Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
A Review of current understanding
Dr S. Joseph, Dr P Munroe, Dr L. van Zweiten, Dr A. Cowie,
Dr E. Krull, Dr Bp Singh, Ms A. Downie
Structure and Key Message
1) Development Of Classification System And Testing Regime
2) Understanding Emissions From Pyrolysis Kilns And Potential Toxicity
Issues
3) Understanding The Factors That Affect The Stability Of Biochars In
Soils And Measuring Stability
4) N2O Reduction And LCA To Assess Overall Emissions Reduction
5) Improvements In Soils And Plant Yields
6) Design More Effective Biochars Through Incorporation Of Organo-
mineral Complexes
7) The Economics Benefits Of Biochar Integrated With Energy Production
8) Co-operation Amongst And Support Of Research And Industry
2) These chars have a range of surface and bulk properties. There are a range of
organic compounds that are deposited on the surface and inside pores. Some
of these are probably toxic while some promote plant germination and growth
(Nelson et al 2009, Ghebrehiwot et al 2009).
3) Research on black carbon particles in soils indicates that all of these different
types of biochar are either degraded and/or stabilised through reaction with
oxygen, minerals (including clay, silica, pyrite, calcite), cations and anions,
roots, soil organic matter, microbes and gases dissolved in water. The rates of
reaction are a function of soil type, rainfall patterns, temperature interactions
with plants, biota and fauna (Hockaday 2006, Lehmann + Joseph eds. 2009)
4) After fires, regeneration within a given area area is variable. Low temp chars
seem to promote growth of grasses and some plant species (Nelson et al
2009).
TECHNIQUES USED TO UNDERSTAND MECHANISMS OF BIOCHAR, SOIL,
WATER, MICRO-ORANISM, PLANT INTERACTIONS
Surface Properties and their Changes with Aging in Soils and Interactions
with Plants
Comments; Soil type and other environmental factors play a part in whether a biochar
addition will result in an increase in yield. Low temperature wood and high mineral
content biochars appear to give the best initial plant response for a wide range of soil
types especially poor soils.
Carbon Stabilisation and Formation of High Absorptive/CEC Organomineral Phases
5 5
2
4
70
C)
-1
Cow manure_400A
60 Paper sludge_550A
(mg
Control (non-amended)
50 Cow manure_550A
Cumulative CO2-C respired
Poultry manure_550A
40 Leaf_550A
Wood_400NA
2
Wood_400A
30
Wood_550NA
g
Wood_550A
20
10
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750
Duration of incubation (days)
Bio-chars from C3-vegetation sources (δ13C: -22 to -29 ‰) were incorporated into soil (Vertisol) from a
paddock under C4-vegetation (Mitchell grass with δ13C: -14 ‰). Then analysing δ13C of respired CO2 from
biochar-amended soils, and through detailed chemical characterisation of decomposing fractions, we are
aiming to: document turnover rate of a range of biochars and account for its priming effect on ‘native’ soil
C elucidate stabilisation mechanisms of biochar-C in soil.( BP Singh NSW DPI)
IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF FRESH BIOCHAR FOR CHARACTERISATION
Increase in Soil Microbial Biomass (Source; BP Singh and K. Kaur)
The effect of biochars on microbial biomass carbon
150 T1 T2 T3
LSDTime = 4.5
T4 T5 T6
Microbial biomass C (mg kg -1 soil)
120
Poultry_400NA
110
Leaf_400A
100
90 Paper_550A
80
Non-amended soil
70
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Duration of incubation (days)
Enhancing Properties of Biochars through Addition of Minerals and Micro-organisms
Mycorrhizal colonisation in subterranean clover
Colonised root length (m/plant)
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
00
00
00
il
00
30
30
30
so
F1
F1
F1
F1
ap
ap
ap
k
M
M
M
ul
M
M
W
W
W
0
0
5
0
0
3.
6.
r
1.
3.
6.
ha
r
r
ha
ha
ha
r
C
ha
ha
ha
C
C
C
STP= Torrefied Biomass with Clay and Minerals; SBC= wood biochar
Source;(2009) Dr Paul Blackwell Dept. Agriculture of Western Australia
Notes; growth rates are relative; high yield function of field trial method
Extensive Field Measurements of N2O Emissions (NSW DPI)
300
250
Poultry litter
100
50
5 10 15 20 25
Time (days)
LCA to Determine Emissions Reduction
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
paper paper feedlot w aste poultry litter greenw aste greenw aste for greenw aste greenw aste for
sludge/w ood sludge/w ood char applied to char applied to char applied to electricity+ char char applied to electricity+char
w aste char w aste char canola broccoli canola on canola broccoli on broccoli
applied to applied to
canola broccoli
Standard farmer practice 400kg urea 300 single super 100 potash
Soil Carbon increase approximately .5%
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF 2 YEAR FIELD TRIALS IN NORTHERN NSW
12,000,000
Papermill biochar Renewable energy certificates
10,000,000
Income per year (A$)
8,000,000
6,000,000
Biochar valuation (BCR=1)
4,000,000