article · Scientific Reports
Water hyacinth can be converted into biochar to control the invasive weed while improving agricultural soil fertility. Pyrolysing the plant at 300 degrees Celsius for forty minutes under restricted airflow produces a biochar yield of 44.6 per cent. The resulting material has an alkaline pH of 8.11, favourable electrical conductivity, and high nutrient concentrations, including phosphorus, nitrogen, organic carbon, sulphur, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. In addition, heavy metal concentrations remain within safe, permissible thresholds. Structural and surface analyses show enhanced porosity and surface morphology. When applied to soil at a rate of 2500 kilograms per hectare, the biochar supports Teff crop production, matching the fresh biomass, dry biomass, and grain yields achieved using standard mineral fertilisers and mixed amendments. This demonstrates the viability of water hyacinth biochar as a functional soil amendment.
Water hyacinth is an aggressive aquatic weed that clogs waterways and harms ecosystems. Transforming this problematic biomass into a nutrient-rich soil amendment provides a two-fold benefit. It addresses weed proliferation while supplying an alternative to synthetic mineral fertilisers. This approach can help sustain agricultural productivity and maintain soil health using locally available bio-waste.
This applied and tested approach could enable bio-fertiliser manufacturers and agricultural enterprises to create soil amendments from invasive aquatic weeds. It offers a practical alternative for cereal farmers, specifically Teff growers, looking to reduce dependence on costly mineral fertilisers. While crop performance has been demonstrated at trial application rates, moving to commercial use will require pilot scaling of the pyrolysis process and economic validation of weed harvesting and processing.
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The conversion of water hyacinth into biochar offers a sustainable solution to mitigate its proliferation and enhances its potential as a soil amendment for agriculture. This study examined the physicochemical properties of water hyacinth biochar (WHBC) and its impact on soil fertility. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was pyrolyzed at 300 °C for 40 minute with restricted airflow (2-3 m/s), producing biochar with desirable properties and a yield of 44.6%. WHBC exhibited a pH of 8.11 ± 0.91, electrical conductivity of 18.70 ± 1.15 mS/cm, and nutrient contents including TN (0.69 ± 0.10%), TP (8.80 ± 0.01%), OC (13.95 ± 0.65%), C/N ratio (20.22 ± 0.95), S (0.34 ± 0.03%), and metallic nutrients (Ca, Mg, K). Heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn) were within permissible limits for biochar. Soil amended with 2500 kg/ha WHBC (BC2) produced comparable Teff crop yields (fresh mass: 1191.67 ± 428.44 g, dry mass: 700.00 ± 248.34 g, grain yield: 95.00 ± 39.69 g) to those with mineral fertilizers and mixed amendments. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed significant structural changes in WHBC, enhancing its pore structure and surface morphology. These results demonstrate the potential of WHBC as an effective soil amendment to improve agricultural sustainability and soil fertility.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-84729-x
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