• • •

Fertile soils and long-term determination of carbon using Biochar

Vegetable coal was determined to be a main component of the centuries-old, fertile soils of the Amazon. Coal has a very high microporosity and corresponding surface area and thus constitutes an excellent storage medium for minerals and water. It has a carbon content of up to 95% and, depending upon how it is manufactured, is decomposed only slowly. Coal thus binds carbon on a long-term basis.

Biochar

Coal suitable for agricultural purposes is produced under very specific conditions and must not contain any toxic substances. To distinguish it from ordinary coal, we therefore refer to it as „vegetable coal“ or „biochar.“

Biochar is obtained from vegetable matter subjected to heat under low-oxygen conditions. Char is also a byproduct of wood gasification. The goal of the Wood-Up Project (European Fund for Regional Development, 2014–2020) was to determine the extent to which biochar might be suitable for use in fruit growing and viticulture.

Methods

The following variants were established in two vineyards:

Cont.: the untreated control;
Comp.: 3.9 kg of compost per m2;
BC1: Biochar 2.5 kg/m2;
BC2: Biochar 5 kg/m2;
BC1 Comp.: BC1 with compost;
BC2 Comp.: BC2 with compost.

In the commercial vineyard, the proper amounts of additives were calculated per m2 of standing room; in the new vineyard, they were calculated per running meter of row of vines; the additives were then applied and worked into the soil. The experimental vineyards were not irrigated and received only minimal fertilizer. In a new apple orchard, besides an untreated control area, one variant with 1.8 kg of pure compost and a further variant with the same quantity of compost and 1 kg of biochar was established. These additives were applied into the tree pit and slightly mixed with the soil there. The apple parcel was cared for, regularly fertilized, and irrigated as customary in the area. Soil, leaf and fruit analyses, growth and yield measurements, wine production, and wine quality evaluations were carried out.

Findings In all variants with biochar, a remarkable enhancement of the soils with minerals, a pronounced rise in pH values, an increase in cation exchange capacity (Fig. 1), and a rise in carbon concentration were observed. In all test vineyards,...

Findings

In all variants with biochar, a remarkable enhancement of the soils with minerals, a pronounced rise in pH values, an increase in cation exchange capacity (Fig. 1), and a rise in carbon concentration were observed. In all test vineyards, the concentrations of mineralized nitrogen remained at an unchanged low level compared to the control. No changes in vegetative development or yield were observed. The musts and wines likewise showed no differences. On the other hand, in the new apple orchard, in the second and third year, a significantly higher formation of shoots in the biochar variant (Fig. 2) and higher yields (Fig. 3) were determined.

Outlook Biochar promotes growth and yield when it is applied together with nitrogen. In this case, the effect is usually much greater than when using the same quantity of nitrogen without biochar. To utilize biochar in a sustainable fashion,...

Outlook

Biochar promotes growth and yield when it is applied together with nitrogen. In this case, the effect is usually much greater than when using the same quantity of nitrogen without biochar. To utilize biochar in a sustainable fashion, corresponding production facilities should be developed regionally.

More information on the ERDF project Wood-up

Back to overview

To the next report