Biochar in Horticulture

Biochar in Horticulture

Profitability and Many Plant Responses are Dependent on How Much and Where the Biochar (s) is Added to the Soil; Profitability Biochar A Biochar B Biochar C Rate t/ha Rate t/ha Rate t/ha Disease resistance/sorption ability = D-R max ; Yield= G-R max Jaiswal et al 2015 Plant and Soil

Biochar Energy Systems (BES) Pty Ltd Low Cost Open Source Transportable Trough Pyrolyser

Method of Making the Biochar Material Wheat Straw 60% Poultry Litter 25% Bentonite/Iron Bearing Kaolinite 5% Basalt dust 4% Wheat Straw Ash 6% % Dry Weight 1. Make ash by taking the biochar from the pyrolyser at 350C, wet and add finely ground basalt and micro nutrients 2. mix and make into a fine slurry 3. then add clay 4. and then coat straw and chicken litter and allow to dry slowly 5. pyrolyse at 425 C-450 C 6. adjust ph to 7.5 with 50% solution of Phosphoric acid 7. Mix NPK and biochar and allow to stand in bag for 2 weeks.

YIELD (T/HA) Results of Trials with Enhanced Biochar; 20 tonne/ha Improvement 70 BIOCHAR TRIAL BALLARAT 2013/14 TOTAL YIELD 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Improvement in Saleable Seed Potatoes of 10% with 10% Biochar Replacement 70.00% BIOCHAR TRIAL BALLARAT 2013/14 PACKOUT PERCENTAGE 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00%

Results of Trials; Economics Farmer is only paid for the potato seedlings that are in the correct size range 120-150mm. The amount is given in the previous graph The amount earnt per hectare if 10% of biochar and 90% NPK is used is $23,100 The amount earnt per hecatare if 100% NPK is used is $14,000 By replacing approximately 80kg of NPK with an enhanced biochar the profit could be as high as $9100/hectare

Greater than 50% Increase in Broccolini Yield with Addition of 1 t/ha of Wood BC From Kontiki Kiln Soaked in Liquid NPK and Enhanced Biochar 20%/NPK80% Applied at Approx 800kg/ha Biochar/NPK NPK

1. Third year of testing on different sites. Same Trend as this test Banding Biochar with NPK 1. Injection of steam activated poultry litter biochar, wood vinegar with diamonnium phosphate (DAP) underneath seeds in bands using a direct drilling seeder. 2. No Till Farming in calcareous soil with ph approximately 8. 3. Three replicates plots 1.5m by 13.5m 4. Various ratios of biochar and DAP

Yield (t/ha) Effect of Banding Poultry Litter Biochar and DAP on Wheat Yield, Paskeville 3.400 3.200 A A 3.000 AB BC AB 2.800 2.600 D D CD D 2.400 2.200 2.000 Treatment T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 DAP kg/ha - 50 50 50 100 100 100 - - PL Biochar kg/ha - - 35 100-35 100 35 100 Mean Yield T/ha 2.517 2.612 2.899 2.876 2.943 3.132 3.124 2.654 2.555 3 replicates and random block design

Conservation Farming in Wheat Fields in South Australia 50kg/ha DAP 35kg/ha BC Highest Yield

Stimulating Growth of Cabbage through Biochar Extract Foliar Spray 1kg BC with 20kg water heated at 100 for 3 hours, Shake for 24 hours and then filter at 100 micron filter Dilute 25:1, 50:1, 100:1 Each pot 2kg dry soil, rate of fertilizer application :N/P2O5/K2O=.5g per kilogram soil. 4 plants per pot Wheat Straw and Maize Straw Biochars produced at 450-480 A week after germination, begin to spray biochar extraction, each time 200ml a pot, during the first two weeks,spray once a week, then spray every three days. Total ten times and grow 45 days.

40-60% Enhanced Yield with Application of Foliar Spray When using NPK Fertiliser YIELD (gm) Wheat Straw BC (SW) Maize Straw BC (SM) 90 80 70 60 50 c bc ab ab bc ab a 40 30 20 10 0

: Foliar Spray Increases the Quality of the Cabbage

: Pre and Post treated Biochars for Peppers BC1: Wheat straw biochar (WSB) produced at 450C BC2: WS was activated with 50% strength H3PO4 in a ratio of 3 acid/100 wheat straw BC3: Wheat straw + 50% H3PO4 +Fe2O3+ Apatite Mixed was heated to 110C and held for 15 minutes then increased 5C/min to 180C and held at 15minutes and then increased 5C/min and held at 450C for 15mins

NPK is Added to The Biochar to Ensure Sufficient Nutrients

Pretreating and Post-Treating; Properties Wheat Straw Biochar and Pre treated biochar Basic Properties of Post Treated Biochar fertilisers Type ph N(%) P 2 O 5 % K 2 O% Biochar/clay NPK 5.4 18.0 11.0 9.7 Modified BC NPK 6.4 18.0 13.6 10.0 NPK 6.7 12.7 19.0 10.0

Pretreating and Post-Treating; Yield of Peppers Treament Yield (t/ha) Per fruit weight (g) Aboveground biomass (g) Control 7.94±0.72c 16.98±1.25b 20.79±1.77c d NPK Fertiliser 9.72±0.64b 20.09±2.68a b 30.72±1.05a Biochar/clay/NP K 10.96±0.92ab 20.43±1.63a 19.25±1.20d 18.57±1.33a

Pretreating and Post-Treating; Quality of Peppers Treatment Vc(mg/kg) Soluble protein (g/kg) Soluble sugar (g/kg) Nitrate (mg/kg) Malic acid (g/kg) Control 209.4 b 5.2 b 26.0 b 95.7 b 2.5 ab NPK Fertiliser 237.0 b 5.8 b 29.8ab 132.3 a 2.7 a Biochar/clay/N PK 277.7 a 5.75 b 33.4 a 107.8 b 2.60 ab Modified B.C.F 277.0 a 6.20 ab 35.1 a 103.6 b 2.3 b

Relative Profits Fertiliser cost ($/ha) Income from fruit ($/ha) Income-cost fertiliser ($/ha) Yield Treatmentent (t/ha) Control 0 7.94 $3,954 $3,954 NPK 250 9.72 $4,759 $4,509 BC/Clay/NPK 165 10.96 $5,366 $5,201 BC/Minerals/N PK 196 11.33 $5,547 $5,351

Stimulating Growth of Cabbage through Biochar Extract Foliar Spray 1kg BC with 20kg water heated at 100 for 3 hours, Shake for 24 hours and then filter at 100 micron filter Dilute 25:1, 50:1, 100:1 Each pot 2kg dry soil, rate of fertilizer application :N/P2O5/K2O=.5g per kilogram soil. 4 plants per pot Wheat Straw and Maize Straw Biochars produced at 450-480 A week after germination, begin to spray biochar extraction, each time 200ml a pot, during the first two weeks,spray once a week, then spray every three days. Total ten times and grow 45 days.

Tools For Development of Formulations Determine what pyrolysis conditions, additives or surface treatments are required to improve specific characteristics of biochar (e.g. Mg helps adsorb P; Fe and Mn compounds assist in heavy metal uptake). Determine specific nutrient requirements for animals and then enhance biochar with these Need to use this information to develop cost effective formulations

Project definition - Crop; - expected yield (t/ha) - cultivation area (ha) - total expected output (t) Crop Element Requirement - requirement db (kg/t) from db - total element requirement (kg) Soil specification - Soil Elements (kg/ha) from db - Available soil elements (kg/ha) - Nutrient Uptake Efficiency (%) - Total element available (kg) Proposed Methodology for Developing Cost Effective Biochar Formulations Crop database - Crop Element Requirement (kg/t) - Desired ph and Eh for Optimal Growth and improvement in beneficial micro-organisms - Soil database (external) - Soil Type and basic properties - Soil Elements (kg/ha) - Soil physical and chemical constraints. Bio-char composition - local available biomass (t) - material / labour costs - other (t) - Total elements added (kg) Material database - Material Element contents (kg/t) - ph EC, Eh, Available NPK, DOC, CEC Fertilizer composition - biochar composition (t) - Material selection (t) - total elements added (kg) Bussiness scenario - Total costs - Total quantities -Total Income Business scenarios - Income, costs, profit - materials used