Biochar Eurosoils

8/12/2019 Biochar Eurosoils

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Objectives Perennial cropping systems (oil palm, cacao, coffee)

Biochar derivatives (aged, biochar mineral complex)

Long term study (3 years)

soil changes

biochar characteristics plant physiological responses (growth, yield, and

induced resistance to disease and pests)

Look at all aspects of the study including production

and application of biochar, soil/plant research, lifecycle analysis


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48,000 ha of oil palm (100,000 ha coffee,

40,000 ha banana, 27,000 ha pineapple,50,000 ha sugar cane) in Costa Rica

Increasing pressure to plant more oil palm

(Elaeis guineensisJacq.) due to an increased

demand (biofuel, food prices)

Costa Rica is one of the most efficient

countries to produce oil (4.4 MT/ha)

Private corporations (46%), Cooperatives (28%,OSACOOP), Individuals (26%)


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Highly weathered acidic soils

Established on degraded agricultural lands Lowlands that had been rice paddies, abandoned

banana plantations, pastures

Upland pasturelands or scrublands


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Area of Study

San Juan de Sierpe

Puerto Escondido


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Establishment of 2 oil palm plantations in San Juan

de Sierpe (SJS) and Puerto Escondido (PE) in

August/September 2009

Very different soils,

SJS: acidic but high in organic matter

PE: high Ca, Mg, P, low clay contents

Inceptisol in PE and Ultisol in SJS

Site Texture pH Acidity Ca Mg K P Cu Zn Mn Fe N OC OM

%

Sand

%

Silt

%

ClayH2O Cmol(+)/l mg/l %

San Juan 41.5 21.9 36.65.1

60.31 3.26 1.53 0.30 1.4 10.4 1.1 95.2 99 0.32 3.48 6.00

Puerto

Escondido57.6 25.9 16.5

6.2

00.18 20.79 8.68 0.25 4.2 9.9 0.7 5.3 61 0.17 1.76 3.03


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Available Biomass

Residue

Over 12,000 ha of melina(Gmelina arborea) and teak

(Tectona grandis) plantations

Reforestation projects from the1990s are being harvested

Depending upon the lumber

mill, generation of 40-60%biomass in the form of bark,

shavings, sawdust, and small

pieces of timber.


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Biochar Production

Melina biocharproduced at 500 C in

Foidl Kiln

Biochar crushed to

obtain a size smaller

than 2 x 2 cm.

Biochar not uniform

in size, some very

small particles and

other larger chunks.


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Treatments Used

Puerto Escondido (PE)

Control (C)

Chemical Fertilizer (NPK:10-30-10) (F)

Biochar + Urea (BC)

Biochar activated with Phosphoric Acid andCalcium Carbonate + Urea (BCP)

Urea (U)

San Juan de Sierpe (SJS) Biochar Mineral Complex + Urea (BMC)


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Biochar Mineral Complex

3-parts biochar (treated with phosphoric acid toactivate C-functional groups)

3-parts manure/organic waste (chicken litter andoil-palm rachis)

3-parts clay (both blue and red clays were used) 1-part plant nutrient minerals (rock phosphate,

calcium carbonate)

Boiling water in sufficient quantities to permit

mixing/blending Blend continuously for one hour at 80 C, then

increased and held temperature at 220 C forseveral more hours while blending


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**An additional 6 kg/plant of biochar (20 t/ha) was added to the BC, BCP, and

BMC plants in September 2011 at a 1-meter radius around the plant.

Treatment 4 plants per treatment

at a spacing of 8 x 8 m

F: 10-30-10 (NPK) 50 Kg 10-30-10 /ha (300 g/plant) = 5 Kg

N/ha, 15 Kg P2O5/ha, 5 Kg K2O/ha

U: Urea 65 g/plant (5 Kg N/ha)

BCP: Biochar +

Phosphoric acid andcalcium carbonate

1.5 kg/plant (20 t/ha)

BC: Biochar 1.6 kg/plant (20 t/ha)

BMC: Biochar

Mineral Complex

1.5 kg/plant

C: Control No additions of biochar or chemical

fertilizer


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x x x x x x x x x x x x x




x x x x x x x x x x x x








x = palm trees

Orange = control (C)

Green = NPK (10-30-10) (F)

Yellow = Urea (U)

Blue = Biochar + Phosphoric Acid (BCP)

White = Biochar (BC)

Planted on 29 August 2009

LiveFence

African Palm Oil Plantation: 8 years old

Puerto Escondido Farm

Random Block Design

Rice

Paddy

Rice Paddy


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Oil Palm Measurements

Tree height (cm)

Tree diameter(cm)

Number of newleaves

Leaf area index

Number offlowers

Number of fruitbunches

Fruit bunchweight (kg)


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Oil Palm Tree Height: Puerto Escondido

A A A A AA A A A A

AA A A A

0

50

100

150

200

250300

350

400

U BC BCP C F

cm

2009

2010

2011

- No statistical differences between treatments (p=0.4817)


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Altura plantas de palma: San Juan de Sierpe

C F BMC U BCP BC

2009 165.53 185.13 186.99 195.28 203.4 203.48

2010 247.81 266.45 267.24 275.7 283.09 296.23

2011 341.17 348.84 352.58 382.58 384.73 405.39

AAB AB B B B

AAB B B

BC C

A A ABBC BC

C

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

cm

- From the onset, two biochar and urea treatments were different from control

- Chemical fertilizer was never different from control. (p


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Oil Palm Tree Diameter: Puerto Escondido

A ABAB AB B

AAB AB B

B

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

C BC F U BCP

cm 2009

2010

- Biochar with P treatment different from control in first year (p


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D1 05


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Leaf Area

Index

BCP C U F BC

Series1 0.87 0.91 0.93 0.97 1.03

A

ABBC

CD

D

0.75

0.8

0.85

0.9

0.95

1

1.05

San Juan de Sierpe

BCP C U BC F

Series1 0.93 0.97 0.98 0.99 1.09

AA A A

B

0.85

0.9

0.95

1

1.05

1.1

1.15

Puerto Escondido

- F in PE significantly different than

others (p< 0.0001)

- BC different than U, C, and BCP in

SJS (p< 0.0001)


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Number of Flowers in San Juan de Sierpe

C U F BC BCP BMC

Series1 4.33 5.92 7.92 12.08 15.83 21.67

AA

A

AB

AB

B

0

5

10

15

20

25

- Biochar mineral complex (BMC) significantly different than the control, urea

and chemical fertilizer treatments (p


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Number of Fruit Bunches in San Juan de Sierpe

C U BCP F BC BMC

Series1 2.58 4.42 4.67 6.17 9.25 11.58

A

AB AB

ABC

BC

C

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

- BMC is again significantly different than the control, urea and now BCP

treatments (p


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Oil Palm Fruit Weight in San Juan de Sierpe

- No statistical differences due to low numbers of trees with fruit bunches (p


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Soil Data for Puerto Escondido and

San Juan de Sierpe in May 2012


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Conclusions

Site variation played a key role in the impact of biochar

on growth measurements. Growth measurements correlated well with yield

measurements, biochar alone had larger trees and alarger yield in SJS.

Results cannot be explained merely by soil fertilitymeasurements.

Long term studies are necessary to understand theresponses of perennial cropping systems to biocharadditions.

A combination of physical, chemical and biologicalfactors impact agroecosystems when biochar isapplied, there is a need for interdisciplinary research.


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Muchas gracias!

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Biochar Eurosoils