Waste to Wisdom: Using crop and forest residues to create bioenergy and biochar

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1 Waste to Wisdom: Using crop and forest residues to create bioenergy and biochar Deborah Page-Dumroese USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station Moscow, ID

2 Overview A few definitions Agronomic uses of biochar Forestry uses of biochar Potentials for carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emission changes, soil productivity, and climate change

3 Black Carbon Around since fire was discovered! Covers the spectrum of conversion products formed from carbonaceous material Includes biomass or fossil fuels Commonly found on forest sites after fire Biochar is produced to increase carbon sequestration from renewable and sustainable biomass

4 Bio-oil and Bio-char co-production using fast pyrolysis Fast pyrolysis Rapid heating of biomass (>1000 C/s) Reactor temperatures of o C Rapid condensation of vapors Dry Biomass 100% 65-90% Biochar 10-15%

5 Pyrolysis Products Thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen Process Conditions Bio-oil Char Gas Fast pyrolysis Moderate temp. Very short time 60-75% 10-15% 10-15% Carbonization Low temp. Very long time 30% 40% 30% Gasification High temp. Long time 5% 10% 85% (Source: Oregon Wood Innovation Center 2009)

6 Fixed plants Large volume of material Must be near transportation Mobile or in-woods Small volume of material Moves to biomass Both methods create bio-oil, biochar, and synthesis gas

7 Pyrolysis as Carbon Negative

8 Biochar and Climate Change Benefits Mitigate greenhouse gases Reduce catastrophic fires Reduce burning in slash piles

9 Other Key Biochar Benefits Increases in soil organic matter (~58% carbon) increases available water With a 1% increase in soil organic matter water holding increases by: Silt loam: 3.4% Sand: 2.2% Silty clay loam: 2.8%

10 Increased Water Holding Percent Moisture increase Spring Summer Decommissioned Roads in Montana Spring and Summer increased water held in mineral soil Spring 30-40% increase Summer 20-25% increase

11 Agricultural Uses of Biochar

12 Agricultural Applications Biomass from crop residues, poultry litter, pecan shells, manure, paper sludge Easy to apply to farm fields Often applied to degraded crop land Increases soil organic matter Responses are soil specific Positive, negative, or neutral responses Biochar can be non-uniform or of variable quality

13 Biochar Application: Not all soils respond similarly 8 7 Carbon (%) Untreated Surface Mixed 1 0 Forest Soil 1 Forest Soil 2 Farm soil Application rate 11 tons/acre (25 Mg/ha)

14 Biochar application on degraded agricultural land Yield increase (%) Biochar addition (tons/acre) Wheat yield under dryland farming increased from 45 to 60 bushels/acre ( kg/ha) 10 tons/acre (22 Mg/ha) biochar is the breakeven point other yield gains are not significantly higher Increased yield attributed to ph change Forestry feedstock was used 90% carbon content Biochar additions: 22, 45, and 89 Mg/ha

15 Forestry and Forest Feedstocks

16 Forest Biomass what s out there? In the western US more than 73 million National Forest acres in need of thinning (370 million acres of all ownership) US forest lands can produce ~350 million oven dry tons of biomass/year Renewable and sustainable

17 Current methods excess biomass Thinning operations to reduce wildfire often unprofitable excess biomass is piled and burned Drop and leave biomass a fire hazard Slash piles Costly to pile No energy production Smoke and particulates Soil sterilization

18 Why use forest material? Overstocked stands Wildfire reduction Economic development for rural communities Carbon sequestration Increase soil productivity

19 Forestry residues are a valuable resource Forest biomass can help the US meet renewable energy targets Use in-woods pyrolysis to reduce transportation costs

20 Using biochar on forest sites Char is common in fire-adapted ecosystems Fire suppression decreases charcoal inputs Applying biochar as a coproduct of pyrolysis removes wildfire hazard and retains soil ecosystem function

21 Biochar and Forest Growth Height growth (ft) Control 11 tons/acre slash 1 ton/acre biochar Site treatment 11 tons/acre biochar Each treatment significantly increased tree growth over the control Slash will remain effective for 1-10 years, depending on climate Biochar will remain effective for years, depending on climate After 5 years 15-40% increase in height. Biochar and slash additions: 25 Mg/ha or 3 Mg/ha

22 Uses of bio-char

23 Uses Mine land restoration Range land restoration Forest sites Dryland agriculture Mine site in CO Left: site for 50 years; Right: site after biochar amendment

24 An example: Agriculture, Forests, and Biochar In the Columbia Basin Approximately 4 million acres (1.62 million ha) of dryland farming At 10 tons/acre (25 Mg/ha) of biochar: 40 million tons of biochar needed Approximately 320 million tons (290 metric tons) of green slash Treat 32 million forested acres (12.9 million ha) to supply only the Columbia Basin Opportunities for Reduced wildfire Valued commodity Reduced fiscal liability for fuel management on National Forest lands

25 Key messages Not all soil and biochar are the same Not all results are positive Define soil and biochar type relationships Biochar can provide: carbon sequestration, reduction of GHG emissions, reduce wildfire risk, insects and diseases Integration of agriculture and forestry Improved yields of crops and trees Long-term studies are necessary

26 Supporting Economic Development Rocky Mountain Research Station Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Working on food and water security Using veteran owned businesses Hiring veterans in rural communities Developing biochar markets

27 Partial funding provided by: The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Biomass Research and Development Initiative, Competitive Grant no from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Department of Energy, Biomass and Research Development Initiative, Competitive Grant DE-EE USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biomass Research and Develop Initiative, Competitive Grant American Recovery and Reinvestment Act #WFM B

28 Thank you!