[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":21},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-how-biochar-improves-soil-health-in-cotton-farming":3},{"unique_id":4,"created_at":5,"title":6,"slug":7,"excerpt":8,"content":9,"meta_title":6,"meta_description":10,"featured_image_url":11,"categories":12,"tags":14,"published_at":20},"pennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832","2026-06-10T06:24:38.156Z","How Biochar Improves Soil Health in Cotton Farming","how-biochar-improves-soil-health-in-cotton-farming","A practical use-case guide exploring how biochar application transforms degraded cotton farm soils — covering measurable improvements in soil organic carbon, water retention, and microbial activity. The blog walks through real on-farm scenarios where biochar has been deployed in conventional cotton fields transitioning to regenerative practices, demonstrating yield gains, reduced input costs, and carbon sequestration outcomes. Ties directly to Beetle Regen's Biochar Production & Carbon Insetting service and addresses the pain point of degraded soil health affecting agricultural productivity.","\n\u003Cp>Dig your hand into a cotton field that has been farmed conventionally for fifteen years. In many parts of Vidarbha, Telangana, or Gujarat, what you feel is not soil — it is a compacted, pale, almost powdery substrate that barely holds together. The organic matter is gone. The earthworms are gone. And the yields, despite rising fertilizer bills, keep falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>This is the starting point for most biochar programs in Indian cotton farming. Not a laboratory. Not a pilot plot. A real farm, with a real farmer who has watched his input costs climb while his per-acre output stagnates. Biochar for cotton farming soil health improvement is not a theoretical concept — it is a practical intervention that changes what happens underground, and by extension, what happens above it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>This guide walks through the mechanism, the measurable outcomes, and the step-by-step deployment process — grounded in on-farm realities across India's cotton belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.beetleregen.com\u002Fblogs\u002Fpennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832-content-0-dae0afa5.webp\" alt=\"Split view of degraded cotton soil versus healthy biochar-amended soil with thriving cotton plants in rural India\">\n\n\u003Ch2>What Degraded Cotton Soil Actually Looks Like on the Ground\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Cotton is one of the most soil-demanding crops grown at scale. It requires consistent moisture, good aeration, and a steady supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Conventional cotton farming, practiced intensively across India's black soil (Vertisol) and red laterite regions, has delivered those nutrients through synthetic inputs, but at a cost that compounds season after season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Decades of tillage break down soil aggregates, exposing organic matter to oxidation and releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, while effective in the short term, suppress the microbial communities that naturally cycle nutrients. Pesticide applications, often heavy in conventional cotton, further reduce soil biodiversity. The result is a soil that becomes structurally weaker, biologically depleted, and chemically dependent every year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Farmers in Vidarbha describe a pattern that agronomists recognize immediately: the first few years after intensification show strong yields. Then yields plateau. Then they begin to decline, even as input volumes increase. This is the productivity trap, more fertilizer, more water, more pesticide, for less output. Soil organic carbon (SOC) levels in degraded Indian cotton soils frequently fall below 0.4%, compared to a healthy benchmark of 1.5% or higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The soil has not just lost fertility. It has lost its capacity to hold water, support biology, and buffer against climate stress. Biochar addresses all three of those losses, not as a standalone fix, but as a foundational amendment that rebuilds what decades of extraction have removed. To understand the broader regenerative system this fits into, this complete guide to regenerative agriculture provides useful context.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>1. How Biochar Works in Cotton Farm Soil: The Mechanism\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Biochar is produced through pyrolysis, the thermal decomposition of organic material in a low-oxygen environment. In the context of Indian cotton farming, the feedstock is often agricultural residue: cotton stalks, rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, or wood waste. These materials, which would otherwise be burned in the field or left to decompose, are instead converted into a stable, carbon-rich char at temperatures typically between 350°C and 700°C.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The resulting material has a highly porous structure, visible under a microscope as a network of channels and cavities. This architecture is what makes biochar so effective as a soil amendment. Those pores do several things simultaneously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cul>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Nutrient retention:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Biochar has a high cation exchange capacity (CEC), meaning it holds positively charged nutrient ions, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and releases them gradually to plant roots rather than allowing them to leach away with rainfall.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Water holding:\u003C\u002Fstrong> The pore network absorbs and retains moisture, making it available to plants during dry spells between irrigation or rainfall events.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Microbial habitat:\u003C\u002Fstrong> The internal surface area of biochar provides shelter and substrate for beneficial soil microorganisms, including bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>pH buffering:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Many Indian cotton soils are either acidic (red laterite soils in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) or alkaline (black cotton soils in Maharashtra). Biochar's alkaline nature helps buffer acidic soils, while its buffering capacity moderates pH swings in both directions.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>Critically, the carbon in biochar is highly stable. Unlike the carbon in compost or crop residue, which decomposes within months to years, biochar carbon persists in soil for hundreds to thousands of years. This is what makes it a genuine carbon sequestration tool, not just a soil amendment. For a deeper look at how this durability is rated and verified, this analysis of biochar carbon removal durability is worth reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>2. Measurable Improvements in Soil Organic Carbon\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Soil organic carbon is the single most important indicator of soil health. It drives water retention, nutrient cycling, aggregate stability, and biological activity. Raising SOC is the central goal of any regenerative soil program, and it is also the metric that generates verifiable carbon credits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Baseline SOC levels in degraded Indian cotton soils typically range from 0.3% to 0.5% by weight. Research across multiple biochar field trials in South Asia shows that application rates of 2 to 5 tonnes per hectare can raise SOC measurably within one to two growing seasons. The improvement is not just from the biochar carbon itself, it is also from the biological activation that follows, as improved microbial communities begin producing their own organic matter through root exudates, fungal networks, and decomposition of plant material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>In terms of carbon sequestration, biochar application in cotton fields can contribute between 1.5 and 4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per hectare per year, depending on application rate, feedstock quality, and baseline soil conditions. These figures are measurable and verifiable through standardized MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) protocols, the same protocols that underpin carbon credit issuance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>For textile brands tracking Scope 3 emissions from their cotton supply chains, this is directly relevant. Every tonne of CO₂e sequestered in a supplier's field through a verified biochar program is a tonne that can be counted against the brand's supply chain carbon footprint, through insetting rather than offsetting. The complete framework for carbon sequestration in agriculture explains how these accounting mechanisms work in practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>3. Water Retention: The Game-Changer for Rain-Fed Cotton Farms\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Cotton is particularly vulnerable to moisture stress during two critical growth windows: flowering and boll formation. A dry spell of even ten to fourteen days during these stages can cause significant yield loss, a reality that rain-fed cotton farmers in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh face almost every season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.beetleregen.com\u002Fblogs\u002Fpennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832-content-1-31fd7e91.webp\" alt=\"Cross-section of biochar-amended cotton farm soil showing porous structure retaining moisture around cotton roots\">\n\n\u003Cp>Biochar's porous matrix acts as a microscale water reservoir within the soil profile. Studies conducted in semi-arid agricultural contexts show that biochar-amended soils can hold 15% to 30% more plant-available water than unamended soils at equivalent field capacity. For a farmer relying on monsoon rainfall with no access to supplemental irrigation, that difference can be the margin between a viable crop and a failed one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The mechanism is straightforward: biochar pores absorb water during rainfall events and release it slowly as the surrounding soil dries. This dampens the peaks and troughs of soil moisture, reducing waterlogging risk after heavy rain and extending the period of plant-available moisture during dry spells. In sandy soils, which drain quickly and hold little water, the effect is especially pronounced. In clay-loam black cotton soils, biochar improves drainage during wet periods while still improving moisture retention during dry ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The practical implication for farmers is reduced irrigation demand, and for rain-fed farmers, reduced crop failure risk. For program designers and brands, it means biochar contributes to climate resilience in the supply chain, not just carbon accounting. This water management dimension connects directly to the broader challenge of how regenerative cotton farming reduces water use across the value chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>4. Microbial Activity and Soil Biology Restoration\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Healthy soil is not just a growing medium, it is an ecosystem. A single gram of healthy agricultural soil contains millions of bacteria, thousands of fungal species, and a complex web of interactions that cycle nutrients, suppress pathogens, and support plant growth. Conventional cotton farming, with its heavy reliance on synthetic inputs and tillage, systematically dismantles this ecosystem over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Biochar restores it, not directly, but by creating the conditions that allow soil biology to recover. The internal surface area of biochar particles provides habitat for bacteria and fungi, protecting them from predation and desiccation. Mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with cotton roots and dramatically extend their effective nutrient-gathering reach, colonize biochar pores readily. Research from multiple field studies shows that biochar-amended soils support significantly higher microbial biomass and diversity than unamended controls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>There is also evidence that biochar reduces the prevalence of soil-borne pathogens, including \u003Cem>Fusarium\u003C\u002Fem> and \u003Cem>Verticillium\u003C\u002Fem> species that cause wilt diseases in cotton. The mechanism is not fully understood, but it appears to involve both the physical habitat effect (beneficial organisms outcompete pathogens in biochar pores) and changes in soil pH and chemistry that favor beneficial species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The biological restoration effect compounds when biochar is combined with other regenerative practices. Compost adds the organic matter and microbial inoculants that biochar alone does not provide. Cover crops feed the soil biology between cotton seasons and add root biomass. Together, these practices create a self-reinforcing system where soil health improves each season rather than declining. The role of cover crops in this system is explored in detail in this complete guide to cover crops in regenerative agriculture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>5. Yield Gains and Input Cost Reduction: On-Farm Scenarios\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>The agronomic case for biochar is compelling. The economic case is what moves farmers to adopt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Consider a smallholder cotton farmer in Vidarbha farming 3 acres of black cotton soil. Baseline conditions: SOC at 0.4%, yield averaging 4.5 quintals per acre, fertilizer expenditure of approximately ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 per acre per season, and recurring moisture stress during boll formation. After a single application of biochar at 2 tonnes per hectare, incorporated before sowing and combined with compost at 1 tonne per hectare, the following changes are typically observed over one to two seasons:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cul>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Yield improvement:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Cotton lint yields increase by 10% to 20% as improved soil structure, moisture retention, and nutrient availability support more consistent plant development through the growing season.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fertilizer reduction:\u003C\u002Fstrong> As soil CEC improves and nutrient leaching decreases, farmers can reduce synthetic fertilizer applications by 15% to 25% without yield penalty, often more in subsequent seasons as soil biology strengthens.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Irrigation savings:\u003C\u002Fstrong> For farmers with access to supplemental irrigation, improved water retention reduces the number of irrigation cycles required, cutting water and energy costs.\u003C\u002Fli>\n  \u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Reduced crop failure risk:\u003C\u002Fstrong> The moisture buffering effect reduces the probability of yield loss during dry spells, improving income stability across seasons.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\u003Cp>The net economic benefit varies by farm size, baseline conditions, and input prices, but across multiple program contexts in India, the combination of yield gain and input cost reduction typically delivers a positive return on the biochar investment within two growing seasons. For a broader view of how regenerative practices drive yield outcomes, this analysis of regenerative agriculture and crop yield provides supporting evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>6. Carbon Sequestration and the Insetting Opportunity for Textile Brands\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>Every tonne of biochar incorporated into cotton farm soil represents a verifiable, durable carbon removal event. Unlike soil organic carbon from compost or cover crops, which can be re-released if farming practices change, biochar carbon is stable across centuries. This durability is what makes biochar one of the highest-rated carbon removal methods in frameworks used by buyers, registries, and standard-setters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.beetleregen.com\u002Fblogs\u002Fpennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832-content-2-44c58b9c.webp\" alt=\"Conceptual diagram showing biochar carbon insetting value chain from Indian cotton farm to textile brand sustainability reporting\">\n\n\u003Cp>For textile brands, this creates a direct insetting opportunity. Rather than purchasing carbon offsets from unrelated projects to compensate for supply chain emissions, brands can fund biochar programs within their own cotton supply chains, sequestering carbon at the point of origin while simultaneously improving the soil health and productivity of their supplier farms. This is carbon insetting: climate action embedded in the supply chain rather than bolted on from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>The compliance relevance is significant. Under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), brands are required to report and reduce Scope 3 emissions, including those from purchased agricultural raw materials. A verified biochar carbon insetting program, documented through MRV protocols and linked to specific supplier farms, provides the kind of supply chain-embedded evidence that CSRD and similar frameworks demand. Suppliers to brands like H&M, Primark, and C&A are already navigating these requirements, and biochar insetting offers a credible, measurable response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Beetle Regen's Biochar Production & Carbon Insetting service is designed precisely for this use case. The program covers biochar production from agricultural residues, quality verification, on-farm application support, MRV documentation, and carbon credit issuance, creating a complete chain of custody from feedstock to verified carbon removal. Brands working with Beetle Regen can attribute these removals to their supply chain carbon accounts with confidence. For brands exploring how insetting fits into a broader decarbonization strategy, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbeetleregen.com\u002Farticle\">this overview of carbon insetting solutions for textile supply chains\u003C\u002Fa> is a useful starting point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cblockquote>\n  \u003Cp>Biochar insetting is not just a carbon accounting tool. It is a supply chain investment that improves farmer livelihoods, builds climate resilience, and generates verifiable environmental outcomes, all within the brand's own value chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\n\u003Ch2>7. How to Deploy Biochar in a Cotton Farm: A Practical Step-by-Step\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.beetleregen.com\u002Fblogs\u002Fpennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832-content-3-d5745ed0.webp\" alt=\"Indian smallholder farmer applying dark biochar to prepared cotton field soil before sowing season in Maharashtra\">\n\n\u003Cp>Biochar application is not complicated, but it requires attention to quality, timing, and integration with other soil management practices. The following steps reflect the deployment process used in Beetle Regen's on-farm programs across India's cotton belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 1: Soil Baseline Assessment\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Before any amendment is applied, establish a clear baseline. Soil samples should be collected from multiple points across the farm and tested for SOC, pH, bulk density, available nitrogen and phosphorus, and microbial biomass carbon. This baseline serves two purposes: it guides the application rate and amendment mix, and it provides the reference point against which future improvements are measured for carbon credit verification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 2: Biochar Sourcing and Quality Verification\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Not all biochar is equal. Quality depends on feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature, and production conditions. For cotton farming applications, biochar produced at 500°C to 700°C from woody biomass or cotton stalks typically delivers the best combination of porosity, stability, and pH effect. Key quality parameters to verify include carbon content (ideally above 70%), pH (typically 7 to 10), and absence of contaminants or heavy metals. Beetle Regen sources and verifies biochar quality as part of its program delivery, removing this burden from individual farmers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 3: Application Rate and Timing\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>For degraded cotton soils, an initial application rate of 2 to 3 tonnes per hectare is appropriate. Higher rates (up to 5 tonnes per hectare) may be warranted for severely depleted soils, but the cost-benefit should be assessed against baseline conditions. Timing matters: biochar should be incorporated into the top 15 to 20 centimeters of soil before sowing, ideally during the pre-monsoon land preparation period. Surface application without incorporation is less effective, as biochar can be lost to wind or water erosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 4: Combining with Compost or Organic Matter\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Biochar applied alone to severely depleted soil has limited immediate biological effect, it provides the structure, but not the microbial community to populate it. Combining biochar with compost (at 1 to 2 tonnes per hectare) or with vermicompost accelerates biological activation. The compost introduces microbial inoculants and organic matter that colonize the biochar pores, dramatically speeding up the soil biology restoration process. Some programs also use biochar as a carrier for microbial inoculants, pre-charging it with beneficial bacteria before application.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 5: Monitoring Soil Health Indicators Across Seasons\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Soil health improvement is not visible in a single season. Monitoring should track SOC, bulk density, water infiltration rate, and microbial biomass carbon at six-month intervals for at least two years. Yield data and input use records should be maintained alongside soil data to build the economic case alongside the agronomic one. This monitoring data also feeds directly into MRV documentation for carbon credit programs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Step 6: MRV Documentation for Carbon Credit Generation\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>If the biochar program is linked to carbon credit issuance, as it is in Beetle Regen's insetting model, MRV documentation must follow a recognized protocol. This includes pre-application soil sampling, biochar quality certificates, application records with GPS coordinates and dates, and post-application soil sampling at defined intervals. The documentation chain supports third-party verification and credit issuance under frameworks such as Verra's VM0044 or equivalent soil carbon methodologies. For brands and program designers navigating these frameworks, this complete guide to MRV and traceability systems for cotton covers the verification process in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Frequently Asked Questions\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Ch3>How much biochar should be applied per hectare in cotton farming?\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>For degraded Indian cotton soils, an initial application of 2 to 3 tonnes per hectare is the standard starting point. Severely depleted soils may benefit from up to 5 tonnes per hectare in the first application. Because biochar is persistent in soil, subsequent applications in later seasons can be lower, typically 0.5 to 1 tonne per hectare as a maintenance dose. The right rate depends on baseline soil conditions, which is why a soil assessment before application is essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>How long does it take to see results from biochar application?\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Water retention improvements are often visible within the first growing season. Yield gains typically become measurable in the first to second season after application, as soil structure and nutrient retention improve. Microbial activity and SOC increases build more gradually, with significant improvements typically measurable after two to three seasons. The full agronomic benefit of biochar compounds over time as the soil ecosystem rebuilds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Can biochar be used alongside conventional fertilizers during the transition period?\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Yes. Biochar is compatible with conventional fertilizer programs and does not require an immediate shift to fully organic inputs. In fact, one of biochar's key benefits during transition is that it improves the efficiency of existing fertilizer applications by reducing leaching, meaning farmers can often achieve the same yield with less fertilizer input. This makes biochar a practical entry point for farmers who are not yet ready to fully transition to regenerative practices but want to begin improving soil health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>Is biochar application eligible for carbon credits in India?\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Yes, biochar application can generate verifiable carbon credits under recognized international methodologies, including Verra's VM0044 (Biochar Utilization in Soil) and emerging frameworks under India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). The key requirements are quality-verified biochar, documented application records, and post-application soil monitoring. Beetle Regen's program handles all of these elements, enabling farmers to participate in carbon credit programs without navigating the administrative complexity independently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch3>How does Beetle Regen support farmers through the biochar program?\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp>Beetle Regen's Biochar Production & Carbon Insetting service is designed as an end-to-end program, not a product sale. Support includes soil baseline assessment, biochar sourcing and quality verification, on-farm application training, integration with complementary regenerative practices (cover crops, compost, reduced tillage), ongoing soil monitoring, and MRV documentation for carbon credit generation. Farmers receive both agronomic support and access to carbon revenue streams, creating a dual income benefit from the same intervention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Chr>\n\n\u003Ch2>The Soil Under Your Supply Chain Deserves Better\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>The cotton fields supplying global textile brands are, in many cases, running on borrowed time. Soil that has been depleted for decades does not recover on its own, and it does not recover through more of the same inputs. Biochar for cotton farming soil health improvement offers a measurable, durable, and economically viable path to rebuilding what has been lost: organic carbon, water retention, biological activity, and ultimately, yield stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>For textile brands, this is not just an agronomic story. It is a supply chain resilience story, a carbon accounting story, and increasingly, a compliance story. The brands that move first to embed verified soil restoration into their cotton supply chains will be better positioned for the regulatory and market pressures that are already arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>Beetle Regen works directly with cotton farmers and textile brands across India to design and implement biochar programs that deliver measurable outcomes, from soil health to carbon credits to supply chain traceability. If your brand is ready to move from sustainability commitments to on-farm action, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbeetleregen.com\u002F#contact\">connect with the Beetle Regen team\u003C\u002Fa> to explore how a biochar carbon insetting program can be structured for your specific supply chain context.\u003C\u002Fp>\n","Discover how biochar for cotton farming soil health improvement boosts organic carbon, water retention, and yields in India's regenerative cotton fields.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.beetleregen.com\u002Fblogs\u002Fpennfynbjcdn98imn1g1ys832-featured.webp",[13],"How-To Guide",[15,16,17,18,19],"biochar for cotton farming","soil health improvement","carbon sequestration","regenerative cotton","biochar carbon insetting","2026-06-10T06:24:34.375Z",1781072731622]