-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
1/112
1st
As
iaP
ac
ifc
Biochar
Con
er
ence
W a t e r m a r k H o t e l | G o l d C o a s t | a u s t r a l i a | 1 7 - 2 0 m a y 2 0 0 9
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
2/112
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
3/112
1st
As
iaP
ac
ifc
Biochar
Con
er
ence
W at e r m a r k H o t e l | G o l d C o a s t | a u s t r a l i a | 1 7 - 2 0 m ay 2 0 0 9
Welcome to the 1st Asia Pacic Biochar Conerence!
This conerence eatures speakers rom the Asia Pacic region presenting
the latest scientic research on biochar, and business opportunities or
development o a biochar industry. We have accepted 57 submitted
abstracts or posters and oral presentations, and are pleased to presenta comprehensive and well-rounded program that brings together
academics, armers, media, policy makers and industry rom around the
region. We are particularly pleased to welcome Proessor Dr Johannes
Lehmann and Proessor Makoto Ogawa as conerence keynote speakers.
The goals o the conerence are to:
share expertise on aspects o biochar characterisation, standardisation
and its application to soil
provide inormation on biochar production technologies and
renewable energy
discuss business models or development o a biochar industry
debate the environmental benets o biochar, including mitigation o
major (CO2) and trace (CH
4and N
2O) greenhouse gases
discuss policy issues that impact on development o the biochar
industry.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
4/112
1 s t a s i a P a C i i C B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
ANZ Biochar Researchers Network 2009
NSW Department o Primary Industries on behal o the ANZ Biochar Researchers Network 2009
This publication is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in an
unaltered orm only (retaining this notice) or your personal use or or non-commercial use within
your organisation. To copy, adapt, publish, distribute or commercialise any o this publication you
will need to seek permission rom the Manager Publishing, NSW Department o Primary Industries,
Orange, NSW Australia
For updates to this publication, check ANZ Biochar Researchers Network
http://www.anzbiochar.org/
Published by NSW Department o Primary Industries
First published May 2009
ISBN 978 0 7347 1973 7
Acknowledgements
The conerence organising committee acknowledges the generosity o keynote presenters
Proessor Johannes Lehmann and Proessor Makoto Ogawa in giving precious time to present
their work at the conerence. The committee thanks all sponsors, whose generosity enabled the
committee to sponsor delegates rom Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Fiji.
The committee also acknowledges the hard work o the ollowing people:
NSW DPI: Lee Munro (organisation), Josh Rust and Scott Petty (preparation),
Rebecca Lines-Kelly (proceedings), Elspeth Berger (photography), Brad Lane (IT support),
Lyn Cullen (administration)
Watermark Hotel: Karen Kuss and Joelene Craig
Carleen Imlach, evoke design (proceedings design)
Photographs
Cover: top let - Scanning electron micrograph o biochar. Adriana Downie, BEST Energies
top centre - Biochar amended Ferrosol. Stephen Kimber, NSW DPI
top right - Sugarcane in biochar-amended soil, Tweed Valley. Stephen Kimber, NSW DPI
bottom - Seedlings in biochar-amended soil. Adriana Downie, BEST Energies
Inside: All photos o greenwaste biochar in the proceedings by Elspeth Berger, NSW DPI
Disclaimer
The inormation contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the
time o writing (May 2009). However, because o advances in knowledge, users are reminded o the
need to ensure that inormation on which they rely is up to date and to check the currency o the
inormation with the individual author or the users independent advisor.
Opinions expressed in the sponsors editorials are those o the sponsors and their inclusion does
not imply endorsement by NSW Department o Primary Industries or the ANZ Biochar Researchers
Network. Editorials rom sponsors were not edited.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
5/112
Contents
ogg c 1
k p 23
Cc c 45sp 615
Cc pg 17
abc 23
ix bc 103
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
6/112
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
7/112
11 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Organis
ingcomm
ittee
Dr Annette Cowie
nsW dp P i
Ms Adriana Downie
Best ega
Prof Stephen Joseph
u nsW
Mr Steve Kimber
nsW dp P i
Mr JeromeMatthews
a Bch
Dr Attilio Pigneri
m u,nw Z
Dr Evelyn Krull
Csiro
Dr Akira Shibata
ru, Jp
Dr YoshiyukiShinogi
n i r egg,Jp
Dr Lukas VanZwieten
nsW dp P i
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
8/112
21 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P Jh lh
Cornell University, USA
Johannes Lehmann, associate proessor o soil
biogeochemistry and soil ertility management at
Cornell University, received his graduate degrees
in soil science at the University o Bayreuth,
Germany. During the past 10 years, he has ocused
on nano-scale investigations o soil organic matter,
the biogeochemistry o black carbon and the
development o biochar and bioenergy systems.
Dr Lehmann is co-ounder and chair o the Board o
the International Biochar Initiative, and a member
o the editorial boards oNutrient Cycling in
Agroecosystems and Plant and Soil.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
9/112
31 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Ke
ynotespea
kers
P m ogw
Osaka Institute o Technology, Japan
Proessor Ogawa graduated rom the doctoral course
o Applied Botany, Faculty o Agriculture at Kyoto
University in 1967. He was engaged as the leader
o soil microbiology, mushroom sciences in the
Forestry and Forest Products Institute (MAFF), and
then worked in the Biological Environment Institute
as director until 2007. His major research elds
are mycorrhizae, ecology o soil microorganisms,
mushrooms and orest ecology. He has studied
reorestation techniques in tropical regions and
devastated areas using mycorrhizae and charcoal,
and investigated charcoal use in agriculture since
the 1980s. He has published many text books and
scientic papers and has received the Japan Forestry
Prize (1980), IUFRO Scientic Achievement Award
(1981), Nikkei Environment Technology Award (1998),
Japan Mycological Education Prize (2000) and Global
100 Eco-Tech Award (2005). At present he is working
as the opinion leader o the CSFC Project (Carbon
sequestration by orestation and charcoal use) and as
chair o Sea Coast Forest Rehabilitation and the Japan
Biochar Association.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
10/112
41 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
a nw Z Bch rch nw
http://www.anzbiochar.org/
The Australian and New Zealand Biochar Researchers Network, ormed
in 2008, is a group o researchers interested in advancing scientic
understanding o the production and utilisation o biochar. Collectively our
aim is to undertake collaborative research, promote the adoption o proven
biochar applications, and communicate the opportunities presented by
biochar to policy makers, land managers, the public, industry and ellow
scientists. The Network supports the use o biochars made rom sustainably
harvested and renewable biomass resources, using biochar production
processes that meet relevant environmental, health and saety standards,
minimise net greenhouse gas emissions, and do not adversely aect air and
water quality. While our ocus is biochar research in the Australian and New
Zealand context, we also engage in and encourage broader international
collaboration. The ANZBRN website provides basic inormation about
biochar and describes current research projects.
The network is a platinum conerence sponsor.*
Jp Bch ac
http://www.geocities.jp/yasizato/JBA
The Japan Biochar Association was established on 4 April 2009. It is named as
an association rather than an initiative because biochar has been produced
and used by armers, oresters, gardeners and builders in Japan or more
than 20 years. The associations objectives are listed below.
1. Dene standards or the production and utilisation o biochar.
2. Evaluate the net carbon sink capacity o biochar.
3. Advocate biochar potential to combat global warming.
4. Network with Asian countries to promote international progress on
biochar.
5. Establish an institution or certication o biochar carbon sinks in Japan.
For more inormation, see the website, currently in Japanese. An English
version o the website is coming soon. We hope many Asian riends will join
in our movement.
Contact: Akira Shibata, Ritsumeikan University
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
11/112
51 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Con
ere
nceconve
nors
i Bch i
http://www.biochar-international.org/home.html
IBI is a registered non-prot organisation supporting researchers, commercial
entities, policy makers, development agents, armers and gardeners, and
others committed to supporting sustainable biochar production and
utilisation systems that remove carbon rom the atmosphere and enhance
the earths soils. It advocates biochar as a strategy to:improve the Earths soils
help mitigate the anthropogenic greenhouse eect by reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering atmospheric carbon in a
stable soil carbon pool
improve water quality by retaining agrochemicals.
The IBI also promotes:
sustainable co-production o clean energy and other bio-based products
as part o the biochar process
ecient biomass utilisation in developing country agriculture
cost-eective utilisation o urban, agricultural and orest co-products.
IBI supports biochar production and utilisation systems that reduce net
greenhouse (GHG) emissions on a ull GHG liecycle analysis, that do not
contribute to direct or indirect land use change, and that are supported by
indigenous peoples and stakeholders.
* The ollowing pages eature our other platinum ($5000), gold ($3500)
and silver ($1500) conerence sponsors. We would also like to acknowledge
Rick Davies, philanthropist, as a platinum sponsor. Rick Davies is a consultant
or international development aid programs and is interested in applications
o biochar that could benet poor rural communities in Arica and Asia, via
increased soil ertility and income rom carbon credit and carbon oset sales.
www.mande.co.uk
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
12/112
61 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
13/112
71 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
BEST Energies has engaged with the broader research community and
invested heavily in the market development o their AgricharTM biochar
product. Clients o our proprietary BEST PyrocharTM technology, through their
licensing agreement, gain access to the use o this industry recognised brand,
with the associated guarantees o product quality control and best practice
environmental and engineering standards.
BEST Energies Australia are part o the BEST Energies amily o companies
which oers economically viable answers to the interrelated problems o
declining oil and gas reserves, greenhouse gas production and global warming.
By combining proprietary biomass technologies with proven production
solutions BEST is building distributed, clean energy production networks or
our customers. Our solutions ocus on using renewable bio-based resources,helping the environment through preventative management o the excessive
biomass waste streams which are responsible or many o the problem
greenhouse gases. By converting these waste streams into a stable orm the
by-product is an eective carbon sequestration mechanism.
BEST Energies Australia holds a portolio o proprietary key technologies that
signicantly improve the economics o pyrolysis and gasication o biomass
streams. These advancements are essential or the creation o clean energy
alternatives to traditional oil and coal based uels. By bringing together the
leading pyrolysis experts rom around the world, with more than 20 years oresearch and development experience, we have created a rich, patentable
pipeline o productivity and eciency enhancement and 1st mover products.
When our customers are aced with waste management and green energy
generation challenges we provide integrated bioenergy solutions engineered
to their specic needs. The distributed solutions we create allow production
near biomass sources and close to consumption centres. Because o our
scalability, we have clean energy solutions or a wide range o commercial and
governmental producers and users o energy and the majority o producers o
biomass and biowaste products.
Sponsors
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
14/112
81 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
Richmond Landcare Incorporated: the Landcare Network representing
Landcare Groups in the Richmond Catchment o Northern NSW
Originally named the Richmond Catchment Landcare Group, incorporated in January 1998
as a not or prot association, had the task o sourcing grant unding rom the Federal and
State Governments to be parked in an incorporated entity and subsequently passed on to
various Landcare/Dunecare/Bushcare community groups or environmental projects. Funds
were also used to employ Landcare Coordinators.
In 2000 the organisation attained the tax status o a charitable und. Three years later, theoriginal ounders o Richmond Catchment Landcare Inc. handed management o the entity
over to landcare groups within the Richmond Catchment and the name o the organisation
changed to Richmond Landcare Inc.
The organization continued to pursue available grants and employ landcare coordinators,
community support ocers and specic project ocers. Funding originates rom Federal,
State and Local Government agencies, the Northern Rivers Catchment Management
Authority as well as private organisations.
Richmond Landcare Inc. is managed by a committee o seven volunteers who are nominated
by landcare member groups o the association. These seven committee members have in
total more than 70 years experience in landcare. They also have had careers and or currently
are involved in education, banking, public relations, nance and corporate management
both in Australia and overseas, auctioneering, horticulture, bee cattle and orestry.
There are more than 65 lie member groups (with over 3,000 individual members) in the
Richmond Landcare Network. O these member groups, 14 are school (junior) landcare
groups, 23 are armer related landcare groups and the remaining are community rainorest/
dunecare regeneration groups.
Examples o our projects are:
1. A Caring For Our Country Grant rom the Australian Government running until 2011
which is in partnership with the NSWDPI or carbon sequestration and biochar.
2. A Community Support Ocer grant rom the Northern Rivers Catchment Management
Authority to provide support to environmental community groups in the East Richmond
Catchment..
3. A Soils Grant or the Cudgen Plateau rom the Northern Rivers Catchment Management
Authority to remedy soil erosion on the vegetable arms on that plateau.
4. A Dairy Waste Composting grant rom the Australian Government National Landcare
Program
In addition to the above, Richmond Landcare is providing $40,000 towards the cost o an
interpretive centre at Flat Rock, Ballina. This building will serve as shelter or the thousands oschool children who visit Flat Rock each year or their environmental studies. On this project
we are in partnership with the Aboriginal Community, Ballina Shire Council, Angels Beach
Dunecare, the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and several local businesses.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
15/112
91 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
t H e P r i m a r y i n d u s t r i e s i n n o v at i o n C e n t r e ( P i i C )
PIIC, Directed by Proessor Bob Martin, is a joint venture partnership between the NSWDepartment o Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and the University o New England (UNE) to boostprimary industries research, extension and training outcomes. PIIC develops science-basedinnovative solutions to crises and trends that aect rural communities and the industries thatthey rely on. PIIC is thereore committed to improving the protability and sustainability oprimary industries through research and development, education, extension and trainingwhich is relevant to northern areas o New South Wales in particular but which also hasnational and/or international relevance. The work o the PIIC is aimed at two types o outcome.
Integrated approaches to research, teaching and extension aimed at ensuringimprovement in sustainable primary production; andCoordination and co-investment o resources to improve cost-eectiveness in deliveringservices and improving outcomes rom these services.
The National Centre o Rural Greenhouse Gas Research (NCRGGR) is a new jointly undedinitiative o UNE and the NSW DPI and will be administered through PIIC. Proessor AnnetteCowie commenced as Director, NCRGGR on 4th May 2009.
Annettes research interests include: greenhouse accounting or orests, wood products andbioenergy; soil carbon management; emissions trading in the orest and agricultural sectors;and biochar as a soil amendment. Annettes immediate role as Director o NCRGGR will beto manage new projects unded under the ederal Department o Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries Climate Change Research Program. These projects include research and on-armdemonstrations to help prepare Australias primary industries or climate change and buildthe resilience o the agricultural sector into the uture. The program involves projects thatprovide practical management solutions to armers and industries.
Projects are ocussing on:
reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide.improving soil management and determining the potential o sequestration o carbonin agricultural soils in a variety o soil types, locations and under diering managementpractices.
The ollowing UNE-DPI projects have received unding in the Climate Change ResearchProgram:
Land the Carbon Bank Proessor Annette Cowie
Genetic Improvement o Bee Cattle or Greenhouse Gas Outcomes Dr Roger Hegarty
Novel strategies or enteric methane abatement Dr Roger Hegarty
Mitigating nitrous oxide emissions rom soils Dr Graeme Schwenke
Contact: Proessor Bob MartinDirector, Primary Industries Innovation CentreUniversity o New England, Armidale NSW 2351
Phone 02 6773 2869Fax 02 6773 3238Mobile 0411 109 610Email [email protected]
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
16/112
101 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
17/112
111 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
The Queensland Government, like most governments
worldwide, is grappling with the issue o how to best
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eectively sequester
the emissions that cannot be reduced. The Queensland
Governments Oce o Climate Change, incorporating the
Queensland Climate Change Centre o Excellence (QCCCE), is
engaged in work on carbon sequestration in the rural sector.Biochar production technologies may oer considerable
potential or carbon sequestration. However, there is a need to
strengthen our knowledge o the benets they might deliver
in local applications.
There are a wide range o soil types across Queensland.
Current research indicates that the response o these soils to
biochar is variable in terms o both eectiveness to sequester
carbon and also in the benecial eects o the material.
The potential benets include the reduced use o inorganic
ertilisers produced and transported using ossil uels and
a reduction o the nitrous oxide emissions that occur when
inorganic ertilisers are applied.
Given the expensive nature o research trials and the need
to assess a wide range o soil types, a modelling approach is
required to examine the many combinations o source materialand soil types. Accounting or the carbon that is sequestered
through biochar or any other technology is also a major
challenge.
The Queensland Government is pleased to support the Asia
Pacic Biochar Conerence, as a key opportunity to bring
together experts in the biochar eld and to share the latest
research evidence about the carbon sequestration potential
associated with biochar production technologies.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
18/112
121 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
P sp
nsW dp P iNSW Department o Primary Industries (NSW DPI) is the largest
provider o science and research services within the NSW
Government. The department undertakes strategic science which
underpins the growth, sustainability and biosecurity o primary
industries in New South Wales. The Science and Research Division
has over 700 scientists and technicians working on more than 900 projects in collaboration
with government and research partners, universities and industry groups. In 2007/08 the NSW
government and external partners contributed over $100M towards these projects.
For the past decade, NSW DPI has investigated strategies to help the states primary industriescope with a variable and changing climate and inorm governmental climate change mitigation
programs.
In 2007/08 NSW DPI participated in 121 projects to improve water use eciency, mitigate
greenhouse gas emission, adapt to climate variability or improve soil health. Soil-based problems
cost Australia over $2700 million annually. Healthy soils hold more moisture, are more productive
and have the potential to sequester a signicant proportion o NSWs carbon emissions.
As part o the departments soils research program, NSW DPI has developed research
partnerships with university, government, industry, landcare and armers to evaluate the use o
biochar or climate mitigation, adaptation and economic development. Activities include:160 eld plots under management on research stations and arms throughout the state
NATA accredited laboratories or chemical characterisation o biochars, soils and plant tissue
ISO9001:2000 certied research acilities or testing biochars in laboratory, glasshouse andeld studies
Greenhouse gas emission monitoring rom soil to test benets o biochar
Biometrical support
Involvement in ANZ Biochar Researchers Network and International Biochar Initiative
Managing scoping studies or business development and implementation o biocharproduction technologies
Liecycle assessment
Economic assessment o biochar
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
19/112
131 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
G sp
Biosequestration is a path to
combat climate change but
it requires vast quantities o
biochar to be manuactured
using waste biomass and applied
to soil. The challenge is to nd a
commercially viable agricultural
mechanism to acilitate this
process.
AnthroTerra is responding to this
challenge by leading the R&D
to develop a stable carbon rich
additive able to be applied to
soil using existing agricultural
techniques to mimic the efect o
the larger application rates.
Australian Biochars would like to welcome all delegates
and guests to the conerence.
Biochar research is rightly at the vanguard o
international eorts to both alleviate hunger through
generating increased crop yields and reduce global
warming by the sequestration o greenhouse gases.
The regions researchers and scientists are to be
congratulated.Australian Biochars wishes all attendees
an inormative, productive and most o all an enjoyable
1st Asia Pacic Biochar Conerence.
Jerome Matthews, Director
s sp
www.biochars.com
www.anthroterra.com.au
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
20/112
141 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
s sp
BioSol a v is a business modeling company. Logo
a moving green globe atop a tree symbolises that
earth will go around only when it remains green. The
signature statement adapto velox meaning, adopt ast
underscores its belie that intervention should be ast
as technologies are there in plenty. Active in the area
o bio-char, renewable energy, ossil uel analogs such
as DME and bio Hydrogen Tripod Projects---EnerGreen
Power---Venus Engineers are technology associates.
Principal advisor and partner is Mr. Krushnun Venkat
who can be reached at Mobile: 91-98400 28596
Email: [email protected]
Transeld Services is a leading global provider o
operations, maintenance and project management
services to key industries in the resources, industrial,
inrastructure and acilities management sectors; with
more than 29,000 employees in Australia, New Zealand,
North America and the Middle East. Transeld Services
is publicly listed in Australia and included in the S&P/
ASX 100.
Transeld Services sees great potential in biochar as a
technology or addressing major challenges like climate
change and declining soil ertility.
SoilCare Inc is a Landcare group based in northern New
South Wales, Australia. Ninety percent o the members are
armers and the remaining members are soil proessionals.
All members share an interest in soil processes and a
commitment to sustainable soil management. SoilCare
objectives are to access and share current inormation on
soil management; secure unding or educational seminars
and workshops; sponsor eldtrips; and address soil issues
o sustainability and productivity to promote secure
livelihoods and vigorous communities. SoilCare alsosponsors TAFE biological arming courses and SoilCare
Expo, a one-day event showcasing sustainable soil
management strategies and products.
www.biosolav.com
www.transeldservices.com
www.soilcare.org
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
21/112
151 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
s sp
The Northern Rivers CMA is a proud supporter o the Asia
Pacic Biochar Conerence, 2009. Along with our partners,
NSW DPI, Soilcare and Richmond Landcare, we look
orward to demonstrating local soil health projects that
have increased soil carbon and improved soil condition.
Supporting the development o such innovations in
natural resource management enhances our communities
ability to eectively contribute to the broader goals o
reduced impacts o climate change and the creation o
resilient natural landscapes in the long term.
Gansel Australia is pleased to announce the launch o
its Outback Biochar premium soil conditioner at the
Asia Pacic Biochar Conerence. Outback Biochar will
be available rom the companys website and through
national resellers working to bring biochar into the
hands o Australian gardeners. The companys aim is to
increase public awareness about the benets o biochar
while demonstrating the economic viability o what we
consider to be a cornerstone o uture environmental
policy.
Gansel Australia: 02 9773 9455
The New Zealand Biochar Research Centre (NZBRC) aims
to advance the understanding o biochar or mitigating
global climate change and to enable its use in New
Zealand, particularly by agricultural and orestry sectors.
The work at the NZBRC is organized into three closely
linked streams o R&D activities:soil science and biochar
pyrolysis plant and biochar engineering
biochar and greenhouse mitigation strategies
www.outbackbiochar.com
www.biochar.org.nz
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
22/112
161 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
23/112
171 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Cone
renceprogram
d 1: s 17 m 2009Time Activity Presentation Speaker
4.00 pm Registration and speaker preparation
6.00 -8.00pm
Welcome reception, Atlantis Auditorium, Level 2 Watermark HotelWelcome address by The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP
d 2: m 18 m 2009Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
7.30 am RegistrationSpeaker preparation
8.15 am Opening address TBA
8.30 am Keynote address Biochar: Science and policy Pro. Johannes
Lehmann
Cornell University US
24
9.25 am Platinum sponsorpresentation
Queensland Government
Biocharcharacterisation
Chair:LukasVanZwieten 9.30 am Session keynote Biochar: How stable is it? Andhow accurately do we need to
know?
Evelyn KrullCSIRO Glen Osmond SA 27
10.00 am Oral presentation Turnover o biochars in soil:Preliminary estimates based ontwo years o observation
Bhupinderpal SinghNSW DPI, West PennantHills
29
10.20 am Platinum sponsorpresentation
Crucible Carbon
10.25 am Morning tea
Biocharcharacterisation
Chair:AdrianaDownie
10.50 am Oral presentation Inuence o biochar on theavailability o As, Cd, Cu, Pb andZn to maize (Zea mays L.)
Balwant SinghUniversity o Sydney
30
11.10 am Oral presentation Biochar addition to soils:Implications or pesticidepersistence and ecacy
Rai KookanaCSIRO Land & Water,Glen Osmond
31
11.30 am Oral presentation Detailed analyses o 20 year oldbiochar recovered rom Bolivianlowland agricultural soils
Nikolaus FoidlVenearth Group USA
32
11.50 am Oral presentation A simple method or determiningbiochar condensation
Ron SmernikUniversity o Adelaide
33
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
24/112
181 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
Biocharcharacterisation
Chair:AdrianaDownie
3 minute poster oral Development o a synthetic TerraPreta (STP): Characterisation andinitial research ndings
C ChiaUniversity o NSW
35
3 minute poster oral Detailed characterisation obiochars obtained rom NZeedstocks at dierent pyrolysistemperatures
William AitkenheadMassey University,New Zealand
36
3 minute poster oral Evaluation o laboratoryprocedures or the
characterisation o biochars
Balwant SinghUniversity o Sydney
38
3 minute poster oral Temperature sensitivity o blackcarbon decomposition andoxidation
Binh Thanh NguyenCornell University, Ithaca
39
3 minute poster oral Black carbon characterisation:Implications or understandingbiochar behaviour in depositionalenvironments
Michael BirdJames Cook University,Cairns
40
3 minute poster oral Retention capacity o three typeso biochar or estrogenic steroidhormones in dairy arm soil
Ajit SarmahLandcare Research,New Zealand
41
3 minute poster oral Simulating the weathering obiochar with a Soxhlet reactor FX YaoMassey University,New Zealand
42
3 minute poster oral Characterisation o charsproduced rom dierentcarbonisation processes
Marta Camps-ArbestainMassey University,New Zealand
44
3 minute poster oral A undamental understandingo biochar: Implications andopportunities or the grainsindustry
Lynne M MacdonaldCSIRO
45
12.45 pm Lunch and poster viewing
B
iocharproduction&technologies
C
hair:AttilioPigneri
1.45 pm Oral presentation Carbonisation o empty ruitbunches using the hydrothermalmethod
Nsamba Hussein KisikiUniversiti Putra Malaysia
46
2.05 pm Oral presentation Production o charcoal compostrom organic solid waste
Gustan PariForest Products RDCIndonesia
47
2.25 pm Oral presentation Assessment o yield, salttolerance and energy conversionoArundo donax, a potentialbiochar and biouel crop
Chris WilliamsSARDI
48
2.45 pm 3 minute poster oral A simple method or productiono porous bamboo charcoal
Gou YamamotoInternational Charcoal
Co-op Association Japan
49
d 2 c
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
25/112
191 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
Biocharproduction&technologies
Chair:AttilioPign
eri
3 minute poster oral Preparation o low volatilecharcoal or liquid steelrecarburisation plant trials
Michael SomervilleCSIRO
50
3 minute poster oral Maximising char yield rompyrolysis o low cost biomass
Rex MandersonChaotech Pty LtdAustralia
51
3 minute poster oral Openchar: Open-sourced biocharproduction technology
Andrew MurphyHatch, Brisbane
52
3 minute poster oral Project 540: Low-emission, lowcost biochar kilns or small armsand villages
Paul TaylorRainorest InormationCentre, Australia
53
3 minute poster oral Maximising environmental andeconomic benets o biocharproduction using an innovativeindirectly-red kiln technology
Matthew MartellaUniversity o WesternAustralia
55
3.10 pm Aternoon tea and poster viewing
Businessmodelsorcomme
rcialisation
Chair:YoshiyukuShinogi
3.35 pm Session keynote Carbon abatement potentialand sustainability credentials oProject Rainbow Bee Eater
Joe HerbertsonCrucible Carbon Pty LtdAustralia
57
4.05 pm Platinum sponsorpresentation BEST Energies
4.10 pm Oral presentation Agro-economic valuation o biochar using eld-derived data
Lukas Van ZwietenNSW DPI, Wollongbar
58
4.30 pm Oral presentation Biochar: A people initiative Krushnun VenkatBioSol India
59
4.50 pm 3 minute poster oral Development o sustainable uelsand reductants or the iron andsteel Industry
Michael SomervilleCSIRO
60
4.55 pm Panel discussion Biochar: Addressing theunanswered questionsWhat criticisms have beenlevelled at biochar?Are these criticisms valid?What are the knowledge gaps?How do we address these issues?
Johannes LehmannMakoto OgawaAnnette CowieChair:Rebecca Lines-Kelly
5.30 pm Close
7.00 pm Gala dinner
8.30 pm Keynote address TBA
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
26/112
201 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
d 3: t 19 m 2009Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
8.15 am Housekeeping
8.30 am Keynote address Charcoal use in agriculture inJapan
Proessor Makoto OgawaOsaka Institute oTechnology, Japan
61
9.15 am Platinum sponsoraddress
NSW Department o PrimaryIndustries
Environmentalbenets
obiocharincludinggreenhouseg
asmitigation
Chair:SteveKimber
9.20 am Session keynote Discovering Terra PretaAustralis:Rethinking the capacity oAustralian soils to sequester C
Adriana DownieBEST Energies
64
9.50 am Platinum sponsoraddress
Richmond Landcare Inc.
9.55 am Session keynote Greenhouse gas mitigationbenets o biochar as a soilamendment
Annette CowieNSW DPIWest Pennant Hills
66
10.25am Platinum sponsoraddress
University o New England-National Centre RuralGreenhouse Gas Research
10.30 am Morning tea and poster viewing11.00 am Oral presentation Estimation o net carbon
sequestration potential witharmland application o bagasse-char: Liecycle CO
2analysis
through a pilot pyrolysis plant
Yoshiyuki ShinogiNational Institute orRural Engineering, Japan
68
11.20 am Oral presentation Biochar eects on nitrous oxideemissions rom a pasture soil
Leo CondronLincoln UniversityNew Zealand
69
11.40 am 3 minute poster oral Inuence o biochars on nitrousoxide emission and nutrientleaching rom two contrastingsoils
Bhupinderpal SinghNSW DPIWest Pennant Hills
71
3 minute poster oral BEST pyrolysis o waste wood:Greenhouse gas balanceassessment
Adriana DownieBEST Energies
72
3 minute poster oral Biochar holds potential orreducing soil emissions ogreenhouse gases
Steve KimberNSW Dept o PrimaryIndustries, Wollongbar
74
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
27/112
211 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
Efectsobiocharutilisa
tion
Chair:JeromeMatthews
11.50 am Session keynote The reaction o soil with high andlow mineral ash content biochars
Stephen JosephUniversity o NSW,Australia
75
12.20 pm Platinum sponsorpresentation
Mantria Industries USA
12.25 pm Oral presentation The role or biochar inmanagement o the agriculturallandscape: A armers perspective
Robert QuirkDuranbah
77
12.45 pm Oral presentation Productivity and nutrient
availability on a Ferrosol:Biochar, lime and ertiliser
Katrina Sinclair
NSW Dept o PrimaryIndustries, Wollongbar
79
1.05 pm Lunch and poster viewing
2.00 pm Oral presentation Evidence or biochar savingertiliser or dryland wheatproduction in Western Australia
Paul BlackwellDepartment oAgriculture and FoodWA, Geraldton
80
2.20 pm Oral presentation Charcoal application or poultryarming
Tsuyoshi HirowakaInternational CharcoalCo-op Association, Japan
81
2.40 pm Oral presentation Eect o biochar application on
soil amelioration and growthoAcacia mangium (Willd.) andMichelia montana Blume
Chairil Siregar
Forestry Research andDevelopment AgencyMinistry o Forestry,Indonesia
82
3.00 pm 3 minute poster oral The eects o biochars on maize(Zea mays) germination
Helen FreeMassey UniversityNew Zealand
83
3 minute poster oral Eect o bagasse charcoal anddigested slurry on sugarcanegrowth and physical propertieso Shimajiri-maji soil
Yoshiyuki ShinogiNational Institute orRural Engineering, Japan
84
3 minute poster oral Concepts o dryland armingsystems incorporating biocharand carbon-rich biologicalertilisers
Paul BlackwellDepartment oAgriculture and FoodWA, Geraldton
85
3 minute poster oral Soil nutrient retention underbiochar-amended broadacrecropping soils in southern NSW
David WatersNSW DPI, Wagga Wagga
86
3 minute poster oral Nitrogen use eciency improvesusing greenwaste biochar
Lukas Van ZwietenNSW DPI, Wollongbar
87
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
28/112
221 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Time Activity Presentation Speaker Page
Efects
obiocharutilisation
Chair:J
eromeMatthews
3 minute poster oral Eect o biochar on mycorrhizalcolonisation in subterraneanclover and wheat growth
Zakaria SolaimanUniversity o WesternAustralia
89
3 minute poster oral Preliminary assessment o theagronomic value o syntheticTerra Preta (STP)
Paul BlackwellDepartment oAgriculture and FoodWA, Geraldton
91
3 minute poster oral Biochar research in sandy soils ocentral coastal Vietnam
Hoang Minh TamVietnam Academy o
Agricultural Science
92
3 minute poster oral Developing collaborative biocharresearch in Aceh, Indonesia
Malem McLeodNSW DPI, Tamworth
94
Policyissuesortheb
iocharindustry
Chair:AnnetteCowie
3 minute poster oral Towards a aster and broaderapplication o biochar: Assessingand recommending appropriatemarketing mechanisms
Tek Narayan MaraseniUniversity o SouthernQueensland,Toowoomba
96
3 minute poster oral Prime Carbon presents a programthat rewards armers with carboncredits or increasing the carbonin their soil
Debra BurdenPrime Carbon Pty Ltd,Townsville
97
3.35 pm Aternoon tea and poster viewing4.05 pm Session keynote The New Zealand Biochar
Research Centre: Firmly walkingon the ground
Marta Camps-ArbestainMassey UniversityNew Zealand
98
4.35 pm Oral presentation Opportunities and challengesor biochar/bioenergy systemsin the compliance and voluntarycarbon markets
Attilio PigneriMassey UniversityNew Zealand
100
4.55 pm Workshop wrap-up Stephen Joseph andEvelyn Krull
5.30 pm Post conerence canaps and drinks
d 4: W 20 m 2009 P cc Time Activity
8.00 am Depart Watermark Hotel
9.00 am Arrive sugar cane site, Tweed Valley
9.30 am Depart sugar cane site
10.30 am Arrive NSW Department o Primary Industries, Wollongbar eld sites
11.30 am Lunch at NSW Department o Primary Industries, Wollongbar
12.30 pm Depart NSW Department o Primary Industries, Wollongbar
1.00 pm Arrive Baclisin, avocado and macadamia arm
1.30 pm Depart Baclisin
3.00 pm Arrive Watermark Hotel
d 3 c
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
29/112
231 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Abst
racts
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
30/112
241 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Johannes Lehmann
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 USA
The science o biochar has made rapid progress in the past two years since the biochar
research and development community began creating platorms or communication.
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) builds on regional activities that drive research
and national policy debate. This rst regional conerence o the Asia Pacic Biochar
Initiative is a testament to the interest in advancing the development o our knowledge
on biochar. The impressive mobilising o intellectual capacity is mirrored by an equally
impressive public interest in biochar and its use in home gardens and on arms. But
demand or inormation on biochar production and application currently outstrips our
ability to provide recommendations.
The increasing number o scientic publications provides a signicant step orward
in demonstrating basic scientic principles o biochar behaviour that are critical
or rening biochar systems. For example, signicant progress has been made in
quantiying the stability o biochar and several recent publications calculate a mean
residence time in excess o 1000 years (Cheng et al 2008; Lehmann et al 2008; Liang etal 2008; Kuzyakov et al 2009). This body o literature employs both incubation studies
that are longer (up to 3.2 years) than have been used previously and modelling o
equilibrium conditions under natural char production. It also combines observations o
aged and reshly produced biochars which signicantly expands the body o published
literature that had mostly studied resh biochars.
These analyses need to be expanded to a wider variety o biochar types and soil
environments. Interactions between mineral suraces, metal ions and biochar particles
are still insuciently explored. These renements are necessary to estimate the extent
biochar may be able to mitigate climate change. But it will not question the principalargument o the benets o biochar soil management or climate change mitigation.
The science o biochar is complex; it requires new theories to explain its environmental
behaviour, adaptation o established methods or its study, and a systems approach to
its appraisal. The required systems thinking is or example made clear by the dierences
in conclusion drawn rom ndings by Wardle et al (2008) who interpreted data o mass
loss rom litterbag experiments as a greater loss o orest humus ater the addition o
biochar. This interpretation has ound criticism because mass loss rom the litterbags
may not only be explained by mineralisation to carbon dioxide but may also lead to a
more rapid stabilisation in mineral soil (Lehmann and Sohi, 2008). Indeed, greater and
more rapid incorporation o litter into soil carbon ractions is now being ound in the
presence o biochar in a number o experiments.
Bch: scc Pc
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
31/112
251 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
While this process-oriented research is the basis or the evaluation o biochar or
environmental management and vital or its adoption, it is not sucient to ensure the
sustainability o biochar systems, so that they deliver agronomic and environmental
benets and are economically viable.
We need to know more about, or example, energy outputs and emissions during
pyrolysis, methods or applying biochar to soil, and transportation. Yield increases on
dierent soils with dierent types o biochar require eld experimentation. While some
inormation rom eld trials has recently become available (Steiner et al 2007, 2008;
Kimetu et al 2008) the published body o research is still restricted to highly weathered
soils. And not a single case study has been published reporting a systems-scale
assessment o energy or carbon budgets.
The main challenge in the past has been the lack o pyrolysis systems available to
stakeholders. A sustainable approach to environmental management o carbon means
it must be relevant to arm economies, waste processing acilities and home kitchens.
Some groundbreaking advances have recently been made or arm-scale biochar
systems (Lehmann and Joseph 2009), and this trend is expected to continue.
Communication o research results on biochar provides opportunities and distinct
challenges. Realistic expectations must be grounded in reliable basic science as well as
site-specic adaptive science. Reliable science has largely been embraced by an increasing
number o research organisations, but adaptive science is still in its inancy; learning rom
implementation is required to be able to scale biochar systems. Only i suciently large
demonstration projects are available will we we be able to better quantiy the potential
o biochar. The number and scope o demonstration projects that will advance the
development o biochar systems and orecast their long term and large-scale potential are
still insucient, a clear signal or investment in research on biochar.
Policy is increasingly investigating the potential o biochar. Biochar has been ront
page news in Australia and several countries are now preparing internal policy bries
to educate their sta. Intergovernmental organisations are investigating biochar asan option to meet their goals. Feeding unbiased science into this process is critical to
advance biochar research and development.
From a policy perspective, biochar is certainly a strategy that deserves special attention.
Since it has been overlooked or decades, much work needs to be done in a short period
o time. But biochar alone will not solve climate change or declining productivity o
the worlds soil resources. Conservation o energy, a portolio o renewable energy
options, and sustainable resource management are all part o a broader strategy.
Biochar has helped bring soils and carbon sequestration in agricultural landscapes into
global discussions. In hindsight it may well turn out to be the entry point that brings a
sustainable bioenergy option, an accountable soil carbon sequestration option and a
viable soil conservation option, to the negotiation table o national and international
policy makers.
continued >
Bch: scc Pc
Johannes Lehmann
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
32/112
261 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Reerences
Cheng CH, Lehmann J, Thies JE, Burton S 2008. Stability o black carbon in soils across a
climatic gradient.Journal o Geophysical Research 113, G02027.
Kimetu J, Lehmann J, Ngoze S, Mugendi D, Kinyangi J, Riha S, Verchot L, Recha J, Pell A
2008. Reversibility o soil productivity decline with organic matter o diering quality
along a degradation gradient. Ecosystems 11: 726-739.
Kuzyakov Y, Subbotina I, Chen H, Bogomolova I, Xu X 2009. Black carbon decomposition
and incorporation into soil microbial biomass estimated by 14C labelling. Soil Biology
and Biochemistry41: 210-219.
Lehmann J, Sohi S 2008. Comment on Fire-derived charcoal causes loss o orest
humus. Science 321: 1295.
Lehmann J, Skjemstad JO, Sohi S, Carter J, Barson M, Falloon P, Coleman K, Woodbury
P, Krull E 2008. Australian climate-carbon cycle eedback reduced by soil black carbon.
Nature Geoscience 1: 832835.
Lehmann J, Joseph S 2009. Biochar systems. In: Lehmann J and Joseph S (eds.) Biochar
or Environmental Management: Science and Technology. Earthscan London, 147-168.
Liang B, Lehmann J, Solomon D, Sohi S, Thies JE, Skjemstad JO, Luizo FJ, Engelhard MH,
Neves EG, Wirick S 2008. Stability o biomass-derived black carbon in soils. Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta 72, 6096-6078.
Steiner C, Teixeira WG, Lehmann J, Nehls T, Macedo JLV, Blum WEH, Zech W 2007. Long
term eects o manure, charcoal and mineral ertilisation on crop production and
ertility on a highly weathered Central Amazonian upland soil. Plant and Soil291: 275-
290.
Steiner C, Glaser B, Teixeira WG, Lehmann J, Blum WEH, Zech W 2008. Nitrogen retention
and plant uptake on a highly weathered central Amazonian Ferralsol amended withcompost and charcoal.Journal o Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 171: 893-899.
Wardle DA, Nilsson MC, Zackrisson O 2008. Fire-derived charcoal causes loss o orest
humus. Science 320: 629.
Bch: scc Pc
Johannes Lehmann
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
33/112
271 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Evelyn Krull (1), Annette Cowie (2), Bhupinderpal Singh (2)
1. CSIRO Land and Water, Glen Osmond SA 5064 Australia
2. Forest Science Centre, NSW Department o Primary Industries
PO Box 100, Beecrot NSW 2119 Australia
In order or biochar to be accepted by emissions trading schemes, it is undamental
to demonstrate the stability (turnover time) o biochar in soil. A review o currently
published estimates has placed turnover time o natural and synthesised biochar in therange rom decades to centuries to millennia. The wide range in these assessments has
several causes.
1. The stability o biochar is highly dependent on the type o biomass eedstock used.
2. Dierent pyrolysis conditions (temperature, heating time) will create biochars with
dierent degrees o stability.
3. Many studies compare the stability o biochar with that o charcoal produced by
natural res.
4. Dierent C isotope-based methods (13C, 14C, 13C labelling) could be used to assess
the stability (expressed either as 14C-age, mean residence time, mean turnover time,
hal-lie etc) o biochar.
5. Edaphic and climatic conditions may inuence biochar stability.
With regard to (1): Our data rom incubation experiments ound that biochar produced
rom chicken manure is chemically (based on 13C-NMR data) very dierent to biochar
produced rom wood or green waste, and much less stable.
With regard to (2): Biochars produced at higher temperatures (>450C) have comparably
higher stability than lower temperature biochars.
With regard to (3): The presence, quantity and age o natural char rom wildres,recovered rom soils and even in the geologic rock record, cannot give a quantitative
measure o the stability o synthetic biochars because a) the proportion this remaining
charcoal constitutes o the original total is unknown and b) preservation in the geologic
record requires unusual circumstances (rapid burial and oxygen exclusion) which cannot
be used as an analogue or the biochemical and physical conditions biochars would be
subjected to when added to soil.
With regard to (4): Due to the highly stable nature o biochar, direct estimation
o turnover time o biochar in soil using eld or laboratory incubation studies is
challenging because it decomposes very slowly during commonly-used experimental
periods (ie
Bch: Hw b ? a hw cc w w?
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
34/112
281 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
With regard to (5), dynamics o decomposition will be aected by soil type (clay
type and content), native organic matter content and quality, plant inputs, and soil
temperature and moisture.
While these uncertainties are an important topic or urther scientic studies which will
provide vital data or long term models and understanding long term decomposition
o dierent biochars, it is clear that biochars produced through pyrolysis at 400500 C,
particularly rom woody biomass, are stable over the timescales required or acceptance
in emissions trading schemes (eg, >100 years). Thus, the knowledge to date with regard
to the stability o biochars is adequate or emissions trading purposes but requires
urther studies to conrm long term trends (>100 year time scales) and dierences in
various biochar and soil types.
Bch: Hw b ? a hwcc w w?
Evelyn Krull (1),
Annette Cowie (2),
Bhupinderpal Singh (2)
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
35/112
291 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Bhupinderpal Singh, Annette L Cowie, Kamaljeet Kaur
NSW Department o Primary Industries, PO Box 100, Beecrot NSW 2119 Australia
The rate o turnover (decomposition) o biochar carbon (C) is the major determinant
o its value in long term C sequestration in soil. Biochar produced during heating o
biomass at temperatures >200C under limited oxygen supply (pyrolysis) is considered
highly resistant to biological degradation due to its increased chemical recalcitrance
(aromaticity), compared with the parent eedstock. With some exceptions, C in naturalcharcoal has been shown to possess turnover time o a ew hundred to thousands o
years in soil. However, little research has been undertaken to:
document turnover rate o manuactured biochars applied to soil
measure and account or any priming eect o biochar addition on turnover o
native soil C
elucidate stabilisation mechanisms o biochar C in soil.
In order to precisely determine the magnitude and rate at which biochar C is
decomposed in soil and released as CO2, we have initiated a long term (at least ve
years) incubation experiment using a novel method based on measuring the inherentdierences in 13C isotope content between biochar and soil. Briey, biochar materials
rom a range o C3-vegetation eedstocks (bluegum wood and leaves, paper sludge,
poultry manure on rice hull, and cow manure) produced at dierent temperatures
(400C or 550C) and activation level (activated or non-activated), were applied to
soil (Vertosol) collected rom a C4-pasture (Astrebla spp.) eld. Soil-respired CO
2-C
and microbial-C and their associated 13C values are being measured periodically.
Additionally, detailed chemical characterisation o organic C ractions (separated
physically) is being perormed periodically to gain insights into the causes o biochar C
stability in soil.
Early results show decomposition o biochar C in soil in the rst 83 weeks o incubation
varied rom 0.2% to 8.4% o biochar C applied. These estimates are not yet corrected
or the priming eect o biochar on native soil C, but we expect it to be small because
o the low C content o the soil (0.42% C). Biochar application did not change the initial
(day zero) microbial-C in soil. On day 196, microbial-C in biochar- and non-amended
soils was not signicantly dierent. However, total bacterial and ungal counts on day
196 determined by the viable plate count method were signicantly higher in most o
the biochar-amended soils than in the non-amended soil.
We will present preliminary estimates o mean turnover time o C in dierent biochars,
determined by tting the two-pool kinetic model to the cumulative CO2-C evolvedover two years o incubation. Implications o biochar C turnover on greenhouse gas
mitigation through its application to soil will be discussed. The importance o long term
decomposition observations or obtaining reliable estimates o biochar mean turnover
time will be highlighted.
t bch : P b w b
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
36/112
301 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Tshewang Namgay (1), Balwant Singh (1), Bhupinderpal Singh (2)
1. Faculty o Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, The University o Sydney, NSW 2006
2. Forest Science Centre, NSW DPI, Post Box 100, Beecrot, NSW 2119
Biochar is a product o thermally decomposed waste biomass via pyrolysis. It has
gained attention due to its being biochemically recalcitrant in soils while improving soil
properties. It is seen as an eective tool to mitigate climate change due to its potential
to increase long term soil carbon pools and reduce greenhouse emissions. Biochar
has high porosity and it lowers the bulk density o soils; negatively charged biochar
suraces and their progressive generation during oxidation are expected to improve
cation exchange capacity. Numerous studies have shown that biochar increases crop
productivity, but to our knowledge no research has evaluated the inuence o soil
biochar applications on availability o trace elements to plants.
A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the inuence o biochar on As, Cd,
Cu, Pb and Zn uptake by maize (Zea mays L.). An activated wood biochar, synthesised
at 550C, was applied at three rates (0, 5 and 15 g kg-1) in actorial combination with
three rates (0, 10 and 50 mg kg-1) o As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn to a sandy soil (OrthicTenosol). Polythene-lined pots were lled with air-dried soil (1kg), and ertiliser was
applied to all pots at recommended rates. Six seeds were sown in each pot which were
thinned to three on germination to obtain uniorm plants. Shoots were harvested
ater 10 weeks o growth, and dry matter yield was recorded. The plant samples were
digested in perchloricnitric acid mixture and analysed or trace elements. The uptake
o trace elements was calculated rom the plant dry matter yield and trace element
concentrations. Data on plant dry matter yield, and concentration and uptake o trace
elements as aected by biochar will be presented.
ic bch h b a, C, C, Pb Z z Zea mays L.
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
37/112
311 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Rai S Kookana
CSIRO Land and Water, PMB No. 2, Glen Osmond SA 5064 Australia
Soil amendment with biochar is increasingly being recognised as an attractive
practice. Furthermore, charcoal can be a signicant component o soil organic matter
in many soils rom regions that experience requent res or receive input rom partial
combustion processes. For example, in some Australian soils, up to 40% o the totalorganic carbon has been ound to consist o charcoal. Facilitated by wind and water
movement, terrestrial biochar readily nds its way to marine or reshwater aquatic
ecosystems. Our recent research has shown that charcoal has a strong anity or
pesticides and other organic compounds, depending on their nature and properties.
Even when present as a small raction o the total organic carbon pool, charcoal can
largely govern the sorption-desorption behaviour o pesticides in both terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems. We also noted that certain types o biochar are eective in
sequestration o pesticides and in reducing their bioavailability to organisms.
To evaluate the potential reduction in plant uptake o pesticides rom soil throughcharcoal amendment, we carried out an experiment by growing spring onion (Allium
cepa) in a sandy soil. The charcoal was prepared by burning redgum (Eucalyptus spp)
wood chips at 450C (BC450) and 850C (BC850) and was then incorporated into soil
at varying amounts (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1% by soil weight). Charcoal amendment not only
stimulated the growth o spring onion (indicated by signicantly higher biomass than
the control soil), but also signicantly reduced the bioavailability o the pesticides in soil,
when amendments were >0.5%. The dissipation o both pesticides in soils decreased
signicantly with increasing amounts o biochar in the soil. Over 35 days, 86-88% o
the pesticides were lost rom the control soil, whereas only 51% o carbouran and 44%
o chlorpyrios dissipated rom the soil amended with 1.0% BC850. Despite greaterpersistence o the pesticide residues in biochar-amended soils, the plant uptake o
pesticides decreased markedly with increasing biochar content o the soil. With 1%
o BC850 soil amendment, the total plant residues or chlorpyrios and carbouran
decreased to 10% and 25% o that in the control treatment, respectively. The BC850 char
was particularly eective in reducing phytoavailability o both pesticides rom soil.
The strong anity o biochars to sorb and sequester pesticide molecules, thus rendering
them unavailable to biota, has potential implications or ecacy o pesticides and
herbicides. The application rates o pesticides are sometimes based on the organic
carbon content o soils. Given that biochar is particularly eective in rapid inactivation
o pesticides, it is likely that higher rates o application o pesticides may be needed
in soils amended with biochars. The long term ate and eects o pesticide residues
sequestered in biochar is not clear. This aspect deserves urther investigation in order to
ully appreciate the implications o biochar application to soils.
Bch : ipc pcpc cc
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
38/112
321 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Nikolaus Foidl (1), SD Joseph (2), Paul Munroe (2), Y Lin (2), L Van Zwieten (3),
Steve Kimber (3)
1. Venearth Group
2. School o Material Science and Engineering, University o NSW, NSW 2052 Australia
3. NSW Department o Primary Industries, Wollongbar NSW 2477 Australia
Approximately 20 years ago, an area o some 800,000 ha orest in the lowlands o Bolivia,
160 km outside Santa Cruz, was cleared and converted to crop production. The leaves,
twigs, bark and branches, covered in red earth, were stacked into rows 10 to 12 metres
wide and, ater several month o drying, were ignited.
The short but intensive combustion period resulted in the production o ash, torreed
woody biomass, probably produced at temperatures below 250C, biochar, produced
over a range o temperatures, and baked clayish soil. These products were then
incorporated into the elds to a depth o approximately 20 cm. Over a period o 20
years, a number o dierent crops were planted on these soils (0-tillage). Application
rates, edac and oliar, to areas with added biochar and those with no biochar were the
same.
In 2007-08 a detailed program o sampling and analysis o the soils was undertaken.
Detailed extraction o torreed and carbon biomass rom several areas (500 ha)
indicated concentrations ranging rom 136 t/ha to over 150 t/ha in a prole up to
50 cm deep. Soils with biochar and torreed biomass show signicant increases in
the concentration o Ca, K, Na, Mn and minor improvements in CEC. Yield increases
or maize grown in the soils with biochar were in the order o 250%, in soy 27%, in
sunower 39%, in wheat 37% and in sorghum around 180%.
To try to understand why the application o torreed and carbonised biomass resulted
in improved productivity, detailed chemical and physical analysis o selected samples
was undertaken using a range o spectroscopic, microscopic and chemical analytical
techniques. It will be shown that the oxidation o the biochar suraces and their reaction
with minerals and soil biology resulted in the ormation o organo-mineral complexes
with similar morphology, chemical and agronomic properties to Terra Preta soils. It
will be shown that root hairs rom the plants penetrated these complexes to reduce
energy required to adsorb nutrients and water. It will be hypothesised that the biochar
enhances microbial growth which in turn assists in nutrient uptake.
d 20 bch c B w gc
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
39/112
331 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Ronald J Smernik, Anna V McBeath
Soil and Land Systems, School o Earth and Environmental Sciences,
The University o Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae 5064 SA, Australia
One o the challenges o biochar research is that biochar is not a single material, but
a term that describes a wide range o dierent materials. By way o analogy, the term
biochar is more like the general term ood than the specic description such as a largeBig Mac meal with a Diet Coke instead o a Coke. One pretty much knows what one is
getting with the latter, but the ormer could be chicken soup, ried egg, ham sandwich
or wedding cake, none o which are terribly interchangeable. The same goes or biochar,
and as a consequence it is dicult to draw general conclusions rom specic studies on
biochar, at least not unless you know what type o biochar was used. So how can you tell
i a biochar is (metaphorically) chicken soup, ried egg, ham sandwich or wedding cake?
As it stands, biochars are usually described in terms o the starting material (eg
greenwaste, chicken manure, rice husk etc) and the production conditions (eg ast
pyrolysis at 450C). While it is true that many o the important properties o biochar willvary with these parameters, how does one compare the results or a greenwaste biochar
produced at 450C to those or a chicken manure biochar produced at 550C? To do so
one needs chemical analyses, but which ones?
Elemental analyses are a good starting point: they can tell you how much ash there is
and what it consists o. Elemental analyses also reveal the total nutrient content (but
oten not its availability). Elemental analyses may also reveal something about the
composition o the organic raction (C:N ratio, extent o charring), especially or low-ash
biochars. However, elemental analysis is a pretty blunt instrument or characterising
organic matter.
Decades o research have identied nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR)
as perhaps the sharpest tool or characterising organic matter as diverse as resh plant
material, peat, soil organic matter, coal and kerogen. NMR is very good at dierentiating
biochar (virtually all aromatic) rom other types o organic matter (which contains a range
o dierent C types). However, standard NMR methods are not great at dierentiating
between dierent types o biochar (and neither is any other method I know).
continued >
a p h g bch c
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
40/112
341 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
So what is it about biochar chemistry that we need to identiy? Well, we think a key
parameter is the degree o aromatic condensation or graphiticness. All biochar is mostly
aromatic, consisting o extensive sheets o hexagonal arrays o carbon atoms (a bit like
chicken wire), but as it is heated to higher temperatures, these sheets become bigger and
purer. This changes its physical properties (eg its surace area increases) and we believe it
also makes it more resistant to degradation (which is the key property o biochar).
We have developed an easy method to measure the degree o aromatic condensation
o biochar, and have used it to compare over two dozen biochars and natural eld chars
(rom a recent bushre). The results are interesting and in some cases surprising. Id love
to tell you what we ound, but Ive run out o space, so youll just have to come to nd
out.
a p h g bchc
Ronald J Smernik
Anna V McBeath
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
41/112
351 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
CH Chia (1), SD Joseph (1), P Munroe (1), Y Lin (1), J Hook (2), A Shasha (2),
L van Zwieten (3), S Kimber (3), A Cowie (4), Bhupinderpal Singh (4), J Lehmann (5),
K Hanley (5), P Blackwell (6), E Carter (7), D Manning (8), C Philips, Elisa Lopez Capel
1. School o Material Science and Engineering, University o NSW, NSW 2052
2. NMR Facility, Analytical Centre, UNSW, Sydney 2052
3. NSW Department o Primary Industries, Wollongbar NSW 2477
4. NSW Department o Primary Industries, Sydney NSW 2000
5. Department o Crop and Soil Sciences, College o Agriculture and Lie Sciences,
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 USA
6. Department o Agriculture, Geraldton WA
7. Vibrational Spectroscopy Facility, School o Chemistry, University o Sydney, NSW 2006
8. School o Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Drummond Building,
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
Amazonian Dark Earths (Terra Preta) are unique soils that exhibit outstanding ertility by
promoting and sustaining plant growth, as well as eectively sequestering atmospheric
carbon dioxide. They have high organic carbon content and are rich in the key elements,
N, P, Mg, Zn, and Mn. They have higher water-holding capacity than the surrounding
soil, higher pH, and greater cation exchange capacity (CEC) through which they sustain
higher ertility compared to the intensely weathered, acidic and leached adjacent soils
(Sombroek 1966; Lehmann et al 2001). Examination o Terra Preta soils has revealed that
they are composed o microaggregates ormed by the interaction o organic matter, clay
particles, residual red clay, sand, microorganisms and human input o decomposing/
cooked ood. These microagglomerates comprise areas o high amorphous carbon
surrounded by phases that are high in aluminium, silica, iron, calcium and phosphorus.
Inspired by these extraordinary soils, an exploratory program aimed at producing
materials mimicking the properties o the Terra Preta has now been completed. Thissynthetic Terra Preta (STP) is manuactured by combining biomass, clay, crushed brick,
and high calcium and iron waste products and then heating at low temperatures (220-
240C) in an oxidising environment. This process is known as torreaction.
Detailed chemical, physical and agronomic examination o these STPs shows that they
have microstructure and characteristics similar to the microagglomerates ound in
Terra Preta soils , and parallel properties to biochar produced under cool re conditions.
Possible reasons or the similar structures, based on an understanding o the interaction
o clays and soil biota and minerals, will be outlined. Pot and eld trials o the STPs are
reported in an accompanying paper.
dp hc t P stP:Chc ch g
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
42/112
361 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
William Aitkenhead (1), Jason Hindmarsh (2), Marta Camps-Arbestain (1),
Mike Hedley (1)
1. New Zealand Biochar Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North,
New Zealand
2. Institute o Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North,
New Zealand
Producing chars through the pyrolysis o biomass and incorporation into soils is
proposed as a method or long term sequestration o carbon dioxide into soils
(Swit 2001, Lal 2003, Lehmann et al 2006). The long term goals are the reduction o
atmospheric CO2
concentration and slowing o global warming. Biochar has been
reported to have benecial eects on soil properties, increasing the water holding
capacity in sandy soils (Rasool et al 2008), improving soil structure (Chan et al 2008),
and enhancing the chemical ertility (Lehmann, 2007). Chars are already widely present
in soils due to natural events (eg orest res) (Skjemstad 1999) and anthropogenic
processes (eg Amazonian Terra Preta soils).
Interest in the production o commercial pyrolysis units has been expressed by severalparties in New Zealand. These groups wish to create chars rom a wide range o
eedstocks, rom grasses to sewage sludge. There is an urgent need or inormation
about the characteristics o such chars beore they are added to soil to increase soil
carbon stocks and /or improve the chemical and physical properties o the soil. Studies
have shown that chars vary according the type o eedstock and to slight adjustments
in pyrolysis conditions. Changing the heating rate has been shown to aect the
morphology o the char (DallOra et al 2008). Heating to dierent temperatures
inuences the CEC and ash content o the char, the latter aecting the chars liming
ability. In this study we report the production o chars in a gas-red rotating drum
kiln rom a range o eedstocks (sewage sludge, woods and crop residues) using twodierent pyrolysis heating regimes (nal temperatures 400 and 550C). Each char
was analysed or yield, bulk density, lime equivalence, and elemental composition.
The carbon chemistry o each char was studied using solid state 13C NMR using a
combination o cross polarisation and direct polarisation coupled with magic angle
spinning. Fourier Transorm Inrared (FT-IR) spectra, using an ATR attachment, were
also obtained or each char. The combination o these studies has provided a basis or
relating the desired char properties to the eedstock type operating conditions o the
pyrolysis kiln. Char chemical characteristics will also be used to explain the behaviour o
these chars ater incorporation into soils or agronomic experimentation.
continued >
d chc bch b nwZ c f p p
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
43/112
371 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Reerences
Swit R 2001. Sequestration o carbon by soil. Soil Science 166, 858-871
Lal R 2003. Global potential o soil carbon sequestration to mitigate the greenhouse
eect. Critical Reviews in Plant Science 22, 155-184
Lehmann J, Gaunt J, Rondon M 2006. Biochar sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems
A review. Mitigation and adaption strategies or global change 11, 403-427
Rasool R, Kukal S, Hira G 2008. Soil organic carbon and physical properties as aected
by long term application o FYM and inorganic ertilisers in maizewheat system. Soil &Tillage Research 101, 31-36
Chan K, Van Zweiten L, Meszaros I, Downie A, Joseph S 2008. Using poultry litter
biochars as soil amendments.Australian Journal o Soil Research 46, 437-444
Lehmann J 2007. Bioenergy in the black. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment5,
381-387
Skjemstad JO, Taylor JA, Smernik RJ 1999. Estimation o charcoal (char) in soils.
Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 30, 2283-2298
DallOra M, Jensen P, Jensen A 2008. Suspension combustion o wood: Inuence o
pyrolysis conditions on char yield, morphology, and reactivity. Energy & Fuels 22, 2955-
2962
dchc bch b nw Z
c f pp
William Aitkenhead,
Jason Hindmarsh,
Marta Camps-
Arbestain,
Mike Hedley
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
44/112
381 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Balwant Singh (1), Bhupinderpal Singh (2), Annette L Cowie (2)
1. Faculty o Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, The University o Sydney, NSW 2006
2. Forest Science Centre, NSW Department o Primary Industries, PO Box 100
Beecrot NSW 2119
There is considerable interest in using biochar as a soil amendment to improve soil
ertility and increase carbon sequestration. Biochar can be produced rom various
organic waste materials including orestry residues, crop residues, paper sludge and
poultry waste. The properties o biochar vary signicantly depending on the organic
waste and pyrolysis conditions such as temperature and activation treatment. Standard
soil characterisation procedures can be applied to characterise biochar, but these
procedures need to be optimised or this purpose.
We determined chemical properties o 11 biochars using standard and modied
laboratory procedures. The biochars used in the study were synthesised rom bluegum
wood and leaves, paper sludge, poultry manure on rice hulls, and cow manure, at
dierent temperatures (400C or 550C) and activation level (activated or non-activated).
The biochars were analysed or pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity,exchangeable cations, total C and N, total concentration o major and trace elements,
surace unctional groups, and some other properties.
This study will highlight the dierences in the properties o biochars as aected by
the biomass sources and pyrolysis conditions, as well as the laboratory procedures
employed or the analyses. The results will be used to make suggestions about
appropriate procedures or the characterisation o biochars.
e b pc hchc bch
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
45/112
391 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Binh Thanh Nguyen (1), Johannes Lehmann (1), Stephen Joseph (2),
Bill Hockaday (3)
1. Department o Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
2. University o New South Wales, Sydney NSW, Australia
3. Department o Earth Science, Rice University, Houston TX USA
Global warming accelerates decomposition o soil organic carbon (SOC) with dierent
rates and sensitivity, depending on the quality o the material. However little is known
about the eect o increasing temperature on decomposition o black carbon (BC)
materials with dierent structures and properties. Four BC materials produced by
carbonising corn residue and oak wood at 350 and 600C (corn-350-BC, corn-600-BC,
oak-350-BC and oak-600-BC) were mixed with pure sand and incubated at 4, 10, 20,
30, 45 and 60C or one year to investigate the eect o structure and temperature on
decomposition. Corn-BC was more porous than oak-BC as determined by scanning
electron microscopy (SEM). Increased charring temperature led to better orientation o
graphene layers as observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Decomposition
increased rapidly with increased incubation temperature, and depended signicantly
on the type o BC. As temperature increased rom 4 to 60C, decomposition o corn-350-
BC increased rom 10 to 20% o initial C content, corn-600-BC rom 4 to 20%, oak-350-
BC rom 2.3 to 15%, and oak-600-BC rom 1.5 to 14%. Temperature sensitivity (Q10)
decreased with increasing temperature and was highest in oak-600-BC, ollowed by oak-
350-BC, corn-600-BC and corn-350-BC, indicating that decomposition o more stable
BC was more sensitive to increased temperature than less stable materials. Carbon loss
and potential cation exchange capacity (CECp) correlated signicantly with O/C ratios
and change in O/C ratios, indicating that oxidative processes were the most important
mechanism controlling BC decomposition in this study.
tp bc cb cp x
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
46/112
401 s t a s i a P a C i i CB i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Philippa Ascough (1), Michael Bird (2), William Meredith (3), Colin Snape (3)
1. AMS Laboratory, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride
2. Earth and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Queensland
3. SChEME, University Park, University o Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Although it is evident that a raction o pyrolysed biomass is highly recalcitrant, and
can survive or thousands o years in sediments or the dissolved organic carbon pool
prior to its ultimate burial in the deep ocean, it is also clear that other components do
undergo environmental degradation on comparatively short timescales, apparently
as a unction o both starting material and environmental conditions. Thus there are
undamental concerns about quantiying the stability o material such as biochar in a
range o environments, and understanding the mechanisms by which alteration can
occur in natural environments. Natural charcoal samples exposed to the environment
or varying periods o 50 to 50,000 years show ar greater overall susceptibility to
oxidative degradation than reshly produced charcoal rom both hard and sotwood
species. However, there is a wide range in the behaviour o 13 charcoal samples rom
a range o depositional environments, which appears strongly dependent on relative
proportions o dierent carbon ractions within the materials. A key problem is that o
reliably separating and quantiying these dierent labile and recalcitrant components in
carbonaceous samples, in order to answer the concerns outlined above.
A new approach which holds great promise in this regard is hydropyrolysis (hypy), in
which pyrolysis assisted by high hydrogen pressures (>10 MPa) acilitates reductive
removal o labile organic matter. Hypy has been demonstrated to reliably separate
unctionally dierent carbonaceous sample components or engineering and geological
applications, but its potential in biogeochemical applications remains unexplored. Here,
we present results concerning the potential o hypy to quantiy and isolate dierent
carbon ractions within a variety o sample types, including ancient charcoals romdeposits o geological and archaeological signicance. The results presented show that
it is possible to identiy a set o conditions or hypy analysis under which lignocellulosic
and other easily convertible organic carbon material (eg lipids, proteins) are ully
removed, but degradation o the resistant black carbon (BC) component o the sample
has not yet commenced. Operating conditions or up to 100% conversion to volatile
products and quantication o BC content (c.5000C) are consistent with other hypy
studies or lignocellulosic material. In addition, hypy appears to provide an eective
means o removing trace contamination rom samples or age determination close to
the 14C dating limit and allows retention o the non-BC component o a sample, which
may then be subject to urther analysis and measurement. This suggests that hypy
represents a promising new approach not only or BC quantication as an end in itsel,
but also or 14C dating where puried BC is the target material or dating.
Bc cb chc: ipc g bch bh p
-
8/8/2019 1st Asia Pacific Biochar ConferenceAP BioChar Conference-May09
47/112
411 s t a s i a P a C i i C
B i o C H a r C o n e r e n C e 2 0 0 9
Prakash Srinivasan (1,