Biochar production is an effective approach to managing abundant agricultural wastes. Pruning wastes from trimming the branches of trees such as carambola and mango, as well as coconut shells, are among the agricultural wastes that have reutilisation potential, which would simultaneously reduce the space required for disposal. In this study, the potential use of these wastes by converting them into biochar was investigated. The data presented in this study highlight the design of a pyrolysis system for a low-temperature slow pyrolysis process, as well as the characterisation data of the biochar produced using this system. The data collected included the elemental composition, porosity, as well as surface and adsorption characteristics of the biochar. These data indicate that the biochar produced had certain qualities that would enable its use for specific agricultural and industrial purposes. Meanwhile, the design indicated that it could facilitate small farms with specific outputs. In brief, these data can be used as references for developing a small-scale system for agricultural waste management using different types of crops.
Rice straw is one of the most abundant biomass wastes derived from rice cultivation activities. The current rice straw management practice during the wet (rainy) season in Malaysia involves the integration of straw into the soil. This practice offers both advantages and disadvantages to rice farmers and the environment. Straw integration may improve nutrient availability while concurrently causing high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the increase in soil carbon activity. In this work, the use of microbial substrate to enhance the degradation of straw was compared to an existing technique that used no additional inputs during soil integration. The data collected consisted of overall microbial enzyme production, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen content, seasonal greenhouse gas emissions, plant characteristics, and crop yield. In brief, these data can be used as means of demonstrating the effects of improved straw degradation during the pre-season on the overall GHG emissions during the planting season.