biochar use in the poultry industry 2010... · poultry litter nutrient source the poultry industry...

Christoph Steiner, K.C. Das, Nathan Melear, Julia Gaskin, Casey Ritz, Keith Harris, Donald Lakly

and Winfried E. H. Blum

Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program www.biochar.org

Biochar Use in the

Poultry Industry

Poultry litter (PL) Broiler Production by state

Poultry Litter nutrient source

The poultry industry in the US produces:

• 580,000 Mg of Nitrogen (480,000 Mg in excess) and,

• 280,000 Mg of Phosphorus (250,000 Mg in excess)(Gollehon et al., 2001, Agriculture Information Bulletin)

Poultry Manure Production in the Continental United States

www.thepoultrysite.com

Poultry litter stabilization, pathogen and odor reduction

Ash (complete combustion)

• high concentration of minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg,.• Loss of nitrogen (N)

Biochar (pyrolysis, carbonization)

• concentration of minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg,.• 70% of N lost (400 °C depending on temp.)

Compost (composting)

• Concentration of minerals (P, K, Ca, Mg,.• Loss of nitrogen (NH3 volatilization, 70 –88%, Ogunwande et al., 2008)

pH C N P K

-------- g kg-1 ---------

Poultry Litter 9.74 392 30.9 35.9 58.6

Peanut Hulls 10.1 804 24.8 1.97 16.4

Pine Chips 8.30 817 2.23 0.14 1.45

Biochar Nutrient Contents

Gaskin et al. 2008, Transactions of the ASABE

Poultry litter

Peanut hulls

Pine chips

Co

nse

rve

d N

in

ch

ar

(%)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

400 C

500 C

Temperature p < 0.05

a

b

c

Biochar Nutrient ContentsGaskin et al. 2008, Transactions of the ASABE

Carbonized Poultry litter consequences for N availability?

Knicker and Skjemstad (2000) “Alterations in chemical structure have long-term consequences for N availability” “Black nitrogen” Knicker (2007)

Chan et al. 2008 “The yield increases were largely due to the ability of poultry litter char to provide N”

Tagoe et al. 2008 “Less N derived from poultry manure if carbonized (C = 12%) but more total uptake”

http://www.sjroe.com

Carbonizeit!

Char it !

?

Poultry litter carbonization

maximum carbonization temperature of 500°C for 0.5h using N2 carrier gas.

Carbonized PL as fertilizer

Amendments C N P K Ca Mg

Mg ha-1 -----------------------------kg ha-1------------------------------

CL 1.5 441.9 52.7 29.9 48.9 44.3 11.3

3.0 883.8 105.4 59.8 97.8 88.6 22.6

6.0 1767.6 210.8 119.6 195.6 177.2 45.2

CLc 1.5 627.2 52.5 63.8 105.7 82.9 23.2

3.0 1254.4 105.0 127.6 211.4 165.8 46.4

6.0 2508.8 210.0 255.2 422.8 331.6 92.8

Table 1 Elements applied in kg ha-1

Experiment fertilization

MF = NH4NO3

KClCaHPO4

and MgSO4

In addition one unfertilized control

1.5 Mg ha-1 (52.5 kg N ha-1)

3 Mg ha-1

(105 kg N ha-1)

6 Mg ha-1

(210 kg N ha-1)

Experiment greenhouse setup

Five plants per pot, 4 replicatesFirst harvest 72 days after planting, thereafter once a month for 3 consecutive harvests

Chromi-Alumic Acrisol = Fine, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Kanhapludults

Results total biomass production (sum of 4 harvests)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

CO PL MF PLc MFc

L1

L2

L3

Bio

mas

s p

rod

uct

ion

g p

ot-1

CO = control, PL = poultry litter, MF = mineral fertilizer based on PL, PLc = carbonized PL, MFc = MF based on PLc

y = 0,2449x + 88,978R² = 0,9777

y = 0,0052x + 93,097R² = 0,0287

y = 0,723x + 78,404R² = 0,9964

y = 0,6973x + 88,493R² = 0,9996

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

230

-10 40 90 140

N u

pta

ke m

g kg

-1so

il

N fertilized mg kg-1 soil

CO

PL

PLc

MF

MFc

Linear (PL)Linear (PLc)Linear (MF)Linear (MFc)

Results N uptake in relation to N fertilized

http://www.sjroe.com

! ?

Char it !

Experiment II biochar as bulking agent in composting

Experiment II biochar as bulking agent in composting

3 Treatments (0, 5, and 20%)3 Replicates3 Repetitions

Moisture content 60%

42 Days of composting

Weekly turns and sampling

Experiment II biochar as bulking agent in composting

RespirometerMicro-Oxymax

CO2 every 2h for 72 h

Faster decomposition temperature

Faster decomposition increased respiration

Ammonia emissions reduced by up to 64%

Total N losses reduced by up to 52%

Reduced Nitrogen Losses with 20% biochar

Steiner et al. 2010, J. Environ. Qual.

Compost with and without biochar

0% biochar 20% biochar 20% biochar

http://www.sjroe.com

Sit and Sh.. on Char !

Char it !

?

Regular bedding 50/50 bedding Biochar bedding

Biochar as bedding

Biochar as bedding

32 birds per pen

Biochar as bedding

Equal Development• Weight•Mortality

Biochar as bedding

pH

Weeks

2,0 5,0

pH

6,5

7,0

7,5

8,0

8,5

9,0

Regular

Char

50/50 mix

NH4

Weeks

1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5 5,0 5,5

NH

4 p

pm

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Regular

Char

50/50 mix

NO3

Weeks

1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5 5,0 5,5

NO

3 p

pm

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Regular

Char

50/50 mix

No differences in:• pH• NO3

• NH4

• NH3

Black Carbon S/A

ÖFG (Austrian Science Society)