Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations

Abstract

Biochar is a product of pyrolysis obtained from any type of biomass and can be used as a soil amendment or conditioner, improving the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Additionally, it can serve as an alternative to the application of synthetic fertilization in forest species such as Acacia mangium Willd. This research was oriented towards the determination of the economic efficiency of the use of biochar in A. mangium compared to the use of synthetic fertilizers. Production costs of wood and by-products, income and profits from forestry, economic efficiency of capital (cost-benefit ratio), labor (wood production per worker), and land (wood production ha-1) were considered. We found that the production of wood using biochar increased by 47% per unit area (ha), by 23% per unit of work (worker), and increased earnings by approximately one million Colombian pesos ha-1 compared to the use of only synthetic fertilizers.