I believe yes since the biochar contains organic substances. However, I believe the rate of bacteria growing, colony numbers and species would depend on several things such as composition, surface area, etc.
Maybe this paper will be an interest for you:
Article Charcoal as a habitat for microbes and its effect on the mic...
Regarding the question about biodegradable, please see this paper. It might contain good info. for you.
Article Simulated degradation of biochar and its potential environme...
Microbs depend mainly on labile carbon for its growth. When we apply fresh organic matter in soil, microbial growth will be abundant because it contains high amount of labile carbon. In most of the soil, quantity of labile carbon will be more compare to less-labile and recalcitrant carbons. However, when we convert the organic matter in to biochar, most of the labile carbon will become recalcitrant or hard carbon + nutrients. Though biochar contains nutrients, amount of light/labile carbon will be less, ranging from 0.5 to 2% depending upon the pyroysis temperature. Low pyrolysis temperature yields more labile carbon and vice versa. Therefore, it is doubtful to use biochar alone as organic substrate for microbial process such as multiplication of microbs or biofertilizers. Microbs may grow but with restricted level. However it can be used as carrier.
Yes , there is every possibility , but holds good under acid soil conditions...
Yes, biochar can br used as organic substrate. It improves soil fertility.
Biochar volatile matter (labile carbon) can stimulate microbial activity by providing a source of easily degradable C. Although phenol is phytotoxic and inhibits plant growth directly, phenol and cresol are source of organic carbons for soil microorganisms.
Article Charcoal Volatile Matter Content Influences Plant Growth and...
Article Kinetics of phenol and m-cresol biodegradation by an indigen...
Article Removal of phytotoxic compounds from torrefied grass fibres ...
Dear all,
Thank you very much for your quick answer to my question, and for sending links to the relevant research papers. It seems that role of biochar in enhancing microbial activities as the terminal electron donor and carbon substrate is less understood. I also anticipated that biochar may not be used as a source of organic matter for promoting the growth of micro-organisms directly, and is further explained by Dr. Karuppusamy Rajan, Dr. Augustine Ifelebuegu, Ms. Mina Karimi-Avargani, and others. Let us do more laboratory research on biochar.
Thank you all for providing useful information for enhancing my understanding on the above-mentioned matter.
Regards,
Kushal
It would be a most undesirable substrate. Biochar is a rather variable material, and what it is depends on how it was made, but if the temperature4 ws high enough to make charcoal, as opposed to merely browning it, it is not at all able to be decomposed. Its structure is a distribution of tiny graphitic zones, some diamond type structure, some parts that have a good level of free radicals (although these disappear with age) and about 35% oxygen, as acids, phenolic groups and other functions. There will also be some nitrogen present in structural units such as indoles. Basically, these nitrogen atoms are extremely inert and the carbon atoms are also inert. It is about as nutritious as coal
It can stay in the soil unchanged for a long time, It does not biodegrade, and the reason you hear that it is good for plant growth is NOT because the plants get nourishment from it, but rather because it is a good absorber, and binds nitrogen fertilisers, etc, and can slowly release it, and because it conditions the soil and stops the soil go all clay-like. It has agricultural value, but it is not a nutrient source.
Because charcoal is formed by Carbon (> 99 % in some cases) it cannot be used as a substrate for microbes, it could be used for the microbial process promotion. From formulation of the question of @ Kushal Pal Singh comes out that it is not clear what "organic substrate" means. Please have a look at Wikipedia or another source.
Best regards
Vit
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