Idowu Atoloye Receives NIFA Grant to Develop Improved Biochar

Idowu Atoloye, a research postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate, recently received a $225,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study biochar, a charcoal-like material used as fertilizer. By enriching biochar with animal manure, Atoloye and his colleagues hope to improve soil health, fertility, and drought resistance in semiarid regions.

The biochar in the project will be created from invasive species that damage ecosystems in the American West, namely Russian olive, loblolly pine, and tamarisk. Atoloye will use a portable kiln system developed by USU Extension Forestry and Wildlands Resources Specialist, Darren McAvoy, to create the biochar. It will then be incubated for periods of one to three months along with manure from USU’s Animal Science Farm. The result will be a cost-effective approach that addresses both ecological management and agricultural sustainability.

Through testing at the USU Microscopy Core Facility and Center for Integrated Biosystems as well as greenhouse trials simulating drought conditions, the study will determine how this enhanced biochar affects soil health and plant growth. Atoloye and his colleagues are especially interested in how the biochar affects the phosphorus cycle due to the mineral’s importance in semiarid soil fertility.

Drought and nutrient-limited soil have long been realities in the Intermountain West, and they’re only likely to increase with time. Atoloye’s project potentially offers an affordable and sustainable way to boost agricultural production in such water-scarce regions. By sharing his team’s findings through workshops, field days, and online resources, Atoloye aims to provide producers with a valuable tool for adapting agriculture to — and renewing it for — the future.