- RegenSoil, has developed an enhanced biochar that can fully replace soil, enabling 100% soilless cultivation.
- Results in fast-growing crops, such as lettuce, can be observed quickly, often within one to two weeks.
- Biochar does not degrade rapidly, making it a long-lasting, low-maintenance option for growers.
Speaking to AgNavigator, founder Jennifer Innes-Taylor explained that while biochar itself is widely known, its effectiveness depends heavily on how it is treated and applied.
The company focuses on enhancing biochar by inoculating it with cultured microbes and enriching it through composting processes.
It treats the biochar to lower the pH and also add minerals such as calcium phosphate to improve nutrient availability.
This process creates a biologically active medium that supports microbial diversity.
“Biochar alone is not enough. We found it works much better when it’s inoculated with microbes. We culture our own microbes, bring the pH down, and compost it so the biochar becomes biologically active. At first, you get bacteria, then protozoa and nematodes, and the whole microbial system develops. That’s when nutrients are released and retained in the biochar,” Innes-Taylor told AgNavigator.
The product was initially developed to address practical issues such as persistent root rot in citrus and chilli crops, particularly during the rainy season.
“I’m a farmer myself. My family owns an organic farm in the Northeast of Thailand. We have been doing organic farming for a long time, and we became very interested in regenerative agriculture after seeing how soil degraded over the past 30 years. We’ve been practising regenerative agriculture for about 10 years, and we saw improvements, but it takes time. We wanted to find a way to regenerate soil faster,” Innes-Taylor said.
After multiple rounds of experimenting over biochar concentration, the company has report successful cases of using its biochar at 50 per cent concentrations and even up to 100 per cent as a soilless growing medium.
“Most companies use biochar at 10% to 20%, but we’ve been able to go much higher through experimentation. We tested 50%, then 75%, and eventually we developed a formula that allows us to grow using 100% soilless media. The key is the process. If biochar is not properly inoculated, it can actually pull nutrients from the plant,” said Innes-Taylor.
It has been tested across a wide range of plants, including lettuce, chilli, bananas, and various indoor plants.
According to Innes-Taylor, results are visible quickly, often within one to two weeks, especially in fast-growing crops like lettuce.
Pushing the boundaries
As a soilless growing medium, the biochar’s appeal lies in its low maintenance.
Unlike soil, biochar does not degrade quickly, meaning growers do not need to replace it often.
“The good thing about biochar is that it doesn’t degrade anymore. It’s a pure carbon. Potentially, it could last 500 to 1,000 years,” said Innes-Taylor.
A key opportunity for the company lies in urban farming, rooftop gardens, and controlled environments like greenhouses.
Innes-Taylor said demand is strong in these segments, particularly among urban growers and farm-to-table restaurants seeking to reduce labour and input requirements.
Potentially, this could simplify existing high-tech urban farming systems by removing the need for complex technology, making it more accessible.
Despite its promise, adoption remains a key hurdle. Innes-Taylor said farmers and growers are often sceptical, especially given inconsistent results from untreated biochar in the market.
She added that it has been difficult to communicate its benefits without hands-on trials.
The company is already selling through e-commerce channels but is ready to scale.
It is actively collaborating with Enable Earth, a fellow Thai startup converting waste into carbon-negative products.
Moving forward, RegenSoil aims to deepen engagement with smallholder farmers, where soil degradation is a major constraint, while expanding into urban agriculture and controlled agriculture environments.
