The effects are multi-factorial. Depending on the feed stock, the char contains more or less metals as carbonates, phosphates and sulfates. The neutralising value consequently also varies. The temperature and activation conditions affect the surface properties. However in most soils the sorption sites are soon occupied. Only large applications are likely to physically alter the soil properties

Biochar is used as soil enhancer to increase fertility, prevent soil degradation and to sequester carbon in the soil. It improves soil fertility by retaining water and nutrients in soil, encouraging beneficial soil organisms and there by reducing the need for additional use of fertilizer. Biochar is getting monementous importance due to its potential use in various field like agriculture, organic fertilizers and green house gas ( GHG ) sequestration. Efectiveness of biochar for sorptionof ammonium and phosphate from dairy effluent is also noted. when sample waste waters was analyzed ( pre and post ) for different heavy metals after being filtered through biochar and chair filters, significant decrease in concentration of heavy metals was observed. For more information consult https://www.climatetechwiki.org

Agree with Sylvester Peter Antai

Dear Sylvester Peter Antai. Thank. This link https://www.climatetechwiki.org is good information, but who is the author of this article? How to link to this paper?

Can I recommend the book "Biochar in European soils and agriculture" edited by S.Shackley, G. Ruysschaert, K. Zwart and B. Glaser, 2016 Routledge isbn 978-415-71166-1

It is well written and has all the information you need.

Andrew Goddard

One of my lab mates are working on the purification of polluted water with BIOCHAR.

Dear Prabhjot Kaur,

How is your friend doing well? What kind of BIOCHAR does he use?

All the best.

Hi Zenon,

One thing that the academic community forget to consider, is the economics. It is unlikely that biochar will be added to soil directly, even PAS100 compost finds it difficult to compete in the agricultural markets, even with very beneficial N and K.

What are your expectations on the production costs of biochar and what is your view of production tonnages to secure any market penetration?

The green carbon project is looking at cascading value chains in circular economy models, because direct supply to any soil application is not in the right ballpark to allow direct application.

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Totally agree with you. This question interests me in connection with the search for rational use of green fertilizers. It is possible, that the pyrolysis of their green mass at a temperature of less than 300 will reduce the rate of its mineralization in the soil. Now this is fantasy, but the creation of a mobile pyrolysis installation is very likely.

I also believe that this publication will interest you and other readers Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries • http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-9525-7. It is freely available, as opposed to the book you have proposed "Biochar in European soils and agriculture" .

Zenon

Hi Zenon,

Thanks for your thoughts.

However, I still think you would be better looking at high value applications as the first use of bio-chars. Absorption of phosphate from waste water, as this would be a way of securing more phosphorous.

I recommended the book, because I honestly feel it is a good read and value for money P.S I don't know the author.

Most mobile pyrolysis systems have little or no control of the air emission, how will these systems be managed?

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the answer.

Zenon

The bio-char is kind of charcoal held from different origin of organic materials. In lab scale it has many procedures to obtain special bio char. You can even condition the surface and the reactivity of the char by inclusion of different reagent, changing the temperature and oxygen input to the reactor. As a result, you get some oxides of metals in the ash and carbon particle with different specifications. You can use this material as nutrient supplement in the agriculture, carbon storage in the soil, cleaning or stabilization of some environmentally hazardous pollutant in the polluted sites, and etc. You can look up the book suggested by Prof Goddard and the special issue of Pedosphere Journal for more comprehensive information.

Veli Uygur,

Thanks for the answer.

Zenon

The use of biochar is not fully justified. It's such art for art. Sufficient fertilizers used so far. Sufficient fertilizers currently used.

Hi Zenon Hamkalo , Paul has given an very insightful answer specially for biochar effectiveness. I would like to add some more points like

*soil properties are also influencing the working efficiency of biochar by changing their property. So, of-course effectiveness of biochar may vary according to soil parental properties.

*The surface area, organic carbon, cation and exchange capacity are playing major role to define/understanding of effectiveness of the biochar.

When we add the biochar in soil it start to make balance with soil environment following the several biological as well as chemical processes. So, it is very tough for anybody to state the effectiveness of biochar in different conditions.

Andrew Goddard , Thank you for raising the economical aspect as well a giving the suggestion for phosphate absorption.

Regarding the issue of air emissions, yes there is very little progress are made to control the emissions. By applying the condenser systems we can control the emission as well as we can utilize the pyrolytic oil as an alternative fuel for other fuel uses. If think there are many research groups who are working for efficient utilization of pyrolytic oil but this area still need some field trial.

We need an single platform to perform these experiments by collaborating the different group of researchers to make this biochar technology a economical and environmental friendly.

Regards,

Sandeep

I think you would like to have a look at the "International Biochar Initiative": https://biochar-international.org/

Dear Zenon Hamkalo

Yes, different soils with different O.M content will require different application rates or efficiency of biochar. I think if your soils have too much O.M, then you may not need too high biochar application rates since the response (if crop growth) will have no significant differences with 0 or less amount. The response to biochar will be high in soils with low organic matter, since organic matter is an indicator of soil fertility status and the biochar restores the fertility.

Dear Cosmas Wacal ,

Thanks for the answer.

Zenon

Biochar can reverse soil degradation, improves soil fertility in areas of low soil organic resources. however, its effectiveness may vary with soil type and the material used for its preparation.Addition of high content of stable carbon may exert some effect on microbial flora and needs to be investigated.

So can anybody tell me what the cost of biochar production is ? and what is the likely revenue from land application?

I think you will find a mismatch.

Do we think that use will be driven by environmental concern. If we do, then there will need to be a paradigm shift.

Andrew

All colleagues above write the most of good properties of using biochar,. Biochar suppress smelling of materials (sludge of waste water, or manure).

Nobody have an answer for my question.

I don't think we are in any doubt about the benefits of biochar to soils or agriculture, but the economics don't stack-up. There needs to be movement towards, either:

1.Very large scale biochar production to bring the costs of production down

2. Cascading values with the environmental sink the soil , please see the green carbon projecthttp://greencarbon-etn.eu/project/ with refer to growth media you need to be aware of https://horticulture.ahdb.org.uk/growing-media#responsiblysourced this will allow realistic comparisons to be made in the selection of materials for growth media inclusion.

3. Change the way we value the environment and who pays for global environmental damage, https://cvorr.leeds.ac.uk/ check this project for methodologies

These are the issues we need to address. The amount of soil loss across the planet is staggering. see https://esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu/themes/global-soil-erosion . The numbers quoted here are huge, so overall land management is the biggest concern.

Andrew

Andrew Goddard I think you are very correct.

Firstly, studies have shown that biochar improves soil CEC, sequesters C and even contributes in disease suppression both directly and indirectly among many other advantages.

Secondly however, you have pointed rightly that there could be a mismatch considering the cost of production. I will suggest other local way of producing this important material in order to mitigate the problem of production cost.

I hope I am making a little sense here.

Hi Solomon,

Local production generally means charcoal burning and no mitigation of the emissions to air.

Andrew

Biochar - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/biochar