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Seminars and WorkshopsInnovation of biomass resources use:

biomass to biocharBiological charcoal or “biochar” has been

used since the primitive ages for heating and cooking. Fifty years ago, a Japanese scientist reportedly used it to increase mychorrizae population in soils. In Taiwan, rice husk pyrolysis in low oxygen was commonly used as seedling bed for vegetables with the charcoaled husk washed several times with diluted acid solution. Today, scientists claim that biochar can enhance crop productivity, improve soil’s physical and chemical properties and minimize greenhouse gas emission. This has given rise to an International Biochar Initiative, which has recently launched its website to provide a variety of information on biochar’s production, international standards and testing guidelines.

FFTC, in partnership with the Soils and Fertilizers Institute (SFRI) in Hanoi, Vietnam organized this workshop with the aim of collecting relevant information and technologies on the application of biochar to soils in relation to fertility, soil quality and soil safety and its comparison to its results as soil amendment. Another objective of the workshop is to prioritize biochar research work in Asia.

The workshop paved way for stimulating discussions on the benefits of using biochar to increase the levels of soil micronutirents, its positive effects on short-duration crops and its role in the long-term soil carbon sequestration. Speakers and participants from different parts of Asia shared their experiences in biochar technologies which triggered suggestions for further studies on the topic.

Major findings and recommendations:• Conduct more studies on soil

characteristics, soil fertility in relation to agricultural sustainability in Asian countries and identify good indicators of biochar application into the soil system. This includes soil carbon content, soil color, structure and their composition. There should also be a study on the optimum application rates of biochar to rice;

• Collect more technical application to produce better quality of biochar in Asian countries, especially on how to collect the crop residues from field to home to produce the biochar;

Dr. Tran Duc Toan (seated 5th from L), Deputy Director General of the Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute is in between FFTC Dir. Yu-Tsai Huang (4th from L) and Dr. Zueng-Sang Chen, FFTC consultant (4th from R) during the

opening ceremonies of the International Workshop on “Innovation of Biomass Resources Use: Biomass to Biochar,” in Hanoi, Vietnam

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• Validate experiments in the field especially on the positive effects of biochar on low fertility or acidic soils as well as its negative effects on the high fertility of calcareous soils; and

• Strategize how to popularize and disseminate technical researchers on biochar to the small-scale farmers.

Innovation of biomass resources use: biomass to biochar

Held in Hanoi, Vietnam, 2-6 September 2013

No. of participating countries: 7 (Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam)

No. of papers presented: 15No. of participants: 16 speakers and 30

local observersCo-organizer: Soils and Fertilizers Research

Institute, Hanoi, Vietnam

List of papersKeynote paper

Enhancement of C3 and C4 plants productivity in soils amended with biochar and polyacrylamide- Sang Soo Lee

Resource papers1. Production and characterization of

biochar from various biomass materials by by slow pyrolysis - Yongwoon Lee

2. Characteristics of biochar from different biomass sources in Vietnam - Nguyen Van Hien

3. Effects of biochar on C mineralization kinetics in swine manure compost amended soils - Chen-Chi Tsai

4. Converting leguminous green manure into biochar: changes in chemical composition and C and N mineralization - Chih-Hsin Cheng

5. Design of bamboo and corn cob biochar production process and its application as soil productivity enhancer - Stanley Malab

Dr. Changkook Ryu, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea delivered a presentation on “Production and Characterization of Biochar from various Biomass Materials by slow Pyrolysis”

FFTC Director Yu-Tsai Huang delivers the opening remarks in the biochar workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam.

FFTC’s Technical Consultant for soils, Dr. Zueng-Sang Chen, heads the open forum discussion part of the biochar workshop.

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6. Evaluation of manure and rice husk biochar soil amendments for peanut production on sandy soils in Central coastal Vietnam - Hoang Minh Tam

7. The use of biochar derived from sugarcane industry waste for increasing productivity of degraded land - Wani Hadi

8. The role of biochar in integrated farming systems - Thomas Preston

9. Rice, Basela alba L. and Ipomea Aquatic Forssk yields with biochar addition to acid lowland soil and upland soil in mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam - Nguyen Cong Vinh

10. Influence of biochar pyrolyzed from rice husk and straw on soil fertility and rice yield on degraded soil in Soc Son district and potential muse of biochar in Vietnam - Mai Van Trinh

11. Effect of organic amendment to dynamics of organic carbon in loamy sand soil and rice yield in first trial - Lan Anh Mai

12. CO2 mitigation and rural development through farmland carbon storage by biochar and environmentally friendly vegetables “cool vege” - Akira Shibata

13. Biochar and compostization: maximiza- tion of carbon sequestration with miti- gating GHG emission in farmland - Yoshizaw Shuji

14. Reduction of carbon release for growing Chinese mustard and Chinese kale by adding biochar into soil - Thavivongse Sriburi

For further information, contact Dr. Zueng-Sang Chen, FFTC Technical Consultant

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