TOWING Soratan High-Function Microbial Biochar

TOWING Inc. is a Nagoya University spin-off established on 27 February 2020 and based in the university's incubation facility in Nagoya, Japan. It develops high-function soil technology that builds fertile, microbially active soil in about one month instead of the three to five years typical in open fields, while storing carbon in farmland.

Its product Soratan is made by carbonizing rice husks at 350 degrees Celsius or more and culturing over 1,000 types of soil microorganisms on the biochar with a method developed jointly with NARO. Growers spread it with compost or organic fertilizer before tillage. TOWING also offers microbial community soil analysis, fertilizer design, biochar carbon credit application and insetting support, and consulting to set up biochar plants, serving farmers, cooperatives and food companies.

• Rice husk biochar: made by carbonizing husks at 350 degrees Celsius or more with limited oxygen.
• Cultured microbes: over 1,000 types of soil microorganisms grown on the biochar with NARO-developed technology.
• Field and nursery use: products for field application and for seedling growing media.
• Soil diagnostics: microbial community analysis and fertilizer design for regenerative switching.
• Carbon services: support for biochar carbon credit applications and supply-chain insetting projects.
• Plant consulting: feasibility to operation support for regional biochar plants.

• Rice millers in the Mekong Delta converting husk into microbial biochar for contract farmers.
• Food and beverage companies running carbon insetting projects with vegetable and fruit suppliers.
• Nurseries and high-tech farms using biochar growing media to raise seedling quality.

• Higher yields: an average yield increase of over 20% across 169 statistically sound trials as of July 2025.
• Faster soil building: fertile soil in as little as one month instead of three to five years.
• Better soil function: improved water retention, drainage, fertilizer retention and nitrate production.
• Carbon value: biochar applied to fields can generate carbon credits or insetting for food supply chains.

Biochar is gaining traction as both a soil amendment and a recognized carbon removal method, and food companies are seeking insetting projects in their supply chains. Vietnam and its neighbours produce large volumes of rice husk and straw, giving local feedstock for microbial biochar and a route to lower open burning.

Established on 27 February 2020 as a Nagoya University spin-off; capital of 100 million yen as of September 2023; representative director Kohei Nishida. Products are sold through local farm supply stores and JA cooperatives. Named a finalist in the Food category of the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2027 in September 2026.