2013 USBI North American Biochar Symposium

I’ve been a little slow in finding the output from this conference… I’m sure the most comprehensive biochar event to date.

This link leads to all the conference content including video coverage.

Soil science - a crash course

http://soilcarbon.org.nz/soil-science-a-crash-course/

Biochar workshop videos

This biochar workshop delves deep into the many aspects of biochar production and application. Part 1 focuses on practical production techniques using ‘drum within drum’ retort. There may be some advantages for this over the TLUD system (ie, reduced supervision).

Part 2 and 3 are classroom based with Q&A. Bob Wells (New England Biochar) describes his 4-part philosophy for biochar production: 1 – make the best possible biochar; 2 – use the residual energy efficiently; 3 – eliminate emissions; 4 – make the project profitable. John Nilsson (soil scientist) talks about history of biochar and its applications.

Part 4 takes a look at the triple Adam Retort system, installed by New England Biochar, that is the center piece for the site where the workshop is conducted.

Japanese Charcoal

Japan has a long history with charcoal and continues to demonstrate novel uses for its many forms... including soil applications.



Part 1 focuses on the history of, and cooking with, charcoal in Japan... http://youtu.be/FyYs3gZ9RcU

Biochar burn school results - another haze reduction strategy?

Where open burning is legal and unavoidable, the technique demonstrated here offers benefits for pollution / haze reduction and biochar production.
"A quick summary of results of experiments in open burn techniques to minimize smoke and maximize charcoal production. Experiments were conducted by volunteers over a 3 day period, November 15-17, 2013, outside of Grants Pass, Oregon."

Biochar burn school results from kelpiew

http://www.slideshare.net/kelpiew/biochar-burn-school-results

Soil Science Conference of Malaysia 2014 - Announcement and call for papers

The Malaysian Society of Soil Science (MSSS) has announced their annual conference for 8-10 April 2014 in Kangsar, Perlis. The brochure can be viewed here: http://www.msss.com.my/news/

Call for papers (and posters) deadline 31Dec 2013

Last year provided 3 papers and a poster on biochar...
http://sea-biochar.blogspot.com/2013/04/malaysian-soils-conference-2013-update.html

Biochar and compost – important information

This should prove to be a valuable contribution to the accumulated knowledge on the benefits of combining biochar and compost...
http://soilcarbon.org.nz/new-publication-with-sections-on-biochar-and-compost/

Note "Integrated solutions in Vietnam", page 49

ECHO Asia Biochar Initiatives - Thailand

I have a PDF version of the following report from ECHO Asia in Thailand (with photos) which can be provided upon request.

"The ECHO Asia Impact Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand has been researching and promoting biochar since 2011 for its potential role in soil improvement. Biochar seems especially well-suited to offer positive soil building properties and climate change mitigation strategies for smallholder farmers in Asia.

In August of 2012, ECHO Asia began conducting a 3-year randomized complete block field experiment to test the effects of biochar on plant health and growth at the ECHO Asia Seed Bank in Mae Ai, Thailand. Four raised beds (8m X 90cm) made out of cement bricks and filled with local soil were utilized, and experimental units (four per bed, measuring 1.5m X 90cm with 50cm buffer space) were physically separated with plastic lined cement bricks to prevent migration of nutrients, biochar, and earthworms. Bamboo char was made from Dendrocalamusstrictus using a TLUD made from a 55-gallon drum. Treatments were: 1) control soil without amendments, 2) soil with compost added; 3) soil with char added; and 4) soil with biochar added (equal parts of char and hog manure compost left to age for 3 months). All additions to the experimental units were made on an equal weight basis of 2kg m-2.

Two cropping cycles per year will be utilized, with the first cycle comprised of 6 plants of direct-seeded grain amaranth and 6 transplants of ‘Clemson Spinless’ okra, and the second cycle comprised of 6 plants of direct-seeded foxtail millet and 6 transplants of yellow eggplant in every experimental unit. This cropping cycle arrangement will be followed for three years without additional fertility inputs. Dependent variables include soil testing of the experimental units, soil testing of the amendments, plant height, plant yield, % necrosis and chlorosis, and chlorophyll content (as a proxy for nitrogen deficiency) using an atLEAF+ meter (similar to a SPAD meter). The first year of cropping is finished, but results have yet to be analyzed.

The office also has plans to start another experiment that will investigate the properties of different chars made from different feedstocks using different gasification stoves. The goal is to determine the boil time for a predetermined amount of water from a pre-determined amount of feedstock, the amount of resultant char, the temperatures achieved by feedstock and stove type, and the properties of the resulting char (pH, CEC, etc.)."

Abram J. Bicksler, Ph.D.
Director, ECHO Asia Impact Center, Chiang Mai, Thailand
http://echonet.org/asia-impact-center/

 

Update of the GIZ-HERA publication‚ microgasification - cooking with gas from biomass

"If you are involved with any cookstoves that are micro-gasifiers, please read the message below about getting the updated news submitted for a revised edition about those stoves (many of which produce charcoal/biochar.)
If you are not familiar with the first edition (January 2011), you can see it on the Internet at the link provided below."

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/biochar/conversations/topics/15591
 

Biochar used to produce supercapacitors

"Researchers report that wood-biochar supercapacitors can produce as much power as today’s activated-carbon supercapacitors at a fraction of the cost."

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/energy-and-environment/news/biochar-used-to-produce-supercapacitors/1017349.article#ixzz2iyzhDkTf

Stephen Joseph - Biochar R&D in Asia and Australia

This is a followup to my earlier post on the British Biochar Foundation conference video coverage. This keynote address has a lot of interesting information on biochar activity in Asia - highly recommended...

Biochar -- Putting the carbon Genie back in the bottle: Rob Lerner at TEDxSanMiguelDeAllende

A new TED talk on biochar...




Other biochar related TED-type talks...

TEDxBerkeley - Lopa Brunjes - Biochar: An Ancient Solution to a Modern Problem
http://youtu.be/ZroDAyIqW74

TEDxHilo - Josiah Hunt - Biochar and the Future of Farming
http://youtu.be/SWbomZJn83U


The Carbon Negative Revolution: Jason Aramburu at TEDxMission
http://youtu.be/3C7rn6Amf0k

Biochar as a replacement for perlite in greenhouse soilless substrates

This masters thesis is receiving praise from the biochar community. Another demonstration of the many commercial niches that biochar may occupy in the near future...
"... Results varied among trials and crops grown. Many biochar-based substrates produced plants with shoot dry mass greater than or equal to the control. These results demonstrate the potential for biochar to replace perlite and eliminate the limestone amendment needed for commercial greenhouse soilless substrates based on sphagnum peat. Soilless substrates containing biochar as a replacement for perlite and limestone can successfully be used for greenhouse plant production."
http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/13399/#!

13th Hari Organik 2013 - CETDEM

I am posting below a notice from the Organic Farming Project Coordinator at CETDEM.  Check out their website for details...

"CETDEM is organizing its 13th edition Hari Organik on 5th October, 2013 at  the Taman Pusat Bandar SS2 , Jalan SS2/63, PJ, from 8-30 ~ 2pm.
The Hari Organik aims to promote an organic and sustainable lifestyle. A platform for networking and sharing information with producers / service providers and consumers.
Hence, we are seeking your help to post this event on your website/facebook and to those whom you think might be interested.
 We hope you will continue to support us and make this Hari Organik a success. It is only with your support that we could go this far......
Please come and enjoy the special organic Penang vegetarian curry laksa!

Much appreciated

Tan Siew Luang
Organic Farming Project Coordinator, CETDEM
M: 016 219 5826; Tel: 03 7875 7767; Fax: 03 7875 4039
URL: www.cetdem.org.my
www.facebook.com/cetdem.org.my
CETDEM is not-for-profit organization,"

Characterization of Local Mill Rice Husk Charcoal and Its Effect on Compost Properties

Theeba, Scientist and biochar researcher at MARDI, has previously provided access to the following research paper on Rice Husk Char. I am re-posting this final version for submission to the IBI bibliography. The RHC was not assessed under IBI product certification guidelines but it does appear to meet the "Test Category A - Basic Utility Properties" for Class 3 biochar. The product has a long history of local use as cost effective growing medium. A search on this website for 'rice' will provide links to many previous posts related to the subject of RHC.

The commercialisation of compost products based around this research is under investigation by MARDI.

Abstract

"Rice Husk Charcoal (RHC) is a by-product of rice processing mills which can be found in very large quantities in these mills. This industrial waste is largely unutilized, causing environmental pollution especially in the state of Kelantan. In order to increase its utilization, RHC was characterized and investigated for its potential in enhancing the composting process. Physico-chemical properties of RHC such as pH, nutrient content, ash content, CEC, adsorption kinetics, surface area, functional groups, surface structure and pore sizes were studied. The composting treatments were carried out by mixing 4% (wt/wt) and 6% (wt/wt) RHC with organic substrates and with no RHC amended as control. Parameters such as daily temperature, CO fux, nutrient content, pH, moisture and total microbial count were measured during the composting process. Results showed that RHC is a highly alkaline material (pH 8.9) with a carbon content of 16% (wt/wt dry basis), CEC of 17cmol kg-1 soil, BET surface area of 401 mg g-1 and a methylene blue adsorption capacity of 38.8 mg g-1. The presence of C=O carboxyl-C, ketones and ester, aliphatic C=H, C=C benzene ring and C-H aromatic hydrogen suggests that RHC mainly comprises amorphous char, a random mixture of thermally altered molecules and aromatic polycondensates.The addition of RHC to organic matter accelerated the composting process through higher decomposition rates due to higher microbial population at the thermophilic stage with RHC acting as a bulking agent, as well as higher moisture and nutrient retention during composting. N losses were found to be lower with RHC composting
Rice Husk Charcoal (RHC) is a by-product of rice processing mills which can be found in very large quantities in these mills. This industrial waste is largely unutilized, causing environmental pollution especially in the state of Kelantan. In order to increase its utilization, RHC was characterized and investigated for its potential in enhancing the composting process. Physico-chemical properties of RHC such as pH, nutrient content, ash content, CEC, adsorption kinetics, surface area, functional groups, surface structure and pore sizes were studied. The composting treatments were carried out by mixing 4% (wt/wt) and 6% (wt/wt) RHC with organic substrates and with no RHC amended as control. Parameters such as daily temperature, CO fux, nutrient content, pH, moisture and total microbial count were measured during the composting process. Results showed that RHC is a highly alkaline material (pH 8.9) with a carbon content of 16% (wt/wt dry basis), CEC of 17cmol kg-1 soil, BET surface area of 401 mg g-1 and a methylene blue adsorption capacity of 38.8 mg g-1. The presence of C=O carboxyl-C, ketones and ester, aliphatic C=H, C=C benzene ring and C-H aromatic hydrogen suggests that RHC mainly comprises amorphous char, a random mixture of thermally altered molecules and aromatic polycondensates.The addition of RHC to organic matter accelerated the composting process through higher decomposition rates due to higher microbial population at the thermophilic stage with RHC acting as a bulking agent, as well as higher moisture and nutrient retention during composting. N losses were found to be lower with RHC composting."

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4y0ycvbzqpo6w6b/Theeba.pdf