Rice husk biochar and urea - 2yr study

Effects of biochar and nitrogen fertilizer on soil physicochemical properties, nitrogen use efficiency and upland rice (Oryza sativa) yield grown on an Alfisol in Southwestern Nigeria

Received: 24 March 2018 / Accepted: 12 February 2019 © The Author(s) 2019

Abstract

Purpose

Biochar and inorganic fertilizer when co-applied have been reported to increase crop yield and enhance soil fertility. However, studies on this complementary effect on soil properties and rain-fed upland rice performance in Sub-Saharan Africa are still scanty.

Methods

Field factorial studies conducted over 2 years was set up to investigate the interactions between rice husk biochar and inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on a sandy clay loam Alfisol. A two-factor (4 × 4) in RCBD where rice husk biochar was incorporated at four doses, 0, 3, 6, and 12 t/ha−1, inorganic N fertilizer (urea) at four rates, 0, 30, 60 and 90 N kg/ha−1, and their combinations was adopted.

Results

Results showed that combination of biochar and N fertilizer exerted significant (P > 0.05) interactive effect on rice harvest index, grain and straw yield and N-use efficiency. Interaction between biochar and N fertilizer increased agronomic efficiency by 140% and grain nutrient recovery by 191% over 2 years. Combination of biochar and N fertilizer reduced soil bulk density, increased water holding capacity and soil chemical status such as pH, N, P, K, Corg, Ca, ECEC and base saturation, all within the top 10 cm depth of the soil.

Conclusions

Overall, the results established that rice husk biochar can be used as a soil conditioner to enhance upland rice yield on an Alfisol. The combined dose of 3–6 t/ha−1 biochar and 30 kg/ha−1 of N fertilizer is thus recommended for upland rice farmers in the study area.

Rice straw biochar reduces N loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

Ammonia (NH₃) volatilization is a major loss of nitrogen fertilizer in paddy fields. The incorporation of straw or biochar has been considered to be the alternative options for soil improvement and agriculture sustainability. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential role of rice straw and rice straw derived biochar in controlling NH₃ volatilization according to the conventional nitrogen fertilizer level (urea, 270 kg N ha⁻¹) during one rice (Oryza sativa L., cv. Xiushui134) growing season. Four treatments comprised rice straw at the rate of 8 t ha⁻¹ (RS); rice straw derived biochar at the rate of 2.8 t ha⁻¹ (RSBL); rice straw derived biochar at the rate of 22.5 t ha⁻¹ (RSBH) and a control (CK). Compared to straw application, biochar incorporation reduced the cumulative NH₃ volatilization (about 20%) from paddy fields significantly (p < 0.05), promoted rice yields and plant N aboveground as well as increased the abundance of ammoxidation amoA genes. In contrast with control, the ratios of NH₃-N and total N input for RS, RSBL and RSBH declined significantly 4.15%, 4.40% and 11.12%, respectively (p < 0.05). Reduced NH₃ volatilization in RSB treatments were mainly attributed to the decrease of NH₄⁺-N concentration in the surface water, which could resulted from the enhancement of rice growth and the promotion of ammonia oxidation in soil. The increase of soil pH and soil CEC with biochar amendment played an important role on nitrogen retention and nitrogen cycle in soil. These results indicated that the incorporation of rice straw derived biochar instead of rice straw could be a promising approach to control NH₃ volatilization and improve rice yield.

Successful pot trials - rice, acid soils and biochar

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE & BIOLOGY

Effect of Rice-straw Biochar Application on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Root Growth and Nitrogen Utilization in Acidified Paddy Soil

State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, P.R. China 
Rice Research Institute of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550006, P.R. China

Abstract

"Soil acidification and low nitrogen (N) utilization efficiency are serious problems in rice production. Biochar has the potential to provide a liming effect and strong nutrient adsorption, leading to soil improvement. This study was conducted to investigate specific root traits in rice and to assess the effect of rice-straw biochar amendment on nitrogen efficient utilization in acidified soil. Addition of 20 g kg-1biochar and washed biochar significantly promoted rice growth and the yield increased by over 35% and 24%, respectively, when compared with the control. Application of equivalent lime did not increase the rice yield in either low or high N treatments. Biochar application alleviated soil acidity and improved the available nutrient content. Biochar maintained a high available N during the N depletion period by regulating N adsorption and release in the acidified paddy soil. Biochar or washed biochar amendment was found to significantly improve root growth when compared with the control, particularly root mass and adventitious root length. However, application of equivalent lime only significantly promoted the growth of root system before panicle initiation stage. When compared with the liming effect, the adsorption properties of biochar provided a persistent effect in improving acidified soil. Further studies on long-term effects of biochar addition on crop growth as well as its behavior in soil are required in future."
© 2018 Friends Science Publishers

Rice growing, biochar trial in Thailand

Gordon Hirst has sent me a link to a Facebook page that is recording a 5-year rice growing field trial in Thailand which includes biochar.
https://www.facebook.com/onetonperrai/

The page needs an introduction to set the scene but if you scroll to the start (3 July 2017), you can review progress via video posts and trial records...

"A field experiment using both a biochar fertilizer/ soil enhancement and SRI (system of rice intensification) to attempt to double the yield of a working farm, from 500 Kg/Rai to 1000 Kg/Rai. The farm is paddy rice farm located in Nakhon Ratchasima province ten Rai (1.6 Ha). The experiment will last for five years"

RFP for biochar consultants in Vietnam

https://vietnam.rikolto.org/en/news/consultancy-biochar-experts

"Rikolto in Vietnam (previously VECO Vietnam) is a member of Rikolto, an international NGO with its International Office in Leuven, Belgium. Rikolto’s mission is to enable and support smallholder farmers to take up their role in rural poverty alleviation and to contribute to feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. Rikolto is currently implementing the 2017-2021 programme “Supporting Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Development Benefiting Smallholder Farmers in Vietnam” with a focus on vegetable and rice value chains.

In April 2018, Rikolto started implementing the project “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Rice Production in An Giang Province, Vietnam, through Alternate Wetting and Drying and Biochar Production”. This project is a first step to making our target rice value chains more environmentally-friendly and climate-smart. As part of this project, we are looking for a (team of) consultant(s) to assess the feasibility of transforming rice waste into biochar and market it."

Research findings from Indonesia including biochar in rice growing

Dynamics of N-NH4 +, N-NO3 -, and total soil nitrogen in paddy field with azolla and biochar - IOPscience

I'm not really sure what to make of this... I could not find any description of the biochar or how it was prepared for the research.  I suggest that most biochar proponents would high-light issues around using raw biochars in short term trials. I'm not sure if this was the case here.

Biochar Effects on Rice Paddy: Meta-analysis

Author links open overlay panelYasser M.Awad^*†JinyangWang^‡Avanthi D.Igalavithana^*Daniel C.W.Tsang^§Ki-HyunKim^¶Sang S.Lee^||Yong SikOk^*

https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.agron.2017.11.005Get rights and content

Abstract

Rice is staple for nearly half of the world population. Biochar (BC) improves crop yields, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and immobilizes heavy metals in the soil. This study was aimed to meta-analyze the data from the published articles focused on the various BCs’ effects on rice yield, soil acidity, GHG emissions, and bioavailability of Cd and Pb. The data of pyrolysis temperature, application rate, and feedstock of BCs were categorized by using the MetaWin software for calculating the mean effect sizes (E) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Compared to the control, the BCs increased soil pH and rice yield by 11.8% (medium E +: 0.436 to 0.439) and 16% (large E +: 0.790 to 0.883), respectively. Applying BCs derived from different feedstocks and pyrolysis temperatures reduced N₂O emissions from rice paddies (large E −: − 0.692 to − 0.863). The BCs produced at 550–600°C reduced the GHG emission with medium to large negative effects (E −: − 1.571 to − 0.413). Applications of BCs at a range of 41–50 t ha^− 1 were the best for rice productivity. Applications of all types and rates of BCs showed the significant decrease of available Cd by 35.4%–38.0% in a soil and led to the Cd reduction by an average of 43.6% in rice grains compared to the untreated soils. Applying BC is a promising approach to meet the challenges of sustainable global rice production, and the properties of BCs should be fully characterized and designed depending on its needs prior to its application.

Biochar rice research in Indonesia

Biochar as a carrier for Nitrogen plant Nutrition: 3. Effect of EnrichedBiochar on Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Yield and Soil Qualities 

 W. H. Utomo 1) , T. Islami 2) and, E. Wisnubroto 3) and H. T. Soelistyari 3) 
1) International Research Centre for Management of Degraded and Mining Land, University Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia. 
2) Research Centre for Tubers and Root Crops, University Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia, 
3) University Tribhuwana Tunggadewi, Malang, Indonesia. 

Abstract 
"A lot of studies have proven that biochar is a good soil amendment. With its high Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), it was hypothesized that biochar can be used as the carrier of nitrogen plant nutrient. A study was conducted to investigated the effect of nitrogen enriched biochar on the growth of rice (Oriza sativa L.). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with the treatment of enriched biochar (2 enriched materials and 2 types of biochar feedstuffs), and the rice was planted on several soil acidity. There was 21 treatments combination which arranged in a Fully Randomized Design with 3 replications. Measurements were done for rice growth, rice yield, and some soil chemical properties, i.e. soil organic carbon and nitrogen content, soil pH, and Cation Exchange Capacity. The experimental results show that biochar was a good carrier for nitrogen plant nutrition. The growth and yield of rice planted in enriched biochar soil was as good as the rice growing in urea treated soil, even it had a higher yield. Nitrogen enriched biochar increased the fertilizer efficiency. Ammonium is a better enriched material for biochar than nitrate. "

Pro-Natura newsletter

This Newsletter includes a table that lists 6 scientific publications on biochar impact on tropical crops in SEA region. Crops covered rice, cabbage, peanuts and cassava.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/ef20ae4c3fdc09fc772db39fa/files/201603_Biochar_Pro_Natura_EN.pdf

Biochar research compilation from Indonesia and IRRI

Biochar for future food security: learning from experiences and identifying research priorities

FOREWORD
Biochar research started almost 20 years ago and there are already accumulated research outputs from various research groups from many areas, including improving soil health and plant productivity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are limited studies on the application of biochar in agriculture. Thus, there is a need to identify research gaps on technology development to maximize the potential of this promising agricultural material.

Along this line, the national workshop on Biochar for Food Security: Learning from Experiences and Identifying Research Priorities was held in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia on February 4 and 5, 2013. In this workshop, there were 15 presentations made of studies carried out from various fields from different organizations and 11 papers are published through this limited proceedings.

The first paper provides a summary of biochar research in the world, including its history and findings on various functions of biochar. The next paper focuses on the constraints to biochar production and presents a method of converting smoke into wood vinegar, which has a significant role in crop protection. There are two papers on the function of biochar and its effect on the physical and chemical properties of the soil and three more papers that show that the yield of some crops like maize and rice were improved by biochar. There are also three more papers that focus on the environmental benefits of biochar application such as mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and remediation of polluted soils caused by chemical compounds from pesticides. The last paper presents an economic evaluation of biochar application in the agroforestry-agriculture combined system and shows that biochar application improved farmers’ income despite the cost increase.
 
The papers presented in this document cover a wide range of biochar research areas in Indonesia, which shows promising prospects for sustainable agricultural production and better livelihood. It is hoped that this limited proceedings will contribute to future agricultural research on technology development in Indonesia.
 
Keiichi Hayashi
Project Coordinator/Soil Scientist, IRRI-Japan Collaborative Research Project on Climate Change Adaptation in Rainfed Rice Areas (CCARA), IRRI
Martin Gummert
Senior Scientist, Postharvest Development, IRRI
Dr. Zulkifli Zaini
IRRI Representative and Liaison Scientist, IRRI-Indonesia Office

Contents
The role of  biochar and prospects for its use in rice production in Southeast Asia (Keiichi Hayashi)
 
Biochar for forestry and agricultural production (Gustan Pari, Han Roliadi, and Sri Komarayat)

Application of biochar produces changes in some soil properties (Ainin Niswati)
 
Changes in water retention, water use efficiency, and aggregate stability of sandy soils following biochar application (Sukartono, W.H.Utomo, W.H. Nugroho, and Suwardji)

Evaluating the effects of biochar on N absorption and N use efficiency in maize (Widowati, W.H. Utomo, B. Guritno, and L.A. Soehono)

Nitrogen fertilizer requirement of maize (Zea maysL.) on biochar-treated soil (Wani Hadi Utomo and Titiek Islami)

Use of biochar to improve soil characteristics and increase rice yield in swamplands (D. Nursyamsi, E. Maftuah, I. Khairullah, and Mukhlis)

Gas emissions from the production and use of biochar in the peatland of Kalimantan (Abdul Hadi, Abdul Ghofur, Annisa Farida, Triharyo Subekti, and Dedi Nursyamsi)

Evaluation of the effects of activated carbon on POP insecticide residues in mustard in Central Java, Indonesia (Elisabeth Srihayu Harsanti, Asep Nugraha Ardiwinata, Sri Wahyuni, and Dedi Nursyamsi)
 
The role and use of activated carbon in the agriculture sector to control insecticide residues (Asep Nugraha Ardiwinata and Elisabeth Srihayu Harsanti)

Economic analysis of biochar application in agroforestry systems (Rachman Effendi)

Rice Husk Char research in Malaysia

The title below links to the site where this paper can be downloaded.

Biochar Application in Malaysian Sandy and Acid Sulfate Soils: Soil Amelioration Effects and Improved Crop Production over Two Cropping Seasons

Theeba Manickam ¹, Gerard Cornelissen ^2,3,4, Robert T. Bachmann ⁵, Illani Z. Ibrahim ¹, Jan Mulder ³ and Sarah E. Hale ^2,* 

Abstract

The use of biochar as an agricultural soil improvement was tested in acid sulfate and sandy soils from Malaysia, cropped with rice and corn. Malaysia has an abundance of waste rice husks that could be used to produce biochar. Rice husk biochar was produced in a gasifier at a local mill in Kelantan as well as in the laboratory using a controlled, specially designed, top lift up draft system (Belonio unit). Rice husk biochar was applied once to both soils at two doses (2% and 5%), in a pot set up that was carried out for two cropping seasons. Positive and significant crop yield effects were observed for both soils, biochars and crops. The yield effects varied with biochar type and dosage, with soil type and over the cropping seasons. The yield increases observed for the sandy soil were tentatively attributed to significant increases in plant-available water contents (from 4%–5% to 7%–8%). The yield effects in the acid sulfate soil were likely a consequence of a combination of (i) alleviation of plant root stress by aluminum (Ca/Al molar ratios significantly increased, from around 1 to 3–5) and (ii) increases in CEC. The agricultural benefits of rice husk biochar application to Malaysian soils holds promise for its future use.

Pot trials with rice in bris soils using EFB biochar

Influence of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Biochar on Floodwater pH and Yield Components of Rice Cultivated on Acid Sulphate Soil under Rice Intensification Practices

Rosenani Abu Bakar¹⁾, Zahidah Abdul Razak¹⁾, Siti Hajar Ahmad²⁾, Bahi Jalili Seh-Bardan¹⁾, Lim Chin Tsong¹⁾, Cheah Poh Meng¹⁾

1) Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia 2) Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia 

Rice has a vital role in food security but the production is limited in infertile and degraded soils. Rice is cultivated on acid sulphate soil in the coastal area of Peninsular Malaysia. Soil amendment using biological charcoal (biochar) increases the soil fertility. Thus, empty fruit bunch biochar (EFBB) was applied in a pot experiment under a controlled environment using an organic system of rice intensification (SRI) practice and its effects on the floodwater pH, acid sulphate soil properties and growth performance of rice and yield of rice MR219 were preliminarily investigated. EFBB increased grain yield by 141 to 472%. Plant growth and yield parameters in EFBB amended soils were significantly higher than in soil without biochar. The number of tillers increased significantly with the increase in biochar applied; 28 tillers were produced in the control, while up to 80 tillers were produced in the plots applied 40 t ha^–1 EFBB. Moreover, the decline of Al³⁺ in flood water indicated that EFBB mitigated Al³⁺ toxicity. Soil water pH increased from 3.5 to 6 with increasing EFBB application rates. The grain yield was linearly correlated to the application rate of EFBB. This pot study demonstrates that the application of EFBB combined with organic fertilization and intermittent irrigation has the potential to improve rice yield on acid sulphate soil. Further study in the field is warranted to determine the effect of EFBB on large scale rice production. 

World Bank on Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries

Courtesy of International Biochar Initiative: (includes Vietnam case study on rice husk)

The World Bank has recently published the report entitled,

Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries : Leveraging Current Knowledge and Exploring Future Potential for Climate-Smart Agriculture

http://fb.me/38njVu2qz

Biochar is the carbon-rich organic matter that remains after heating biomass under the minimization of oxygen during a process called pyrolysis. There are a number of reasons why biochar systems may be particularly relevant in developing-country contexts. This report offers a review of what is known about opportunities and risks of biochar systems. Its aim is to provide a state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge regarding biochar science. In that sense the report also offers a reconciling view on different scientific opinions about biochar providing an overall account that shows the various perspectives of its science and application. This includes soil and agricultural impacts of biochar, climate change impacts, social impacts, and competing uses of biomass. The report aims to contextualize the current scientific knowledge in order to put it at use to address the development climate change nexus, including social and environmental sustainability. The report is organized as follows: chapter one offers some introductory comments and notes the increasing interest in biochar both from a scientific and practitioner's point of view; chapter two gives further background on biochar, describing its characteristics and outlining the way in which biochar systems function. Chapter three considers the opportunities and risks of biochar systems. Based on the results of the surveys undertaken, chapter four presents a typology of biochar systems emerging in practice, particularly in the developing world. Life-cycle assessments of the net climate change impact and the net economic profitability of three biochar systems with data collected from relatively advanced biochar projects were conducted and are presented in chapter five. Chapter six investigates various aspects of technology adoption, including barriers to implementing promising systems, focusing on economics, carbon market access, and sociocultural barriers. Finally, the status of knowledge regarding biochar systems is interpreted in chapter seven to determine potential implications for future involvement in biochar research, policy, and project formulation.

Citation

“Scholz, Sebastian M.; Sembres, Thomas; Roberts, Kelli; Whitman, Thea; Wilson, Kelpie; Lehmann, Johannes. 2014. Biochar Systems for Smallholders in Developing Countries : Leveraging Current Knowledge and Exploring Future Potential for Climate-Smart Agriculture. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/18781 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”

What Is the Connection between Rice Straw, Charcoal and Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

..."Another option is to turn the rice straw into charcoal by burning it while restricting the amount of oxygen so the carbon in the straw does not turn into CO2. The charcoal is then returned to the rice field. Therefore, instead of rice farming being a source of carbon emissions, it could actually store carbon, what is better known as carbon sequestration.   It is still early days and researchers are busy understanding the wonders of turning straw into charcoal which they call biochar. However, an organization called the Philippine Biochar Association is already promoting biochar use with Philippine rice farmers. What they are doing is paying the farmers to turn their rice straw into biochar instead of burning it in the field. This is funded by local companies who want to offset their carbon footprint. If you are interested to learn more about the Philippine Biochar Association, click on the following link http://philippinebiocharassociation.com/ ." 

http://oryza.com/news/research-development/what-connection-between-rice-straw-charcoal-and-reducing-greenhouse-gas

Lek Komes School - biochar production and application in Thailand

Bryan Hugill from Raitong Organics Farm in Thailand has provided the following facebook link to a photo diary on biochar related activity in Bangkok. A short description is provided with a click to the photo.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.512388992173703.1073741830.189558454456760&type=1. 

Philippine Biochar Association (PBiA) in the news

Pro-biochar group supports government's efforts to achieve sufficiency in rice (link)

"THE Philippine Biochar Association (PBiA) is keen on backing government initiatives to attain rice sufficiency, achieve food security and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. The PBiA expressed its support during the first national conference on biochar initiatives in the country at the Philippine Social Science Center on Tuesday. In his address, Philip Camara, PBiA founding member and a member of the lead advisory council, said what the country needs to do is to try removing carbon dioxide (C02) from the atmosphere and not just rely on neutrality or mitigation. “The biochar technology can help us do that,” he added. Biochar, now practiced by some farmers in Zambales province’s Botolan town, is charred biomass usually produced from agricultural and forestry organic waste material like rice hull, straw, corn stover, coconut husks, tree branches and fallen trees by applying heat with very limited oxygen to the biomass. The process releases synthesis gases or syngases that can be harnessed for renewable energy and leaves behind charcoal. The PBiA said biochar is intended for use in farm soils while charcoal is for cooking.

Biochar is also being supported by international leaders. Former US Vice President Al Gore said biochar is one of the newest and most exciting strategies for restoring carbon in depleted soils and sequestering significant amounts of CO2 for 1,000 years. Dr. Bernardo Tadeo, member of the PBiA board of trustees, said many farmers are now testing the use of biochar, with some reporting higher farm yields. During the two-day conference, attendees discussed organic farming, climate-change adaptation and mitigation, local biochar network and the integration of biochar into companies’ corporate social responsibility programs."