EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

1st Biochar COST Action Workshop

24 September 2012

Chania, Crete, Greece

Abstracts of the Oral Presentations

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Abstracts of the Oral Presentations

Session 1 ............................................................................................................................... 3

1.2 Chemical and thermal properties of Biochars – results from a screening of 58 samples (LEIFELD et al.) .............................................................................................................................................................. 3

1.3 Renewable Energy and Biochar Production from Pyrolysis of Anaerobically Digested Pig Manure (LEAHY et al.) .............................................................................................................................................. 4

1.4 Sewage sludge as a precursor for Biochar production (AGRAFIOTI et al.) ........................................... 5

1.5 Effects of pyrolysis settings on soil carbon and nitrogen processes after Biochar application (HAUGGAARD-NIELSEN et al.) ...................................................................................................................... 5

1.6 Development of comprehensive bio-waste transformation and nutrient recovery treatment process for production of combined compost and bio-char natural fertilizers and soil amendment products. “REFERTIL” (SOMEUS) .............................................................................................................................. 6

Session 2 ............................................................................................................................... 9

2.1 Changes in soil surface albedo reduce the climate change mitigation potential of Biochar (VERHEIJEN et al.) ....................................................................................................................................... 9

2.2 Greenhouse gas fluxes in char amended soil (Kern and Dicke) ......................................................... 9

2.3 Will aged Biochar continue to reduce N2O emissions? - Explorations in space and time of long-term analogs for continued Biochar use in soils (Kammann et al.) ................................................................ 10

2.4 Biochar regulates N2O efflux via soil moisture and plant N uptake (SAARNIO et al.) ........................ 11

2.5 Trading in CO2 certificates (DUNST) ................................................................................................... 12

Session 3 ............................................................................................................................. 13

3.1 Biochar field trials in Germany – State of the art (GLASER et al.) ...................................................... 13

3.2 Biochar transnational field trials in the North Sea Region (RUYSSCHAERT et al.) .............................. 13

3.3 BIOCHAR in Austria – an interdisciplinary project with a focus on nutrient availability and soil fertility (SOJA et al.).............................................................................................................................................. 14

3.4 Effect of brown coal-based composts produced with the use of white rot fungi on the growth and yield of strawberry plants (SAS PASZT et al.) ............................................................................................ 16

3.5 The Biochar Effect (GRABER et al.) .................................................................................................... 16

3.6 Stability of miscanthus Biochar under field conditions in Norway and effects on agronomic parameters (O’TOOLE and RASSE) ........................................................................................................... 17

Session 4 ............................................................................................................................. 19

4.1 Effects of Biochar on Water and Nitrogen Dynamics of a Sandy Soil: Comparing Organic and Conventional Agricultural Systems (SAKRABANI et al.) ............................................................................ 19

4.3 Effect of wood-chip and straw derived Biochars in remediation of soils contaminated with herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) (MUTER et al.) ................................................................. 20

4.4 Quantitative analysis of PAHs in Biochar and its application to products from commercial providers (BUCHELI et al.) ......................................................................................................................................... 21

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Session 1

1.2 Chemical and thermal properties of Biochars – results from a screening of 58 samples (LEIFELD et al.)

J. Leifeld1, I. Hilber

1, T. Bucheli

1, H.-P. Schmidt

2

1 Research Station Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Switzerland

2 Delinat Institute, Switzerland

Observed environmental effects of Biochars are strongly linked to their biological, chemical,

and physical properties. Previous research has shown that basic Biochar properties vary widely,

depending on feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, or post processing of the samples. In the context

of a PAH-screening of 58 Biochar samples and char-compost mixtures from different producers

in Europe (see contribution Bucheli et al.) also parameters such as elemental contents

(C,H,N,O), specific surface area, and thermal stability were measured. The latter provides

information about the chemical and biological stability of Biochar. Most of the pure Biochar

samples had H/C and O/C ratios of below 0.6 and 0.3, respectively, and specific surface areas

(SSA) from < 10 to close to 300 m2 g-1. The latter were systematically affected by pyrolysis

conditions and post processing. Thermal stabilities increased non-linearly with increasing SSA

and largely depended on feedstock and pyrolysis conditions. Thermal stabilities of most of the

pure Biochars indicated that their microbial decomposability must be small whereas those

mixed with compost or subjected to post processing contained substantial amounts of more

easily degradable compounds.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

1.3 Renewable Energy and Biochar Production from Pyrolysis of Anaerobically Digested Pig Manure (LEAHY et al.)

S.M. Troyab

, T. Nolana, J.J. Leahy

c, P.G. Lawlor

a, M.G. Healy

b, W. Kwapinski

c*

aTeagasc, Pig Development Department, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland;

bCivil Engineering, National

University of Ireland, Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland; cChemical and Environmental Science, University of Limerick,

Limerick, Ireland

*Corresponding author. e-mail address: witold.kwapinski@ul.ie

In the European Union, thirty percent of sows are located in a major pig production basin which

stretches from Denmark, through north western Germany and the Netherlands to northern

Belgium. Landspreading legislation (Nitrates Directive, 91/676/EEC) has reduced the amount of

organic fertilizers which can be spread on land, increasing the cost of manure disposal. There is

much interest in anaerobic digestion (AD) as a method of generating renewable energy from

manures. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted on the separated solid fraction of

anaerobically digested pig manure (SADPM). The aim of these experiments was to investigate

the influence of (1) sawdust addition and (2) composting the feedstock, on the products of

pyrolysis and on the net energy yield from the pyrolysis process, (3) Biochar composition. The

yields of the char, bio-liquid and gas were influenced by the addition of sawdust to the SADPM

and by composting of the feedstock. With the addition of sawdust, char and gas higher heating

values (HHV) increased, while bio-liquid HHV decreased. More than 70% of the original energy

in the feedstock remained in the char, bio-liquid and gas after pyrolysis, increasing as the

proportion of sawdust increased. The energy yield also increased when the manure only

(without sawdust addition) feedstock was composted before pyrolysis. However, with

increasing sawdust addition, composting of the feedstock reduces the net energy yield.

Composting of the feedstock resulted in no major change in Biochar total K concentrations and

small increases in total P concentrations.

Biochar total P and total K decreased with

increasing sawdust addition. The amount

of P leached from soil is dependent on the

amount of water soluble P (WSP) available.

Concentrations of WSP are generally very

high (15-50%) in super phosphate

fertilizers. The WSP concentrations in the

Biochars studied are very low (< 0.016%),

indicating unsuitability as a fast release

fertilizer. However, it also indicates that P

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

leaching from the Biochar would probably be very small and that Biochars might be suitable as

a slow release P fertilizer.

If the char is used as a fuel, all feedstocks produced a positive net energy yield. However,

should the Biochar be used as a soil addendum, given a great benefit for plant production.

1.4 Sewage sludge as a precursor for Biochar production (AGRAFIOTI et al.)

E. AGRAFIOTI *, G. BOURAS *, D. KALDERIS **, E. DIAMADOPOULOS *

* Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece

** Department of Natural Resources & Environment, Technological Educational Institute of

Crete, 73135 Chania, Greece

In this study, Greek sewage sludge was used as feedstock in order to examine the effect of

different pyrolysis conditions on Biochar production. The parameters examined were the

pyrolysis temperature (300, 400 and 5000C), the residence time of the feedstock in the pyrolysis

unit (30, 60 and 90 min) as well as the chemical pre-treatment (with K2CO3 or H3PO4) of the raw

biomass. The ultimate goal was to study the effect of the aforementioned parameters on

Biochar yield. Biochars with the highest yields were analysed further in order to examine the

potential release of their heavy metal content to soil. The residence time of the feedstock did

not affect the amount of Biochar produced, while Biochar yield decreased with increasing the

pyrolysis temperature The chemical impregnation ratio did not have impact on the Biochar

yield. The leaching tests that were conducted based on the TCLP method, showed that Biochars

had a significant retention capacity of the heavy metals examined (Cd, Cu. Ni, Pb, Cr, As),

implying that there is no environmental risk when they are applied to soils.

1.5 Effects of pyrolysis settings on soil carbon and nitrogen processes after Biochar application (HAUGGAARD-NIELSEN et al.)

Henrik Hauggaard-Nielsen* and Esben Bruun, Department of Chemical and Biochemical

Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

*Corresponding author: hnie@kt.dtu.dk , phone +45 221330785

Biochar is not just one uniform material, but is formed by the original feedstock’s

physicochemical characteristics and the pyrolysis settings. Obviously, the effect of Biochar

incorporation is also influenced by soil type and other environmental conditions, which mean

that one Biochar material may improve nutrient retention and crop yields in one system, but

not necessarily in another. Several companies are now offering their expertise in pyrolysing all

sorts of feedstock and Biochar is getting available on a more commercial market. We know that

the pyrolysis peak temperature, particle residence time and heating rate are important for the

quality of the Biochar produced, thus providing differentiated effects in the soil environment

upon application. Some Biochar may, when produced at rather low temperatures or with large

feedstock particles, result in incompletely pyrolyzed biomass providing bio-available carbon (C)

for the microbial population and thus a lowered potential for Biochar-carbon sequestration in

soil. As a consequence, such Biochar can cause immobilization of soil nitrogen (N) influencing

the synchrony between N mineralization and crop demand. On the contrary, other Biochar

produced e.g. with longer particle retention time results in a more completely pyrolyzed

Biochar-product with less volatile C-substrate influencing the soil-plant interactions differently.

It will be discussed how pyrolysis settings (and technologies) influence the Biochar quality and

how this affects the important ecosystem function and services expected when applying

Biochar to agricultural soils.

1.6 Development of comprehensive bio-waste transformation and nutrient recovery treatment process for production of combined compost and bio-char natural fertilizers and soil amendment products. “REFERTIL” (SOMEUS)

Edward Someus (Sweden)

The overall objective of the REFERTIL is the improvement of common compost quality

standards and development of new Biochar quality standards for the EU 27 by 2013 for

European Union Commission regulation law harmonization support. Market available industrial

type of Biochar technologies investigated and comprehensively evaluated in technical,

economical, environmental and climate impact terms. Reducing mineral fertilizers and

chemicals use targeted in agriculture by recycling treated organic waste as compost and bio-

char products. Improvement of comprehensive bio-waste transformation and nutrient recovery

treatment processes made for production of combined natural products.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

The main drive of this topic is the contribution to the transformation of urban organic waste

and farm organic residues management from a costly disposal process into an income

generating activity, and to allow the related industry to produce added value products and

organic matter of high quality to be recycled in agriculture.

There is a strong need for increased sustainability of all production systems, such as agriculture,

plant health and crop protection. In this context reducing mineral fertilizers and chemicals use

in agriculture are key objectives, which objective driven goals can economically achieved by

virtuous cycle recycling and reuse of the treated organic waste as compost and bio-char

products.

The overall picture shows significant nutrient losses (depletion) in rural areas and huge nutrient

accumulation and loss in urban areas. Human activities have been disturbed the natural

nitrogen cycles. In the case of nitrogen, it is estimated that human activity has doubled the

amount in circulation; in the case of phosphorus, we have tripled the amount available since

the industrial revolution.

The objective driven goal of this project is to develop an EU27 standardized advanced and

comprehensive bio-waste treatment and nutrient recovery process with zero emission

performance, resulting a virtuous nutrient cycle, and safe, economical, ecological and

EU27 standardized compost and bio-char combined natural fertilizers and soil amendment

agricultural products.

The targeted high quality output products aiming to reduce mineral fertilizers and intensive

chemicals use in agriculture; enhancing the environmental, ecological and economical

sustainability of food crop production; reducing the negative footprint of the cities and

contributing to climate change mitigation.

In this context the new bio-waste treatment process opens new technical, economical,

environmental and social improvement opportunities, while improving the use, effectiveness

and safety of the resulting compost and bio-char products in agriculture. The output products

developed in a standardized way to meet all industrial, agricultural and environmental norms

and standards in European dimension.

Modern industrial agriculture relies on continual inputs of mined non-renewable phosphorus.

Reserves of the phosphate rock PR used to make such fertilizers are finite, and concerns have

been raised that they are in danger of exhaustion. It has been argued, for example, that data

from the US Geological Survey point to the available low Cadmium/Uranium content PR

supplies peaking in as little as 25 years time. Because there is no substitute for phosphate in

agriculture, this might present an urgent and substantial problem.

The food industrial system today is primarily linear, with “Take-Make-Waste” processes and

costly/polluting long distance transport systems, which linear system is highly inefficient and is

not sustainable anymore. The linear system is not only inefficient and costly, but these linear

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

outputs products often contain persistent or toxic materials that negatively impact the

environment, and resulting high costs for post life management.

Carbon dioxide and nitrogen cycles are strongly coupled. The anthropogenic Nitrogen is the

input of man on nature, that is induced or altered by the presence and activity of man (such as

fossil fuel combustion and agricultural fertilizer use activities), which makes anthropogenic

interference of the global nitrogen cycle as global fertilizer.

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, important in climate change, and as well, is a

stratospheric ozone depleting substance. The human population has grown at an

unprecedented rate this century and this has resulted in many localized environmental impacts.

Food production is considered as a source of global nitrous oxide emissions; however, the

nitrogen in waste water and solid wastes may be a significant fate of much anthropogenic

nitrogen.

The REFERTIL project will make high attention and also developing solutions to human impacts

on the global nitrogen cycle, impacts which are quantitatively greater than the impacts on the

carbon cycle.

The most important objective of the REFERTIL is the closing the nutrient loop by application

added value nutrient recycling (N, P and organic) compost and/or Biochar production strategy

and technology for creation of virtuous cycle between urban and rural areas.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Session 2

2.1 Changes in soil surface albedo reduce the climate change mitigation potential of Biochar (VERHEIJEN et al.)

Biochar can be concisely defined as pyrolysed (charred) biomass produced for application to

soils with the aim to mitigate global climate change while improving soil functions. Sustainable

Biochar production and application to soils have been estimated to reduce global greenhouse

gas emissions by 71-130 Pg CO2-Ce over 100 years, indicating strong potential to mitigate

climate change. However, current estimates of Biochar’s climate change mitigation potential do

not consider soil darkening (i.e. albedo reduction) as a result of Biochar application. Here we

show the importance of including albedo effects when modelling the climate change mitigation

potential of Biochar application to soil. By developing an albedo dataset covering a range of

soils, moisture contents, and Biochar application rates and methods, we reveal a strong

tendency for soil albedo to decrease with increasing Biochar application rates.

Frank G. A. Verheijen1*

, Simon Jeffery2, Marijn van der Velde

3, Vit Penizek

4, Ana Catarina Bastos

1, Martin Beland

5,

Jan Jacob Keizer1

1Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.

2Soil Biology and Biological Soil Quality Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.

3International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Ecosystem Services and Management Program,

Laxenburg A-2361, Austria. 4Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague 16521, Czech Republic.

5Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA

94720, U.S.A.

2.2 Greenhouse gas fluxes in char amended soil (Kern and Dicke)

Jürgen Kern and Christiane Dicke

Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany

One of the most crucial points of Biochar application to soil is its recalcitrance, which accounts

for carbon sequestration. In contrast to pyrolysis Biochars, which have been proved for long-

term stability, there is only little information on the stability of chars, which derive from

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

hydrothermal carbonization. This low temperature process (200-250°C) has been applied to

carbonize hemp dust, a residual byproduct of the hemp fiber production, which has no

application, yet. This study was designed to get information about the behavior of hemp char in

a carbon-poor sand.

Aerobic incubations run over a period of four months in order to measure the accumulated

concentrations of CO2 and N2O. During the first month high emission rates of CO2 were

observed in all three treatments (i. sandy soil with 1% C, ii. sandy soil enriched to 2% C with

non-washed hemp char, iii. sandy soil enriched to 2% C with washed hemp char). Over this time

most CO2 per gram ash free dry matter was released from the treatment of sand mixed with

non-washed hemp char. Washing of the hemp char resulted in a significantly reduced emission

rate of CO2. This may be explained by leaching of soluble and easily mineralizeable carbon

compounds from the HTC char matrix. After one month of incubation CO2 release followed a

linear pattern.

At the same time in the char/sand mixtures N2O emission was reduced by 30-40% compared to

the pure sandy soil. This benefit in N2O reduction seems to be very effective in chars, which

derive from hydrothermal carbonization.

2.3 Will aged Biochar continue to reduce N2O emissions? - Explorations in space and time of long-term analogs for continued Biochar use in soils (Kammann et al.)

C. Kammann, C. Finke, A. Lima, T. Clough, S. Tsai, W. Teixeira, G. Braker & C. Müller

It is now well established that many freshly produced Biochars (BCs) can significantly reduce

N2O emissions from BC-amended soils. The mechanisms under discussion include NH3/NH4+

adsorption by the Biochar (as documented for acidic BCs), pH or other N-cycling changes, or soil

aeration. However, we observed repeatedly that N2O emissions were even reduced when the

increased water-holding capacity had been accounted for. It is unclear to date if the N2O-

emission reducing effect will continue over time, or if, rather, the BC-amended soils will

produce larger N2O emissions in the long run e.g. if the microbial activity and organic carbon

besides BC increases. Thus, we investigated (i) compost versus BC-compost (i.e. where BC was

co-composted) and very old BC-soils such as (ii) soil from old German charcoal-making sites or

(iii) two Amazonian Dark Earths (terra preta), all compared to the respective adjacent soils. In

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

the Biochar compost, as compared to the same compost amended with fresh Biochar it was

obvious that the strong reduction in N2O emissions that is often observed was less strong, or no

longer present.

On the other hand without mineral N fertilization, no increase in the N2O emissions from the

BC-containing soils and substrates was observed, although the BC-soils or BC-composts usually

had the higher microbial activity and microbial biomass, and mostly the higher mineral N

contents from the start. We had expected higher N2O emissions from the BC-rich old-charcoal

soils (Germany and Brazil) when additional mineral N was applied. However, surprisingly, it was

the adjacent soils that had in tendency or in absolute terms the higher N2O emissions.

Therefore our results suggest that the long-term use of Biochar may not pose a hidden danger

in terms of N2O emission "costs" of Biochar use in soils in the long run.

2.4 Biochar regulates N2O efflux via soil moisture and plant N uptake (SAARNIO et al.)

1, 2

Saarnio S, 1Heimonen K,

1Kettunen R

1 Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland

2 Finnish Environment Institute, Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland, sanna.saarnio@uef.fi

Earlier studies have shown that the addition of Biochar into agricultural soils is expected to

mitigate climate change by increasing crop yield per area, decreasing nitrous oxide (N2O)

release and increasing soil carbon storage. The impacts of Biochar on plant productivity and soil

processes are, however, highly variable depending on the properties of the Biochar and the soil,

plant species and environmental conditions. We studied the effects of Biochar addition on soil

moisture, yield of Phleum pratense, ecosystem respiration and N2O release in mesocosms with

a bare mineral soil or P. pratense stand. Biochar was made from spruce under rather low

temperatures and was mixed into the whole soil profile during the preparation of the

mesocosms. The mesocosms were fertilized with ammonium nitrate at the beginning of the

experiment and after each harvest. Biochar seemed to affect N2O efflux indirectly via soil

moisture and plant N uptake.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

2.5 Trading in CO2 certificates (DUNST)

Gerald Dunst

Ecoregion Kaindorf, Austria

The ecoregion Kaindorf is a consortium of 6 communes with a total of 3000 inhabitants. The

objective of this region is to get CO2-neutral by 2020. In the working group for agriculture, a

model was developed to increase the humus-content of our poor soils very fast. The optimal

combination of compost fertilizer, crop rotation and reduced tillage can fix up to 50 tons of CO2

per hectare and year. To finance the humus increase a regional approach to trade with "humus-

certificates" was developed. The farmer will then get € 30.00 per tonne of fixed CO2 - that is

issued a certificate. These certificates are then sold to companies around € 45.00, which would

provide a voluntary CO2 neutral. The whole system is completely traced and mapped online

with a specially developed software.

To perfect the stable humus increase, a Biochar plant (Pyreg process) was constructed, in which

waste from eg. Paper fiber sludge and green waste can be converted in a high quality Biochar.

Our goal now is to develop a soil additive to start in a humus-poor soil without large amounts of

compost the so-called "Terra Preta" effect. The soil should be able to bind carbon and nitrogen

from the air much better than before. Currently we are experimenting with various nutrients

and trace elements that are applied to the Biochar and with different biologies from our

composting plant, to "charge" the Biochar. In field experiments the different activated Biochars

are then tested.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Session 3

3.1 Biochar field trials in Germany – State of the art (GLASER et al.) Bruno Glaser

1, Daniel Fischer

1, Hardy Schulz

1, Katja Wiedner

1, Daniela Busch

1, Gerald Dunst

2, Herbert Miethke

3,

Sebastian Seelig4,

Helmut Gerber5,

Bernd Schottdorf6,

Arne Stark7

1 Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Soil Biogeochemistry,

von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, 06120 Halle, Germany 2 Sonnenerde GmbH, Kaindorf, Austria

3 Maxim-Gorki-Straße 19, 15306 Lindendorf OT Dolgelin, Germany

4 Wendepunkt Zukunft e.V., Gartow, Germany

5 PYREG GmbH, Dörth, Germany

6 German Charcoal GmbH, Augsburg, Germany

7 Carbon Solutions GmbH, Potsdam, Germany

Biochar has received enormous attention recently due to its potential for long-term C

sequestration and soil improvement known from the terra preta phenomenon. For producing

terra preta-like substrates, it is imperative to combine Biochar with nutrient-rich organic

material. It is necessary to conduct experiments on the field scale while maintaining basic

standards for proper scientific evaluation before Biochar technologies should be implemented

in the large scale. For this purpose, an iterative sequence of Biochar field experiments across

Germany has been installed during the last four years. These experiments are located in

Brandenburg (installation in 2009), Bavaria (installation in 2010), Lower Saxony and Saxony

Anhalt (both installed in 2012). It could be shown that composted Biochar significantly

increased soil C stocks and plant productivity at quantities higher than 10 Mg ha-1. It could be

further shown that composting of Biochar is advantageous over simple mixing. The recently

installed last generation of Biochar field experiments comprises also combination with other

technologies such as hydrothermal carbonization, incubation with biogas slurries and

inoculation with indigenous microbial populations.

3.2 Biochar transnational field trials in the North Sea Region (RUYSSCHAERT et al.) Ruysschaert G.

1, Hammond J.

2, O’Toole A.

3, Postma R.

4, Rödger J.-M.

5, Bruun E.

6, Kihlberg T.

7, Nelissen V.

1,9, Zwart

K. 8, Hauggaard-Nielsen H.

6, Boeckx P.

9, Van Haren R.

10

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Biochar has shown to have positive impacts on soil characteristics and crop growth in tropical

regions, but little is known about the effect of Biochar in temperate climates. Before Biochar

can become recommended more widely as a soil amendment, consistent improvement of soil

quality and crop yields after Biochar application must be documented for a range of soil types

and climates. The EU Interreg IVB North Sea Region project ‘Biochar: climate saving soils’ aims

to demonstrate the potential of Biochar as a soil amendment in temperate climates. In autumn

2011, the consortium established a transnational Biochar field trial. Participating countries are

the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, UK, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In each country, the

same wood-based Biochar is applied in 3 or 4 replicates at a rate of 20 ton per hectare and the

effect of Biochar on soil and crop growth characteristics is compared against 3 or 4 control

plots. Based on regional circumstances, most of the countries have grown spring barley in 2012.

This poster presents the characteristics of the Biochar used and the impact on soil properties

and crop growth during the first growing season.

1Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Plant Sciences Unit, Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan

109, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium 2 University of Edinburgh, UK Biochar Research Centre (UKBRC), West Mains Road, Edinburgh, UK

3 Bioforsk Soil and Environment, Frederik A. Dahls vei 20, As, Norway

4 Nutrient Management Institute (NMI), POBox 250, 6700 AG, Wageningen, the Netherlands

5 Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst (HAWK), Faculty of Resource Management, Büsgenweg 1a,

Göttingen, Germany 6 Technical University of Denmark, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde,

Denmark 7

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden

8 Alterra, WUR, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, Wageningen, the Netherlands

9 Isotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653,

9000 Gent, Belgium 10

Productschap Akkerbouw, Postbus 29739, 2502 LS, Den Haag, the Netherlands

3.3 BIOCHAR in Austria – an interdisciplinary project with a focus on nutrient availability and soil fertility (SOJA et al.)

Gerhard Soja1*

, Stefanie Kloss1,2

, Bernhard Wimmer1 and Franz Zehetner

2

The Austrian project BIOCHAR is a cooperation project of five research teams focusing on

Biochar production, the claimed benefits and potential side effects of Biochar amendments to

agricultural soils and on economic assessment of a Biochar strategy. In the frame of this study

pot and field experiments have been started in 2010 that will be the base for future analyses of

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Biochar behaviour in the soil on a time range beyond the duration of the project. Specifically

the project pursues the subsequent objectives:

Determinations of the effects of biomass source and pyrolysis conditions on Biochar output

and quality

Establishing the basis for long-term analyses of the carbon sequestration potential in

agricultural soils

Analysis of nutrient bioavailability after Biochar application and sorption characteristics in

soil

Study of Biochar effects on soil microorganisms, CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions

from soils

Definition of conditions for enhancement of plant growth and yield by Biochar

Economic evaluation of Biochar production and application

For testing Biochar made from different origin materials and pyrolyzed at different

temperatures, a greenhouse pot experiment and two field experiments have been installed. In

the pot experiment, designed as microlysimeter experiment with three soils, three crops were

grown in series: mustard (Sinapis alba), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and red clover (Trifolium

pratense) The investigated soil parameters included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), cation

exchange capacity (CEC), CAL extractable P (PCAL) and K (KCAL), C/N and nitrogen supplying

potential (NSP). The results showed that soil pH increased on all soils to a varying extent. CEC

only increased on the Planosol. Despite the partly improved soil nutrient status, mustard yield

and to a lesser extent barley yield were significantly impaired by Biochar application; clover

yield was not affected anymore. Wheat straw Biochar was the only Biochar that maintained

yields in the range of the control and even increased barley yield by 6 %. We attribute the

initially massive yield reduction not only to N-immobilization, but also to a shift in

micronutrient availability due to the pH increase and other factors such as the presence of

volatile organic carbon as well as other compounds such as PAHs, depending on Biochar type.

The field experiments (test sites Traismauer, Kaindorf) exhibited less yield reduction without

added N and partially even a yield increase when N was not limiting.

Author adresses:

1 AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Environmental Resources and Technologies, Konrad Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430

Tulln, Austria

2 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute for Soil Research, Peter Jordan-Str. 82, 1190 Wien,

Austria

*contact: gerhard.soja@ait.ac.at

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

3.4 Effect of brown coal-based composts produced with the use of white rot fungi on the growth and yield of strawberry plants (SAS PASZT et al.)

L. Sas Paszt, B. Sumorok, W. Stępien, E., J. Ciesielska

Composts were produced using brown coal from the Brown Coal Mine in Belchatow (Poland),

with the following additions: a) an inoculum of either Pleurotus ostreatus or Lentinus edodes –

white rot fungi (1% of the total weight of the compost matrix); b) Vinassa – a by-product of the

production of bakery yeasts (10% of the total weight of the compost matrix); c) whey – a dairy

by-product (10% of the total volume of the compost matrix) and peat.

The composts were analyzed for nitrogen and carbon content, organic carbon fractions

(TEC, HA and FA), and humification indices were calculated.

The composts were used in a trial where strawberry plants were grown under field conditions,

but in mesocosms made of terracotta pots (about 0.12 m3) buried in soil.

The two species of fungi and the two by-products affected differently the decomposition of the

organic matrix during the composting process, resulting in composts with different

characteristics of the organic matter and different content of mineral elements. Those obtained

with Vinassa had the highest N content and the highest amount of soluble organic C forms.

The use of the different composts as soil fertilizers induced a similar overall growth of

strawberry plants cv. ‘Elsanta’. However, fruit yield was differently affected by the applied

treatment. Considering all the parameters measured, the compost obtained with the use of

Vinassa and Pleurotus ostreatus were the most promising among the different composts used.

The work has been supported by a grant from the EU Regional Development Fund through

the Polish Innovation Economy Oper-ational Program, contract No. UDA-POIG.01.03.01-10-

109/08-00.

Keywords: Compost, strawberry, lignino-cellulosic fungi

3.5 The Biochar Effect (GRABER et al.)

GRABER, E.R., ELAD, Y., CYTRYN, E., SILBER, A., LEW, B., YASOUR, H., FRENKEL, O.

THE VOLCANI CENTER, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, BET DAGAN, ISRAEL 50250

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

The positive impacts of Biochar on crop productivity are frequently attributed to the supply of

Biochar-borne nutrients, increased water and nutrient retention, improvements in soil pH and

CEC, and promotion of mycorrhizal associations. Yet, improved crop performance is also

evident under conditions of intensive production where many of these soil functions are

neither limited nor relevant. So the question remains: How does Biochar promote plant growth

and induce plant system-wide resistance to foliar and soil-borne diseases? There is yet little

understanding of the role that Biochar plays in these effects, and via what mechanisms.

Improving this understanding is the major goal of our collaborative Biochar research efforts,

which we attempt to do through integrated chemical, physical, microbial, biological and

physiological studies. In other words, our major aim is to elucidate the mechanisms responsible

for ‘The Biochar Effect’.

There are a number of possible direct and indirect ways by which Biochar may promote plant

processes. Direct promotion could occur due to the release of organic and inorganic solutes

from Biochar which have hormone-like impacts, alter the plant metabolome, or cause osmotic

and proton stresses, all of which trigger various plant responses. Biochar could also indirectly

elicit plant responses as a result of its effect on the rhizosphere microbial community. Biochar

can affect the microbial community via its content of nutrients or biocidal chemicals, or

indirectly, by altering the chemistry of the rhizosphere through the adsorption of proteins,

enzymes, root exudates, and other soil chemicals which themselves influence microbial activity

and functions. Moreover, being redox-active, labile Biochar-associated chemicals and the solid

Biochar phase could take part in chemical and biological processes in the rhizosphere that

depend on electron transfer, thus having widespread influence along the soil-microbe-plant

continuum. These different processes are amongst the many we study in our laboratories in

independent and integrated systems. Our scales of interest range from the molecular to the

field.

3.6 Stability of miscanthus Biochar under field conditions in Norway and effects on agronomic parameters (O’TOOLE and RASSE)

Adam O’Toole, Daniel Rasse

Bioforsk – Norwegian institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, Aas, Norway

Biochar refers to carbonized biomass used for the purpose of improving soil quality and

sequestering carbon in soils. While Biochar can be a solution to improve the carbon footprint of

agriculture it should also, as a minimum requirement, maintain current plant and grain yields.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Our objective was to determine the mineralization rate of an agronomic Biochar in a field

experiment under Norwegian conditions, and to assess the effect of Biochar on grain yield and

soil quality parameters. The Biochar was produced from a miscanthus C4 feedstock between

650-750C with a PYREG (DE) pyrolyser, and applied in October 2010 to Norwegian C3 soil at

rate of 8 and 25 t C ha-1. A no-Biochar control and non-pyrolyzed miscanthus control were also

included. The contrasted 13C signature between the C4 miscanthus products and the C3 soil and

CO2 flux data was used to determine mineralization rates. Here we will report on two years of

data on estimating mineralization rates of the miscanthus Biochar vs. that of the non-pyrolized

residues. In addition, soil chemical analyses and collected plant and grain yield data will be

presented from the 2011-2012 season.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Session 4

4.1 Effects of Biochar on Water and Nitrogen Dynamics of a Sandy Soil: Comparing Organic and Conventional Agricultural Systems (SAKRABANI et al.)

James Ulyett, Ruben Sakrabani

1, Mike Hann, Mark Kibblewhite

School of Applied Science, Cranfield University, United Kingdom

r.sakrabani@cranfield.ac.uk 1Presenting author

Intensive agricultural management practices such as reliance on artificial fertilizers as the

primary source of nutrients can lead to a lowering of soil organic matter (SOM). These

reductions can have detrimental effects on crop nutrient availability by lowering the retention

of free nutrient ions and water. Managing soil systems organically can increase OM, but tend to

lower productivity. Biochar has been proposed as a mitigation strategy for improving soil

fertility and resultant yields for both organic and conventional management systems. The

objective of this research is to elucidate how the addition of Biochar can affect the interaction

between water and nitrogen dynamics of a sandy soil due to changes in the physical and

chemical properties.

Laboratory experiments have been set up, including a preliminary water release curve (WRC)

and an incubation experiment. Both these utilised organic and conventionally managed soils

prepared with Biochar at differing application rates. These results were used to determine the

appropriate moisture content for the incubation trials.

The preliminary WRC indicates a positive effect of Biochar, increasing the water content of the

soil with the addition of 60t/ha Biochar. The incubation experiment showed reductions in

ammonium and increases in nitrate over 30 days. This, with a decrease of pH indicates

nitrification. Higher levels of nitrate were found with increasing Biochar application rate in the

conventional system, however the opposite trend was found in the organic system. This

indicates either increased adsorption of ammonium to Biochar surfaces or an interaction with

available soil organic carbon such as carbohydrates. To determine this both the adsorption

capacities and the hot water extractable carbon will be measured.

Biochar surface characterisation has been carried out using Hg porosimetry and N2 adsorption

method. Both these techniques provide information on macro and micro porosity of Biochar

which is essential in holding water when mixed with soil.

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

Biochar has the potential to increase the water holding capacity and nitrogen availability of a

sandy soil, therefore improving availability to crops. This could be more beneficial under a

conventionally managed agricultural system.

4.3 Effect of wood-chip and straw derived Biochars in remediation of soils contaminated with herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) (MUTER et al.)

O.Muter1, A.Berzins

1, S.Strikauska

2, J.Truu

3, M. Truu

3, C.Steiner

4

1Institute of Microbiology & Biotechnology, University of Latvia, 4 Kronvalda blvd., Riga LV-1010, Latvia

2 Latvia Agriculture University, Liela Str., Jelgava LV-3001, Latvia

3Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise Str., 51014 Tartu, Estonia

4BlackCarbon A/S, Barritskovvej 36, 7150 Barrit, Denmark

Biochar addition to soil is currently being investigated as a novel technology to

remediate polluted sites. Biochar in soil could be an important factor for immobilization of a

herbicide and thus affecting the fate of their degradation products [1-2]. However, the different

effects of Biochar in agricultural soils may attribute to the interaction of soil components

with Biochar, which would block the pore or compete for binding site of Biochar. Thus, sorption

of herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) positively correlates with soil organic

carbon content, humic and fulvic acid carbon contents, and negatively with soil pH [3-4]. The

amount and composition of the organic carbon content of the amendment, especially the

soluble part, can play an important role in the sorption and leaching of MCPA [5].

This study assessed the influence of two Biochars (wood and straw) on remediation

process in the soil contaminated with MCPA. The wood feedstock consists of shattered wooden

boxes (10%) and disposable wooden pallets (90%). The boxes are used by Aarstiderne A/S to

deliver organic vegetables to their customers. They are re-used until damages are identified.

The straw Biochar was made from pelletized wheat straw. The pyrolysis screw was heated with

exhaust gas at 600 degrees C. The generated producer-gas had a temperature of 460 degrees C

and the mean residence time of the feedstock was one hour. In the pot experiment, 160g wood

or straw Biochar was added to the 3L soil spiked with 50mg MCPA/kg soil. Experiment was

designed at a semipilot-scale with 5L pots in triplicate outside, under the tent.

Effect of Biochar to herbicide chemical and biological accessibility was examined, using

leaching test as well as MCPA concentration measurement in soil by HPLC. Changes in the

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

structure of soil microbial community was tested by next generation sequencing and

quantification of functional genes involved in MCPA biodegradation. Activity of soil

microorganisms was assessed also by microbial enzymatic activity and plating test.

Phytotoxicity of untreated and Biochar-amended soil was evaluated in dynamics by germination

test, using both, monocot and dicot plant species.

References

[1] Yu X, Pan L, Ying G, Kookana RS. 2010. Enhanced and irreversible sorption of pesticide pyrimethanil

by soil amended with Biochars. J Environ Sci (China) 22(4):615-20.

[2] Sopeña F, Semple K, Sohi S, Bending G. 2012. Assessing the chemical and biological accessibility of the

herbicide isoproturon in soil amended with Biochar. Chemosphere 88(1):77-83.

[3] Yu XY, Mu CL, Gu C, Liu C, Liu XJ. 2011. Impact of woodchip Biochar amendment on the sorption and

dissipation of pesticide acetamiprid in agricultural soils. Chemosphere 85(8):1284-9.

[4] Hiller E, Tatarková V, Šimonovičová A, Bartal' M. 2012. Sorption, desorption, and degradation of (4-chloro-2-

methylphenoxy) acetic acid in representative soils of the Danubian Lowland, Slovakia. Chemosphere 87(5):437-

44.

[5] Cabrera A, Cox L, Spokas KA, Celis R, Hermosín MC, Cornejo J, Koskinen WC. 2011. Comparative sorption and

leaching study of the herbicides fluometuron and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) in

a soil amended with Biochars and other sorbents. J Agric Food Chem 59(23):12550-60.

4.4 Quantitative analysis of PAHs in Biochar and its application to products from commercial providers (BUCHELI et al.)

T.D. Bucheli1, F. Blum

1, I. Hilber

1, J. Leifeld

1, H.-P. Schmidt

2

1 Research Station Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Switzerland

2 Delinat Institute, Switzerland

Biochar is charcoal produced by pyrolysis of various forms of biomass in an environmentally

sustainable manner. While there are a series of positive effects associated with Biochar, it may

contain considerable amounts of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as

indicated by several reports of PAH residues in Biochar-related combustion/pyrolysis materials.

To assure a satisfactory product quality, to guarantee its safe application as a soil conditioner or

animal feed supplement, and to maintain its positive reception in the broader public as well as

among customers, the minimization of PAH residues in Biochar is a necessity. Up to know, this

was hardly possible, because quantitative analytical methods to reliably determine PAH

residues have not been available until recently, and because the formation of PAH during

EU COST Action TD1107: Biochar as option for sustainable resource management

biomass pyrolysis for Biochar production, as well as their reduction during post-pyrolysis

Biochar treatment has – apart from a few initial studies – not been systematically investigated.

Here, we present an optimized method for the quantitative determination of PAHs in Biochar1,

together with its application to over 50 samples gathered mainly from commercial providers.

The PAH concentrations will be interpreted in light of the production parameters during and

after pyrolysis.

1Hilber, I., Blum, F., Leifeld, J., Schmidt, H.P., Bucheli, T.D. 2012 Quantitative determination of PAHs in Biochar – a

prerequisite to assure its quality and safe application. J. Agric. Food Chem. 60, 3042-3050.