This story is one of four narratives in the International Biochar Initiative’s “This is Biochar” campaign. Explore the stories of the IBI Biochar Academy alumni making social and environmental impact through biochar.
Dr. Bualuang Faiyue has been studying soil salinity in Thailand for years. In 2019, he discovered biochar and has focused his salinization research on its solution potential ever since.
Soil salinity is the amount of salt in the soil — and when the salt level increases beyond balanced levels, it’s called salinization. While salts naturally exist in both soil and water, and salinization can happen due to natural processes, climate change and rising sea levels is exacerbating the process. Amongst its harmful effects are soil degradation, water contamination, and crop failure.
Dr. Bualuang Faiyue, a dedicated researcher at Chulalongkorn University’s Environmental Research Institute in Thailand, is trailblazing the use of biochar to address soil salinity in rice fields. Upon joining the University, he discovered his colleagues were already exploring the potential of biochar to mitigate a number of threats to soil health, from fertility to toxicity and PFAs contamination.
Inspired by their work and driven by his passion for agricultural sustainability, Dr.Faiyue embarked on a mission to apply biochar’s transformative properties to mitigate soil salinity’s impact on rice cultivation.
In 2024, he attended 2024 IBI’s Biochar Academy in Thailand to catapult his biochar research and projects to the next level.
Born and raised in Thailand, Dr. Faiyue received a bachelor’s degree in Biology at Chiang Mai University (1998–2002) under a scholarship from The Institute for The Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology, Thailand. Then, he completed his Ph.D. from the University of Sussex, UK, (2006-2011) focusing on rice and salinity.
Five years after discovering biochar, his research has led him to connect with farmers and biochar projects across Thailand, lending his passion for the climate action technology to scaling its impact on soils and farmer livelihoods.
Biochar is a fine-grained, highly porous material that is made from biomass such as agriculture byproducts, forestry residues, and solid waste (sewage sludge). Biochar is made when biomass undergoes high-heat, limited-oxygen processes, i.e. via pyrolysis or gasification.
Biochar can be a superpower of regenerative, circular economies because sustainable biochar is produced from organic waste material — transforming waste into value. The biochar production of biochar not only removes carbon from the atmosphere, but also creates a valuable material for agriculture, land restoration, the built environment, and other uses.
Biochar is a powerfully circular way to fight climate change, with the potential to remove up to 6% of global emissions annually – the approximate equivalent of 3 billion tonnes of CO2 or the total emissions of 803 coal-fired power plants in one year.
“Biochar is a strategy that we can use to mitigate climate change.”
– Dr. Bualuang Faiyue
Soil salinity poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and economic revenue, with 833 million hectares of salt-affected lands estimated worldwide. Finding effective solutions for soil salinity is critical, particularly in the rice fields of Thailand as the country is one of the world’s largest rice exporters (around 8 million metric tons annually).
In Thailand, the salinity of the soil is rooted in its geological origins. The presence of salt-bearing rock formations and the movement of saline groundwater to the surface is a prime foundation for high salinity soils, especially in the northeastern region of the country. Yet, this problem isn’t only an issue for arable soils inland; as climate change causes sea level rise, seawater intrusion on the coasts exacerbate the problem.
Alongside natural occurrence, an accumulation of salts in the soil can be caused by inefficient water management and the use of salt-rich water for irrigation. Salt stress can lead to poor plant growth, reduced crop quality, and in severe cases, crop failure. Salinity can render fields inhospitable, leading to decreased yield, food stress, and economic losses for farmers — not to mention the loss of a culturally significant crop that is a staple of the Thai diet.
Dr. Faiyue’s research focuses on how biochar can improve soil structure, nutrient retention, and water holding capacity — crucial factors for combating soil salinity. By incorporating biochar into saline soils at various ratios, he aims to enhance rice plant survival and productivity.
Biochar has proven itself as an asset for farmers across diverse landscapes and geographies due to its profound impact on soil health and soil structure. Amidst its myriad of benefits, the carbon-rich material helps mitigate soil salinization through several mechanisms:
Dr. Faiyue’s experiments, occurring over one crop cycle of rice (about three to four months), applies biochar produced from rice husks directly back onto the feedstock’s original field. Producing and applying the biochar directly at the source site keeps the experiment process sustainable by reducing transportation emissions and costs, while providing an opportunity for deeper relationships with participating farmers.
Collaboration forms a cornerstone of Dr. Faiyue’s work. He collaborates closely with local farmers, engaging them in biochar production and application processes. After his participation in the 2024 Biochar Academy, he took his learnings about artisanal kilns and made one himself with the help of his research team. He has since taught farmers how to make the kiln and produce biochar with it as well.
“I ask for help or cooperation from farmers,” says Dr. Faiyue. “And then we produce biochar together. And they apply it. We work together; like they’re a research assistant.”
