Biochar has a microscopically porous structure which is ideally suited for nutrient storage. Biochar enhances the retention, and therefore, the efficiency of fertilizers.  It may, by the same mechanism, also decrease fertilizer run-off. Biochar, when placed in the soil, increases the soil’s ability to retain water.
Biochar provides a stable platform for beneficial spores and microbes that attract earth worms and the full spectrum of beneficial soil insects. Biochar in the soil acts as an efficient platform for the natural conditions necessary for the in-soil micro and macro-biological processes required for optimum plant germination, growth and yield. Nutrient requirements are reduced dramatically. Modest additions of biochar to soil were found to reduce N2O emissions by up to 80% and completely suppress methane emissions. It is the re-discovery of these unique properties of biochar, which have elevated it to near-mythical status.
