The citrus industry is considered one of the main contributors to agricultural waste. Peels are commonly used in the food industry or as feedstock in biorefining. In this study, the potential of waste orange peel biochar for agricultural applications in sandy soil was investigated. This will not only increase the percentage of agricultural waste recycling, but also lead to more sustainable agriculture with environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration. Biochar was produced through slow pyrolysis in the temperature range 300-600°C and at two holding durations (10 min and 60 min). Both factors had a significant impact on the physicochemical characteristics of biochar in the heating region 300-450°C. However, varying the holding time for pyrolysis temperatures beyond 450°C had a diminishing effect on biochar properties compared with the impact of increasing pyrolysis temperature. The study also looked at certain properties that are specific to agricultural application not previously reported for orange peel. Very high cation exchange capacities of 70 cmol kg-1 were achieved at 300°C, whereas water holding capacity was not strongly influenced by pyrolysis conditions. Preliminary planting tests indicate potential for improving agricultural sustainability in sandy soils. The technoeconomic analysis of biochar showed that the pyrolysis process can be profitable with sufficient plant capacity.
Keywords: Food waste recycling; biochar; citrus waste; pyrolysis; sandy soil; water retention.