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Designing biochar types to modify selective soil properties

Designing biochar types to modify selective soil properties. Jeff Novak, USDA-ARS-CPRC Northeast Biochar Symposium November 13, 2009. Isabel Lima (ARS-NO)-preparation and characterization of biochar Warren Busscher (ARS-Florence)-soil hydraulics

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Designing biochar types to modify selective soil properties

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  1. Designing biochar types to modify selective soil properties Jeff Novak, USDA-ARS-CPRC Northeast Biochar Symposium November 13, 2009 • Isabel Lima (ARS-NO)-preparation and characterization of biochar • Warren Busscher (ARS-Florence)-soil hydraulics • Harry Schomberg (ARS-Watkinsville)-soil N transformations • Christoph Steiner (UGA)-preparation and characterization of biochar • Julia Gaskin (UGA)-preparation of biochar and MBC • KC Das (UGA)-preparation of biochar and properties • Mohamed Ahmenda (NC A&T)-preparation of biochar • Djaafar Rehrah (NC A&T)-preparation of biochar and characterization • SunYoung Bae (NC A&T)-biochar hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties • Baoshan Xing (UM-A)-13C NMR & IR characterization of biochar • Thomas Ducey (ARS-Florence)-soil microbial population dynamics • Jim Reeves (ARS-Beltsville)-NIR characterization of biochar and soils • Don Watts (ARS-Florence)-experimental set up and measurements • John Loughrin (ARS-Bowling Green)-biochar sorption of pollutants USDA-ARS GRACEnet program United States Department of Agriculture USDA

  2. Physiography of SE USA Coastal Plain • In the SE Coastal Plain, most of the agricultural soils formed in fluvial and marine sediments deposited 0.5 to 5 million yrs ago. • The soils are sandy with poor fertility, acidic pH values, and low soil organic carbon contents (SOC). Piedmont Coastal Plain 19.1 million acres in SC and about 12.8 million of total land area is in the Coastal Plain (Pam Thomas, SC NRCS)

  3. Soil association across a SC Coastal Plain landscape Norfolk Coxville Bonneau Paired Field at PDREC, Florence SC Deep coring at Paired Field Sandy soils used for agriculture have low to very low %SOC contents with profile depth. How can we increase their potential to sequester more OC in the profile?

  4. Rebuilding SOC using tillage and crop management practices In a 6 year corn + cotton rotation, about 15 Mg OC/ha were returned to sandy soils (Novak et al., 2009). The SOC increased by only 0.51% at 0-3 cm depth (< 4% of total residue OC). Conservation tillage effect to sequester C was depth dependent.

  5. Agents to sequester soil OC and lower CO2 • Conservation tillage (low results) • C uptake by vegetation (forests) • C feedstock for biochar, biofuel, syn-gasmanufacture (new) Conservation tillage Biochar from pine

  6. What is biochar? Biochar is a charcoal-like product manufactured in ovens under low/high temperatures, pressures and moisture. It can be made from various organic feedstock’s (plants, manure, byproducts, etc.). Feedstock is subject to pyrolysis (under N2) using fast or slow conditions. Biochar oven at NC A&T Biochar oven at UGA

  7. Advantages of C capture as biochar Pecan shells • Liming agent • Nutrient source • Binds Al • Energy source • Increases SOC contents • Improves soil WHC • Lasts for millennia? Gin trash biochar Pecan biochar in soil

  8. % SOC contents Soil + BC (%) 0 days 60 days 0 1.70 1.74 0.5 1.81 1.83 1.0 2.22 2.19 2.0 3.12 2.92 Early study (2008) 13C NMR spectra of pecan biochar • Incubated a high T (700º C) pecan-shell biochar (BC) in a Norfolk for 67 d. ● High aromatic character (58%), high OC content (88%), and low amount of functional groups. ● Biochar (0, 0.5, 1 and 2%) was mixed into soil and then leached 2X with di. H2O. ● Measured soil chemical and leachate characteristics. Novak et al., Soil Sci. 2009

  9. Designer biochar incubation in soil (2009) Biochar chemical production process and feedstock choice can be planned to create designer biochar that has specific chemical characteristics allowing for more C sequestration and improvement of selective chemical and/or physical issues of sandy Coastal Plain soils. Soil Incubation for up to 128 d. Designer biochar Designer biochar in soil (2%) Switchgrass feedstock Pyrolyzer

  10. Table 1. Biochar recoveries, volatile matter, pH, and surface area measurements (Novak et al., in review)

  11. Table 2. Biochar ash content and elemental composition (%, oven-dry, wt. basis) (Novak et al., in review)

  12. Moisture contents (w w-1) of Norfolk loamy sand after biochar additions and leaching with di. water

  13. Conclusions: Higher pyrolysis temperatures resulted in lower biochar recoveries, greater surface area, pH, and ash contents. Biochars produced at higher pyrolysis temperatures increased soil pH, influenced N availability, and poultry litter biochar grossly increased Mehlich 1 [Na] and [P]. Water holding capacity varied after biochar incorporation. Biochars can be designed to have specific qualities that can target distinct properties in soils.

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