Biochar Atlas
American Biochar Institute
A working concept · ABI Phase 1 RFP

The right biochar.
For the right place.

The Biochar Atlas helps farmers, conservation staff, agronomists, and engineers evaluate biochar for the soil and goal at hand — and turns that judgment into an NRCS-ready plan.

Open the AtlasRead the proposal
Hanlon series · MollisolLive SSURGO
A1 · 0–8 cm
A · 8–18 cm
Bw · 18–46 cm
BC · 46–66 cm
C · 66+ cm
Texture
Sandy loam
pH (1:1)
6.5
Organic matter
2.5%
CEC
20 meq/100g
Available water
0.17 cm/cm
Drainage
Mod. well
Real data from the USDA Soil Data Access service. Click any point in the contiguous U.S.
Why we built this

Biochar has crossed the threshold from research curiosity to working soil amendment. What's missing is a trustworthy place to decide which one, at what rate, for what goal.

In collaboration with USDA ARS
01Site

Click anywhere in the U.S.

The Atlas resolves the dominant SSURGO map unit at the point — pulls texture, pH, organic matter, CEC, drainage class, the works — and identifies the deficiencies that matter for the work in front of you.

02Recommend

Ranked, with the math shown.

Up to three priorities, weighted exactly the way the Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas does it. The biochar database is ranked live, with the nearest producers within reach on the same map. Every score exposes its drivers and cautions.

03Report

Printable. NRCS-ready.

A polished, server-rendered report carries the recommendation into the field — soil profile, scored fit, agronomic notes, cost-benefit, carbon storage. Designed for the CPS 336 conversation.

Built for the work

From row crops to compost yards to carbon projects.

Agriculture & forage

26 crops with N/P/K and pH targets. Row, vegetable, specialty, tree, pasture.

Carbon / climate

Lowest H:Corg ratio, IBI Class 1 preferred. On-farm and credit-eligible.

Compost

Co-composting and amendment workflows. Nutrient retention, reduced N losses.

Research & field trials

Open use for trial setups without a specific commercial application.

Atlas modules

Phase 1 ships the Suitability Tool. The architecture absorbs the next four phases without re-platforming.

One codebase, one design system, one data layer. ABI-owned, portable, free of vendor lock. Each module is a quiet evolution of the foundation Phase 1 establishes — not a separate product nailed on top.

  1. 01
    Live now
    Biochar Suitability Tool
    Map-first decision support. Pulls live SSURGO, ranks biochars by weighted priorities, generates printable NRCS reports.
  2. 02
    Phase 2
    Biochar Sourcing Module
    Public supplier directory with structured analytical data. Optional paid marketplace on a separate domain.
  3. 03
    Phase 3
    Biochar Learning Center
    Public fact sheets, longer publications, and gated CEU experiences for professionals.
  4. 04
    Phase 4
    NRCS Implementation Module
    Plan and price CPS 336 applications. Cost estimates compared to EQIP, CSP, RCPP incentive rates.
  5. 05
    Phase 5
    Biochar Deployment Database
    Long-term field-trial tracking with public summary views and secure detailed-data access.
Partners & data

Built on the data and science the field already trusts.

USDA ARS

Provides suitability algorithms and technical oversight.

USDA NRCS

Funds Phase 1; SSURGO data; CPS 336 alignment.

ABI

Owns the platform, the science, and the standards.

Open the Atlas.

Pick any point on the contiguous U.S. — the tool walks you through site, soil, priorities, biochar selection, rate, and a report you can hand to a farmer.

Begin a scenario