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Despite building interest among scientists and policy-makers over the potential benefits of biochar, little is known about the physical act of applying biochar to soil at scale in an agricultural setting. The addition of biochar to soils as an agricultural practice will fail to gain traction unless viable application methods are developed.
The Biochar Application Network was formed to foster the development of biochar application methods that are technically, economically, and environmentally viable at scale. Through applied research, industry partnerships, and targeted outreach, biochar specific application methods will be developed, verified, and brought to market.
The Biochar Application Network was formed to foster the development of biochar application methods that are technically, economically, and environmentally viable at scale. Through applied research, industry partnerships, and targeted outreach, biochar specific application methods will be developed, verified, and brought to market.
Some of questions that will be addressed include:
- What is the carbon impact of the biochar application process? The turnover of soils is energy and carbon intensive, how do these processes impact the carbon negativity of biochar?
- What are the human and environmental health concerns present with biochar application and how might they be mitigated?
- How well do various biochars migrate through the soil profile? How long does this migration take? Can biochar be applied to the soil surface, on in a vertical trench, and still be effective, or must it be evenly integrated into the soil profile?
- How does the location of biochar within the soil profile relate to the rate of carbon oxidation in biochar? How might this impact carbon credits?
- What cropping systems are most likely to receive biochar application? Perennial range, pasture, and grasslands will likely require different biochar application equipment than industrially managed agricultural lands growing corn or soybeans.
- What are the costs of application? Do farmers already own equipment suitable to apply biochar in an effective manner, or is entirely new equipment required?
- Is biochar best applied at one time at full saturation rate, or added gradually at intervals?
- How do different application methods impact the overall agronomic performance of applied biochar?
- What is the carbon impact of the biochar application process? The turnover of soils is energy and carbon intensive, how do these processes impact the carbon negativity of biochar?
- What are the human and environmental health concerns present with biochar application and how might they be mitigated?
- How well do various biochars migrate through the soil profile? How long does this migration take? Can biochar be applied to the soil surface, on in a vertical trench, and still be effective, or must it be evenly integrated into the soil profile?
- How does the location of biochar within the soil profile relate to the rate of carbon oxidation in biochar? How might this impact carbon credits?
- What cropping systems are most likely to receive biochar application? Perennial range, pasture, and grasslands will likely require different biochar application equipment than industrially managed agricultural lands growing corn or soybeans.
- What are the costs of application? Do farmers already own equipment suitable to apply biochar in an effective manner, or is entirely new equipment required?
- Is biochar best applied at one time at full saturation rate, or added gradually at intervals?
- How do different application methods impact the overall agronomic performance of applied biochar?
