heated to temperatures between 300 and 1000ºC, under low (preferablyzero) oxygen concentrations. stable carbon compound

Charcoal is produced for heating and barbequeBiochar for sequestering C in soils and improving soil quality

aromatic structure graphitic structure

(JRC, 2010)

Fairhead J, Leach M 2009

village

active midden kitchen gardenand seedling

agroforest

• ~ no research on ADE

• Few exception: • in Cote d’Ivoire and Togo: savannas forest and fertile

soils:– infiltration, – more pores from worm, ants and termite activity, – change in soil bacteria – augmented phosphorous and calcium – more productive ecosystem

(Mitja 1990, and Mitja and Puig, 1991, Mondjannagni, 1969, Guelly et al. 1993, O'Neill et al. 2006)

Ghana• Charcoal production soil physical properties in the

forest–savanna transition zone • Increase in:

– water conductivity, – porosity – infiltration, – soil pH – exchangeable mineral (available Potassium up by 329%)

• Decrease in:– organic C and total N by 9.8% and 12.8% – clay fraction of the soil

(Oguntunde et al. 2003, 2008)

Treatment

Increase in maize grain yield as compared to soils without charcoal and without fertilizer

Charcaol sites + fertilizer 276%Charcaol sites without fertilizer 91%soils without charcoal + fertil izer 78%

(Oguntunde et al, 2003)

(Oguntunde et al. 2008)

(Bailey, 1999)

Lobell, 2011

Present growing-season averagetemperature

impacts of 1°Cwarming on maize yield

impacts of 1°Cwarming on maize yield in case of drought

Most vulnerable areas to climate change: tropical Africa, Asia and America(UNFCCC, 2007)

International Biochar Initiative + Cornell University for the World Bank: > 150 projects in 43 developing countries (June 2011)

Thea Whitman, 2009

globalregionallocal

Voluntary carbon credits or CDM

Stove-Energy SME spin – off

Fuel cost and production

Socio-economical issues

Climate changeLand degradationOutdoor air pollution

Indoor air pollutionEnvironmental issues

Veneto e il FriuliVenezia Giulia

UK, Belize, the Maldives, Mozambique, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Nevada (USA) and Brazil.

Sostanza secca totale

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

16/02/2009 08/03/2009 28/03/2009 17/04/2009 07/05/2009 27/05/2009 16/06/2009 06/07/2009data

s.s

(g/m

2)

B3B6C

Esperimento di campo con grano duro (Triticum durum L.), Pistoia 2009

Sost

anza

secc

ag/

m²

• 80-90% di Carbonio organizzato in una strutturaaromatica : stabilità : non viene trasformata in CO2

100

50

10

1 32

Bio-char

Un-charred organic matter

4 5Years

Carb

on re

mai

ning

(%)

B

Lehmann e Rondon,2006

Tempo medio di residenza delCarbonio nel suolo :

• Materia organica del suolo in media : 26 – 40 anni

• Biochar : 2000 anni

Glaser et al., 2007

N2O Em iss ion

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

118 132 154 161 190

GG

N 2O fl

uxes

mg

m-2

day

-1

CB3B6

Flus

siN

2O m

g/m

2 /g