Jimma University. Berhanu Belay, Gebermedihin Ambaw, Milkiyas Ahmed, Amsalu Nebiyu. Cornell University

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1 Jimma University Berhanu Belay, Gebermedihin Ambaw, Milkiyas Ahmed, Amsalu Nebiyu Jimma University Cornell University Dawit Solomon, Johannes Lehmann, Dominic Woolf, Stefan Jirka, Rachel Hestrin, Marie Zwetsloot School of Integrative Plant Science Garrick Blalock, Andrew Simons, Bourcard Nesin Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

300 million by 2050 Faces a number of critical development challenges Environmental degradation Food

2 Background Ethiopia One of largest country in Africa (1.2 million km 2 ) Second most populous country in Sub- Saharan Africa (~97 million) Expected to cross 300 million by 2050 Faces a number of critical development challenges Environmental degradation Food insecurity Climate change Most Ethiopian smallholder farmers practice subsistence-level, low-input and rain-fed agriculture with low agricultural productivity

3 Extreme land degradation Low soil fertility Loss of vegetation cover Very poor crop stand Loss of plant nutrients Phosphorus deficient plants Extreme loss of top soil Food aid recipients

4 Biochar could be used alone or formulated with other biomass Biochar based indigenous fertilizer/formulation could be an alternative Improve soil health and crop productivity Compliment in-organic fertilizer Reduces dependence on external inputs Biochar : Product of heating biomass in the absence of or with limited air to above 250 o C A process called charring or pyrolysis also used to produce charcoal. Material distinguishes from charcoal in that, it is used as a soil application or broader environmental management. Co-composting on Biochar/formulation has shown a number of benefits (enhances nutrient recycling, suppresses plant pathogens, accelerates composting)

5 Biochar/Biochar Based Indigenous fertilizer

6 BIOMASS: Examples of agricultural and agro-industrial wastes in Ethiopia 330, 000, 000kg cofee/ yr 6

7 Biomass : Non-competitive residues from agricultural and agro-industrial sources Discarded bones Recycling of this P potentially offsetting 28-58% of Ethiopia s annual phosphorus imports Worth $ million USD Nature Geoscience, Simon, Lehmann, Solomon et al., 2014

8 Biomass resource assessment and socio economic study 8

9 Infrastructure to produce biochar

11 Outreach activities Biochar Producing Facilities Farmers Level

constraints Optimize production parameter to produce targeted

13 Steps involved in converting agricultural residue to bio fertilizer Biochar Production Need to know the soil Production constraints Optimize production parameter to produce targeted biochar Optimum production temprature for coffee husk char Jimma 13

14 14

15 BBIF formulation Co-Componenting: Coffee husk/ sugarcane leaf/ wheat straw + Farm yard manure + Chicken manure (in 3:1:1 ratio by volume) + Coffee husk /prosopis biochar (20% of the total mixture) + Bone char + Soil + Water

16 Alternative phosphorus fertilizers using indigenous value chains in Ethiopia Farmers practice No input 30% of MOA Recommended rate Indigenous fertilizer

18 Trials made 1. Researcher managed trial on research station 2. On-farm trial (Farmers managed)

Yield (t/ha) Yield (t/ha) Alternative phosphorus fertilizers using indigenous value chains in Ethiopia On-farm

79 Maize under farmers practice (control) Control 60% NPK Bone char (40% P) + 60% NK and 20% P Biochar + Compost

19 Maize under bone-based indigenous fertilizer IF provided 40% of the recommended P input IF more than doubled

19 Yield (t/ha) Yield (t/ha) Alternative phosphorus fertilizers using indigenous value chains in Ethiopia On-farm trial maize yield Maize under farmers practice (control) Control 60% NPK Bone char (40% P) + 60% NK and 20% P Biochar + Compost + Bone (40% P) + Ash (40% K) + 60% N + 20%PK Treatments Researcher managed trial maize yield Maize under bone-based indigenous fertilizer IF provided 40% of the recommended P input IF more than doubled the farmers yield in onfarm trials Use of IF resulted in 40% saving for farmers 3.86 Control 60% NPK Bone meal (40% P) Bone char (40% P) % NK and 20% 60% NK and 20% P P Treatment

20 Disk type pelletizer machine used for extensive parametric sensitivity testing of Bochar based indigenous fertilier by my M.Sc Student Mr. Henok Atile

22 Capacity Development

23 Capacity building M.Sc student

24 Discussion with farmers

25 Farmers Participation stove Demonstration

26 Field Day Farmers participation

27 Field Day

28 Field Day

29 Field Day

30 Way forward Refining of indigenous fertilizer and infrastructure to advance indigenous fertilizer Commercialization of biochar based indigenous fertilizer Stoves developed Indigenous fertilizer Networking and collaborations in advancing the technology Capacity building and continuous learning by engaging farmers and students Test Biochar and BBIF in high value crops and livestock; Publication and expansion of the technologies Produce BBIF in farmers backyard to compliment inorganic fertilizer Run economic analyses

31 Thank you

Soil health and Biochar. Dr. Eshetu Bekele November 2015

Soil health and Biochar. Dr. Eshetu Bekele November 2015 Soil health and Biochar Dr. Eshetu Bekele November 2015 Background Most organic matter is 45 to 50% Carbon by weight and normal burning in Oxygen releases all this C as CO 2 to the atmosphere. By restricting