |
| Carbonization | 30–35% | 70–80% | 90% or above |
| Porosity | Low | High | High |
| Water/nutrient retention | Medium | High | Medium |
「Without high-temperature biochar, the soil-improvement effect is very low.」 — Biochar product introduction
UNICORN's technology
UNICORN has filed a patent application for a method of manufacturing a soil amendment using biochar.
Products
Two products
Choose a product here and go to its page. Application-rate calculators are on each product page.
Soil amendment · pellet
BLACKBASE PRO
Black Base Pro
Carbon-neutral eco-friendly organic farming material
| EcoPlus Biochar | BLACKBASE PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Powder | Pellet |
| Size | 50 L (10–12 kg) | 15 kg |
| Composition | 100% biochar | 20% biochar + 60% organic matter + 6% NPK |
| Character | Pure soil amendment | Soil amendment + organic fertilizer |
| Listing No. | 3-3-291 | 3-3-527 |
Prior research
Prior research by four institutions
All of these studies were demonstrations based on high-temperature biochar (650℃ or above).
Gangwon State Agricultural Research and Extension Services
- Potato trial (2014) → marketable yield up 4%, nitrogen fertilizer down 50%
- Greenhouse tomato (2017) → 125 kg/10a applied, yield up 15%
- Chinese cabbage (2018) → about 20% increase, soil changes after cultivation (less nutrient loss)
- Biochar characterization (2020) → pH 4.7 to 6.6 after 6 weeks; 42% water retained 6 days after saturation
- Slower disease spread (to 2021) → less clubroot in highland Chinese cabbage
Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services
- 500 kg/10a for soil management of salt-accumulated greenhouse (continuous-cropping) fields: salinity improved 9%, microbial biomass up 13%, yield up 17%
※ Study conducted on a salt-accumulated greenhouse with very low pH / 180 kg/10a is appropriate for greenhouse cultivation at pH 6
Gyeongsang National University (Jinju)
- 200 kg/10a of biochar: lettuce yield up 51–63% versus NPK treatment
- 200 kg/10a of biochar: Chinese cabbage yield up 57–59% versus NPK treatment
Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services
- Conditions: wood feedstock, pyrolysis at 500℃ or above, 300 kg/10a
- Improved salinity, soil hardness and porosity for easier water management → soil conditions favorable to root establishment → higher yield (13% over control)
Gyeonggi-do ARES — soil changes in the field
Chinese cabbage field
| EC (dS/m) | pH (1:5) | CEC (cmol/kg) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5.2→3.7 | 6.2→6.5 | 8.8→9.4 |
| Autumn | 7.5→0.9 | 6.1→7.4 | 9.5→9.8 |
Soil physical properties
| Porosity (%) | Soil hardness (mm) | Moisture (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 49.1 | 18.2 | 8.3 |
| Biochar | 51.3 | 16 | 13.2 |
| Porosity (%) | Soil hardness (mm) | Moisture (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 48.6 | 16.8 | 10.8 |
| Biochar | 51.5 | 14.5 | 13.9 |
Tomato field
| EC (dS/m) | pH (1:5) | CEC (cmol/kg) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3.7→0.8 | 6.4→7.6 | 8.8→8.6 |
| Autumn | 4.6→0.6 | 6.6→7.1 | 8.2→8.1 |
Soil physical properties
| Porosity (%) | Soil hardness (mm) | Moisture (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 53.4 | 13.6 | 13.1 |
| Biochar | 54.0 | 10.3 | 16.4 |
| Porosity (%) | Soil hardness (mm) | Moisture (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 56.1 | 17.1 | 13.0 |
| Biochar | 60.5 | 13.6 | 14.1 |
Contact
Purchase inquiry
For biochar products, please contact us.