Impact of Biochar on Specialty Cropsbiochar.illinois.edu/docs/Spokas_2012_11_16_IBG.pdf · IMPACT OF BIOCHAR ON SPECIALTY CROPS 1 ... activation alters plant responses for eggplant

IMPACT OF BIOCHAR ON SPECIALTY CROPS

1 - USDA-ARS St. Paul, MN

2 - University of Minnesota Dept. of Soil,

Water, and Climate

BIOCHAR FOR SPECIALTY CROPS

History

Biochar use in specialty crops production does

date back to the start of modern science and

earlier


History

1. Charcoal for food preservation -

Rideal (1903) - Produce (apples, pears, and

lemons) can be kept well for long periods

packed in charcoal powder

Falck (1865) – Improves “ice chests” by

including charcoal filled walls


History

2. Charcoal used for disease

prevention & non-target

chemical protection

• Skinner (1908) –

• Peas and lettuce in the presence of

charcoal

• Largest increases were in poor quality

silty clay loam soils (70%)

• Direct mixing of charcoal in soil did

not result in significant increases

•Hitz et al. (1953)

• Used activated charcoal for

strawberry seedling protection from

herbicides


History

3. Actions of charcoal linked to sorptive properties

• Turner (1955)

• Positive impacts linked to sorption of plant “putrids”

• Weatherhead et al. (1978)

• Plant chemical inhibitors (auxin and cytokinin) sorbed by charcoal

• Marimon et al. (2012)

• Biochar activation alters plant responses for eggplant

• HNO3 activated + cattle manure Best yield + growth

• H2SO4 activated increased root density (below ground)

• Past studies have shown that charcoal can

interact with nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia


History

3. Charcoal has been used as fertilizers (manures)

“The best manures for onions are said to be sea weed

and charcoal dust.” Fressendeen (1834) – American Farmer Journal

• Increasing soil temperature

Earlier crop germination/emergence

• Charcoal mixed with manures

Improved fertilization action

• Reducing plant pathogens

Particularly for potatoes

-“one handful of charcoal with each seed”

Patents in 1854 for Antiseptic fertilizer

= Charcoal + hydrocarbons


History

Robinson (1853) Guano: A Treatise of

Practical Information for Farmers


Research Data

1. Germination and Seedling Growth

Greenhouse and Field Plots

12 biochars x 12 specialty crops x 6 soils

2. Bioaccumulation of PAH Compounds from

Biochar Amended Soils


Research Data


• Observed spectrum of behaviors – increases, decreases, and no effects

• Most interesting – Subsequent tests in same soil

Control BC Control BC

1st cropping 3rd cropping


Research Data


> Also impacted by biochar “weathering”

Spinach in 5% biochar (fast pyrolysis mac nut) in potting soil mix


Research Data

• Micronutrients… Occasional reduction in availability following biochar additions

However, variable response observed – no clear trends

Waukegan Silt Loam +2% Macadamia nut shell fast pyrolysis biochar (500 oC)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

pH Cu S Zn Mn Fe Cu B

ppm

or

pH

Control

Biochar

Present in biochar


Research Data

• CEC

•Variable response observed

•Both in initial mixing and post-growth sequences

• Majority increases – But there are some decreases observed

Waukegan Silt Loam +Hardwood slow pyrolysis biochar (550 oC)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Soil Biochar Soil +

Biochar

CE

C (

meq

/100g

)


PAH Uptake

2. Some specialty crops

grown in biochar

amended soils bio-

accumulate PAH

compounds

•Levels are variable as a

function of soil type

and biochar

0

10

20

30

40

Soil

Compound

1-M

eth

ylnapth

ale

ne

2-M

eth

ylnapth

ele

ne

Benzo(a

)anth

racene

Benzo(a

)pyr

ene

Benzo(b

)flu

ora

nth

rene

Flu

ora

nth

ene

Napth

ale

ne

Phenanth

rene

Pyr

ene

Benzo(k

)flu

ora

nth

rene

Chyr

sene

PA

H C

on

ce

ntr

atio

n (

g k

g-1

)

0

10

20

30

40

Soil+Biochar

Radish grown in Morris, MN soil (Barnes loam soil)

Radish grown inBiochar amended Morris soil (10% w/w)


PAH Uptake

Lettuce Uptake –

Comparison of

greenhouse vs.

field plots

(1 % w/w slow

pyrolysis softwood

biochar)

2-m

eth

yln

apth

ale

ne

1-m

eth

yln

apth

ale

ne

acenaphth

yle

ne

acenaopth

ale

ne

anth

racene

Benz(a

)anth

racene

Benzo(a

) pyre

ne

Benzo(b

) fluora

nth

ene

Benzo(g

,h,i)p

ery

lene

Benzo(k

)flu

ora

nth

ene

Chry

sene

Dib

enz(a

,h)a

nth

racene

Flu

ranth

rene

Flu

ore

ne

Indeno(1

,2,3

-cd)p

yre

ne

Napth

ale

ne

Phenanth

rene

Pyre

ne

0

50

100

150

200

Field Data

Greenhouse

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

g k

g-1

)

BC

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Tota

l P

AH

Concentr

ation (

g g

-1)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Sum of total PAH range from 0.01 to 83 µg g-1

Tra

dit

ional

Kiln

/So

il M

ound

Slo

w P

yro

lysis

Fast

Pyro

lysis

Unknow

n

Mic

row

ave A

ssis

ted P

yro

lysis

ppm


PAH Uptake

Additional research is needed in relation to:

• Variable bio-availability ?

• Weathering effects ?

• Human risk levels/factors ?

• Wood ash has been observed to be a slow

release source of PAH compounds – but the

duration of this effect is unknown


History

“On stiff clay soils it (charcoal) will produce an increase

of vegetation, but not sufficient to pay the expense of the

manure.” Maryland State Agricultural Society (1822) p. 410


History

“On stiff clay soils it (charcoal) will produce an increase

of vegetation, but not sufficient to pay the expense of the

manure.” Maryland State Agricultural Society (1822) p. 410

The Cultivator (1849): “Improvement of the Soil”

“…using charcoal as a fertilizer depends on circumstances.”

“…cost in many situations is probably too great to admit its

profitable use as an ordinary manure (soil amendment).”

•Differences observed in the response to specialty crops

>> Function of both biochar and soil

•Results to date agree with literature on plants grown in PAH contaminated soils

> No direct correlation between soil and plant concentrations

Conclusions

•MN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Funding through MN Specialty Crop Block Grant

Acknowledgements

•MN Master Gardeners

• Growing various combination of soil x biochar combinations

•Penn State University

• Comparison of different black carbon

• Examining impact of activation

•Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College

• Community garden bed research

Acknowledgements Dynamotive Energy Systems

Best Energies

Sylva Corp.

Northern Tilth

Avello Bioenergy

Acala Partners, LLC

Minnesota Biomass Exchange

NC Farm Center for Innovation and Sustainability

National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI)

Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) [Univ. of Illinois]

Biochar Brokers

Chip Energy

AECOM

ICM, Inc.

Technical Support : Martin duSaire

Graduate Students: Eric Nooker and Ed Colosky

Undergraduate Student Workers:

Tia Phan, Lindsey Watson, Lianne Endo, Amanda Bidwell, Kia Yang, Michael Ottman, and Vang Yang

Summer High School Interns: Tara Phan, Abby Anderson, and Rena Weiss

Documents

Impact of Biochar on Specialty Cropsbiochar.illinois.edu/docs/Spokas_2012_11_16_IBG.pdf · IMPACT OF BIOCHAR ON SPECIALTY CROPS 1 ... activation alters plant responses for eggplant