A research initiative at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources (SER) that explores novel uses for Wyoming coal has hit a tangible milestone: harvesting large carrots using coal char as a soil amendment.
The ongoing study, titled “Carrot yield enhancement using coal char as a soil amendment in Wyoming soil,” is evaluating how pyrolyzed coal (coal char) influences root crop production and soil physical properties in both greenhouse and field environments.
Funded by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, the project is led by Resham Thapa, an associate research professional in SER’s Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC). The initiative is designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops.
Thapa recently completed the project’s first-year major field harvest, yielding large carrots that highlight the potential benefits of the soil treatment.
“The goal of this project is to develop scientifically based, practical measures for using pyrolyzed coal in agroecosystems,” Thapa says. “By applying coal char as a soil amendment, we hope to enhance soil health and significantly boost yields for specialty crops, such as carrots and radishes. The carrots we harvested are showing improvements in size, while fully retaining their optimal flavor profile and moisture content.”
Source : uwyo.edu