+2 L/cow/day in a South Australian dairy trial

The trial

Four South Australian dairies participated in a 2023 trial running biochar at approximately 1% of the mixed ration. Results varied across the four farms, but one dairy in particular saw a standout outcome: an increase of around 2 L/cow/day in milk yield, +0.1 kg/day in solids, and roughly $130,000 per year in additional profit on a 250-cow herd.

Why the result matters

This is the first Australian dairy trial of biochar with serious milk-yield numbers. The economics on the headline result — a 1% feed-additive producing a $130k/year profit lift — are the kind of figures that make a milking-shed conversation interesting.

Result variability across the four dairies is a real signal: biochar in feed isn’t a universal +2 L/cow/day. Herd genetics, base-ration composition, pasture quality, and management practice all interact with the biochar effect.

The product caveat

The trial used Mara Seeds Biochar — a different feedstock and pyrolysis profile from Possible Agriculture Biochar. Mara Seeds is plant-based biochar; ours is high-temperature hardwood from sustainably sourced Australian Sugargum, lab-tested at 88.6% total carbon.

The high-temperature property — which is what produces the rumen-microbe-friendly surface area — does transfer. The feedstock difference is the open question. Our position: we expect equivalent or better results, replication pending. We are actively scoping a comparable trial with Australian dairy operators.

What it’d take to run a similar trial on your operation

A pilot trial on a single shed typically runs across one full lactation cycle. You’d commit to:

• A control group and a biochar group of roughly equal size (~20–40 head).
• Biochar at 0.5–1% of mixed ration, introduced gradually over 7–10 days.
• Milk yield and solids tracked through your normal milk-meter system.
• Weekly observation log of cow condition, manure consistency, and any digestive disturbance.

We can supply the biochar, help with the trial design, and review the data alongside you at the midpoint and end. Talk to us about scoping a dairy trial.