Published data on biochar and its interactions with soil are increasingly detailed in relation to feedstocks and production conditions (Sohi et al., 2010). As this body of literature grows, it will enable biochar pro­ducers to more predictably custom design biochars to
alleviate the organic matter constraints of a given soil, using a procedure similar in effect to those used by chemical fertilizer companies to determine the macro — and micronutrient requirements of a given soil (Joseph et al., 2013). While some researchers aim to produce improved biochars by simply blending multiple bio­chars together (Novak and Busscher, 2013), truly novel biochars are being produced by pyrolyzing an organic feedstock mixed with clay and other minerals, in order to produce a biochar mineral complex (BMC), which may represent the current forefront of custom biochar design. This BMC production process (Figure 25.3(a)) enables the production and customization of biochars through blending of materials before pyrolysis, followed by subsequent blending of materials with desirable chemical qualities, which are then subjected to torrefac — tion treatments. This can facilitate the loading of the bio­char surfaces with additional plant-available nutrients and enhanced CEC, representing a clear progression from biochar as a soil conditioner toward biochar as an organic fertilizer (Lin et al., 2012a, b).