Potential of Sugarcane Bagasse Biochar to Improve Soil Moisture Retention of Sandy Soil from the River Island of the Jamuna River at Bogura District

https://doi.org/10.46610/IJEMRES.2026.v02i02.002

Abstract

For an agricultural country like Bangladesh, soil water scarcity is one of the main issues, and crop production needs frequent irrigation. The study aims to examine the potential of biochar to improve soil moisture retention. Sandy soil from the river island of the Jamuna River was collected for use in the investigation, and sugarcane bagasse was used as biomass to produce biochar via pyrolysis in an earthen container under an oxygen-restricted environment, utilizing gas as a heating source. Primarily, the experimental setup consisted of PVC cylindrical moulds and a dewatering bed. A total of 52 moulds were prepared using a mixture of sandy soil with biochar contents of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% by volume (13 replicates each). After 24 hours of soaking in water, the moulds were placed on a dewatering bed composed of brick chips and local sand over a plastic bowl. The experiment was conducted for one month, during which moisture content at different mould heights was periodically measured for all the tested moulds, where gravitational drainage was allowed on the dewatering bed. According to the findings, sandy soil’s ability to retain water was enhanced by sugarcane bagasse biochar; 10% by volume was the optimum rate. After 15 days, there was a noticeable improvement, and after 28 days, there was an average 3.8% increment in moisture retention in soil. According to these findings, biochar promotes carbon sequestration and ecologically friendly farming methods by increasing soil water holding capacity and potentially reducing irrigation needs.