Promoting the PhilRice Open-Type Rice Hull Carbonizer: Helping Resource-

Challenged Philippine Farmers Prepare CRH-Based Organic Fertilizers On-Farm1

Manuel Jose C. Regalado, Gay C. Bermudez and Rizal G. Corales2

Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice)
Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

ABSTRACT

One of the most useful biomass waste processing products is carbonized rice
hull or husk (CRH). CRH is made from incomplete or partial burning of rice husks,
which produces rice hull charcoal that retains the form of the husk. Owing to its high
silica and carbon content, and porous microstructure, CRH has both high permeability
and water retention capacity. It is thus very useful in improving soil structure and water-
holding capacity. Also, its alkalinity helps to ameliorate acid soil conditions.

Every year the Philippine rice industry produces about 3 million tonnes of rice
husks from over 17 M t of paddy. However, most of the husks are just wasted because
farmers and processors have limited knowledge on properly managing and converting
these into more useful form.

PhilRice developed a simple, easy-to-use, and low-cost rice hull carbonizer to

help resource-challenged farmers produce their own CRH, which can be used as a key
ingredient in making organic fertilizer. From 2008–2009, with funding support from the
Philippine Department of Agriculture, about 5000 carbonizer units were disseminated
and over 700 farmers-associations were trained nationwide in making CRH using the
carbonizer, and producing CRH-based organic fertilizer using the Effective
Microorganisms (EM®) technology. As more farmers are reached out, this simple and
inexpensive technology can possibly create the difference in their fight for survival in
the business as they face ominous threats of climate change and spiraling prices of
inorganic fertilizers.

Key words: Carbonizer, CRH, organic fertilizer, PhilRice, rice husk

                                                            
1
Poster-paper to be presented at the Sixth Biomass-Asia Workshop, which is organized by the Biomass
Asia Research Consortium and will be held in Hiroshima, Japan on November 18-20, 2009.
2
Scientist I/Chief Science Research Specialist, Science Research Specialist II, and Supervising Science
Research Specialist, respectively, Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-
PhilRice), Maligaya Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija 3119, Philippines.