Published

2022-04-30

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

Eficiencia económica del biocarbón como enmienda en plantaciones de Acacia mangium Willd.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330

Keywords:

costs, income, labor efficiency, land efficiency, profitability (en)
costos, ingresos, eficiencia del trabajo, eficiencia de la tierra, rentabilidad (es)

Downloads

Authors

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.

El biocarbón es el producto de la pirólisis que se obtiene de cualquier tipo de biomasa y puede ser usado como enmienda o acondicionador para mejorar las propiedades físicas, químicas y biológicas del suelo. Además, se puede utilizar como una alternativa para reemplazar la aplicación de fertilizantes sintéticos en especies forestales como Acacia mangium Willd. Esta investigación se orientó hacia la determinación de la eficiencia económica del uso del biocarbón en A. mangium frente al uso de fertilizantes sintéticos. Se consideraron costos de producción de madera y subproductos, los ingresos y ganancias de la actividad forestal, la eficiencia económica del capital (relación costo-beneficio), del trabajo (producción de madera por trabajador) y de la tierra (producción de madera ha-1). Se encontró que la producción de madera con biocarbón se incrementó en un 47% por unidad de superficie (ha), en un 23% por unidad de trabajo (trabajador) y las ganancias aumentaron en aproximadamente un millón de pesos colombianos ha-1 respecto al uso de sólo fertilizantes sintéticos.

References

Antle, J. M., & McCarl, B. A. (2002). The economics of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. In T. Tietenberg & H. Folmer (Eds.), The international yearbook of environmental and resource economics (pp. 278–310). Edward Elgar. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035304738.00015

Arvanitoyannis, I. S., Ladas, D., & Mavromatis, A. (2006). Potential uses and applications of treated wine waste: a review. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 41(5), 475–487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.01111.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.01111.x

CONIF. (2013). Estudio de costos de las especies forestales beneficiarias del CIF, de acuerdo con la resolución 080 de 2013. Corporación Nacional de Investigación y Fomento Forestal.

FAO & UNEP. (2020). The state of the world’s forests 2020: forests, biodiversity and people. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en DOI: https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en

IBI. (2013). Standardized product definition and product testing guidelines for biochar that is used in soil. International Biochar Initiative. https://www.biochar-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IBI_Biochar_Standards_V1.1.pdf

IDEAM. (2013). Zonificación y codificación de unidades hidrográficas e hidrogeológicas de Colombia. Comité de Comunicaciones y Publicaciones del IDEAM. http://documentacion.ideam.gov.co/openbiblio/bvirtual/022655/MEMORIASMAPAZONIFICACIONHIDROGRAFICA.pdf

Ippolito, J. A., Donnelly, A., & Grob, J. (2015). Anatomy of a field trial: wood-based biochar and compost influences a Pacific Northwest soil. The Biochar Journal, 34–43. https://www.biochar-journal.org/itjo/media/doc/1461183437882.pdf

Ippolito, J. A., Spokas, K. A., Novak, J. M., Lentz, R. D., & Cantrell, K. B. (2015). Biochar elemental composition and factors influencing nutrient retention. In J. Lehmann & S. Joseph (Eds.), Biochar for environmental management: science, technology and implementation (pp. 139–163). Routledge.

Jouiad, M., Al-Nofeli, N., Khalifa, N., Benyettou, F., & Yousef, L. F. (2015). Characteristics of slow pyrolysis biochars produced from rhodes grass and fronds of edible date palm. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 111, 183–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2014.10.024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2014.10.024

Lehmann, J. (2007). A handful of carbon. Nature, 447, 143–144. https://doi.org/10.1038/447143a DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/447143a

Lehmann, J., Kern, D. C., German, L. A., McCann, J., Martins, G. C., & Moreira, A. (2003). Soil fertility and production potential. In J. Lehmann, D. C. Kern, B. Glaser, & W. I. Woods (Eds.), Amazonian dark earths: origin, properties, management (pp. 105–124). Kluwer Academic Publishers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2597-1_6

Maraseni, T. N. (2010). Biochar: maximising the benefits. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 67(3), 319–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207231003612225 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207231003612225

Martínez, G., Gutiérrez-Melo, E., & Pachón, M. E. (2016). Cadena productiva forestal relacionada con plantaciones forestales comerciales para la obtención de madera - lineamientos de política para el desarrollo del sector forestal colombiano. Unidad de Planificación Rural Agropecuaria. https://www.upra.gov.co/documents/10184/11168/Doc_Lineamiento.pdf/65c4d55b-a886-457f-b75e-d7f2df5a194b

Post, W. M., Izaurralde, R. C., Jastrow, J. D., McCarl, B. A., Amonette, J. E., Bailey, V. L., Jardine, P. M., West, T. O., & Zhou, J. (2004). Enhancement of carbon sequestration in US soils. Bioscience, 54(10), 895–909. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0895:EOCSIU]2.0.CO;2

Reddy, G. K., Nagender, T., & Yerasi, P. K. R. (2013). Biochar and its potential benefits - a review. Environment & Ecology, 31(4A), 2000–2005.

Reyes Moreno, G. (2018). Aprovechamiento de residuos forestales en forma de biocarbón como alternativa agroecológica para la producción de madera de calidad de Acacia mangium Willd [Doctoral dissertation, Universidad Nacional de Colombia]. Repositorio Institucional Universidad Nacional de Colombia. https://repositorio.unal.edu.co/handle/unal/69541

Reyes-Moreno, G., Darghan-Contreras, A. E., & Ramírez-Lesmes, D. A. (2019). Design of a surface response model to determine the optimal value for wood volume in Acacia mangium Willd, by applying different doses of biochar to the soil. DYNA, 86(211), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v86n211.78331 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v86n211.78331

Ringius, L. (2002). Soil carbon sequestration and the CDM: opportunities and challenges for Africa. Climatic Change, 54, 471–495. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016108215242

SIOC. (2018). Cifras sectoriales cadena forestal. Sistema de Información de Gestión y Desempeño de Organizaciones de Cadenas.

Williams, M. M., & Arnott, J. C. (2010). A comparison of variable economic costs associated with two proposed biochar application methods. Annals of Environmental Science, 4, 23–30. http://www.biocharsolutions.com/uploads/3/1/6/8/3168871/annals_of_environmental_science_biochar_williams_arnott.pdf

How to Cite

APA

Reyes Moreno, G., Barrientos Fuentes, J. C. & Darghan Contreras, E. (2022). Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations. Agronomía Colombiana, 40(1), 120–128. https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330

ACM

[1]
Reyes Moreno, G., Barrientos Fuentes, J.C. and Darghan Contreras, E. 2022. Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations. Agronomía Colombiana. 40, 1 (Jan. 2022), 120–128. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330.

ACS

(1)
Reyes Moreno, G.; Barrientos Fuentes, J. C.; Darghan Contreras, E. Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations. Agron. Colomb. 2022, 40, 120-128.

ABNT

REYES MORENO, G.; BARRIENTOS FUENTES, J. C.; DARGHAN CONTRERAS, E. Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations. Agronomía Colombiana, [S. l.], v. 40, n. 1, p. 120–128, 2022. DOI: 10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/agrocol/article/view/96330. Acesso em: 17 nov. 2025.

Chicago

Reyes Moreno, Giovanni, Juan Carlos Barrientos Fuentes, and Enrique Darghan Contreras. 2022. “Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations”. Agronomía Colombiana 40 (1):120-28. https://doi.org/10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330.

Harvard

Reyes Moreno, G., Barrientos Fuentes, J. C. and Darghan Contreras, E. (2022) “Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations”, Agronomía Colombiana, 40(1), pp. 120–128. doi: 10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330.

IEEE

[1]
G. Reyes Moreno, J. C. Barrientos Fuentes, and E. Darghan Contreras, “Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations”, Agron. Colomb., vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 120–128, Jan. 2022.

MLA

Reyes Moreno, G., J. C. Barrientos Fuentes, and E. Darghan Contreras. “Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations”. Agronomía Colombiana, vol. 40, no. 1, Jan. 2022, pp. 120-8, doi:10.15446/agron.colomb.v40n1.96330.

Turabian

Reyes Moreno, Giovanni, Juan Carlos Barrientos Fuentes, and Enrique Darghan Contreras. “Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations”. Agronomía Colombiana 40, no. 1 (January 1, 2022): 120–128. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/agrocol/article/view/96330.

Vancouver

1.
Reyes Moreno G, Barrientos Fuentes JC, Darghan Contreras E. Economic efficiency of biochar as an amendment for Acacia mangium Willd. plantations. Agron. Colomb. [Internet]. 2022 Jan. 1 [cited 2025 Nov. 17];40(1):120-8. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/agrocol/article/view/96330

Download Citation

CrossRef Cited-by

CrossRef citations1

1. David C. Le Maitre, Cristina Máguas, Florian Ulm, Hélia Marchante. (2023). Wattles. , p.342. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781800622197.0022.

Dimensions

PlumX

Article abstract page views

364

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Agronomía Colombiana

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

© Centro Editorial de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Reproduction and quotation of material appearing in the journal is authorized provided the following are explicitly indicated: journal name, author(s) name, year, volume, issue and pages of the source. The ideas and observations recorded by the authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Mention of products or commercial firms in the journal does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement on the part of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia; furthermore, the use of such products should comply with the product label recommendations.

The Creative Commons license used by Agronomia Colombiana journal is: Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike (by-nc-sa)

Licencia de Creative Commons

Agronomia Colombiana by Centro Editorial of Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia is licensed under a Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional License.
Creado a partir de la obra en http://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/agrocol/.