Feeding Biochar to Cows

IBI EDUCATIONAL WEBINAR SERIES: FEEDING BIOCHAR TO COWS TO IMPROVE SOIL FERTILITY AND FARM PRODUCTIVITY

September 20, 2017 • 5:00 - 6:30 pm ET

Feeding biochar to livestock has been a growing area of interest due to the many potential benefits which have been highlighted by various studies around the world.  This webinar features Doug Pow, a farmer from Western Australia, who has taken the research out of the labs and into the fields.  In one of the longest studies on biochar used as livestock feed, Doug has collaborated with Dr. Stephen Joseph, a long-time biochar researcher as well as a number of other researchers to document the benefits so that other farmers in Australia and around the world can learn from his experiences.

This webinar will discuss how and how much biochar is fed to cattle, the beetles that help to deliver the biochar deeper into the soil profile and the benefits that livestock farmers can derive from feeding biochar to livestock.  Stephen will provide an overview of rumen processes and how biochar interacts with the rumen.  He will discuss previous biochar research involving cows, poultry, pigs and goats including feed lot trials and he will talk about detailed science around development of new 'fit for purpose' biochars for feeding to animals.