THE BIOCHAR - A SOLUTION TO ENHANCE PROCESSING TOMATO PRODUCTION

Biochar is a carbon-rich soil amendment, obtained from the pyrolysis of organic biomass residues and it is well known to exert beneficial effects on agricultural ecosystems. Biochar has appreciable carbon sequestration value, improves soil functions and reduces emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to greenhouse gases. During summer 2013 a field experiment was made at “Azienda Agraria Sperimentale Stuard” San Pancrazio (Pr) to investigate the effect of two different biochars on processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar ‘Pietrarossa’. Results showed an increased plant growth in the first stages of crop cycle, but, this significant priming effect disappeared at harvest. Our results suggest that biochar can increase sustainability of intensive crops contributing to carbon storage in soils.