National Soil Tilth Laboratory
Submitted by Tom Miles on Sun, 2008-04-13 23:22.
The Charcoal Vision: A Win–Win–Win Scenario for Simultaneously Producing Bioenergy, Permanently Sequestering Carbon, while Improving Soil and Water Quality
David Laird, USDAi, ARS, National Soil Tilth Laboratoryi, April 12,2008
In, Agronomy Journal • Volume 100, Issue 1 • 2008
ABSTRACT
Processing biomass through a distributed network of fast pyrolyzers may be a sustainable platform for producing energy from biomass. Fast pyrolyzers thermally transform biomass into bio-oil, syngas, and charcoal. The syngas could provide the energy needs of the pyrolyzer. Bio-oil is an energy raw material (∼17 MJ kg−1) that can be burned to generate heat or shipped to a refinery for processing into transportation fuels. Charcoal could also be used to generate energy; however, application of the charcoal co-product to soils may be key to sustainability. Application of charcoal to soils is hypothesized to increase bio-available water, build soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, lower bulk density, act as a liming agent, and reduce leaching of pesticides and nutrients to surface and ground water. Th e half-life of C in soil charcoal is in excess of 1000 yr. Hence, soil-applied charcoal will make both a lasting contribution to soil quality and C in the charcoal will be removed from the atmosphere and sequestered for millennia. Assuming the United States can annually produce 1.1 × 109 Mg of biomass from harvestable forest and crop lands, national implementation of Th e Charcoal Vision would generate enough bio-oil to displace 1.91 billion barrels
of fossil fuel oil per year or about 25% of the current U.S. annual oil consumption. Th e combined C credit for fossil fuel displacement and permanent sequestration, 363 Tg per year, is 10% of the average annual U.S. emissions of CO2–C.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Wed, 2008-01-02 04:48.
Bioenergy Activities at Ames, IA
Research Project: Ecologically-Based Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Conservation (3625-12000-012-00D) (D.L. Karlen, LS)
Objective: To develop innovative, ecologically-based crop and soil nutrient management practices for enhanced productivity and negligible off-site agricultural impacts.
Hypotheses:
1. Long-term average crop yield from chisel-plowed Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soils will decrease significantly by removing crop residues for biofuels production.
2. With no-tillage, at least 2 t/ac of the surface crop residue can be harvested from Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soils for biofuels production without significantly decreasing long-term average yield.
3. With intensive crop management (i.e. increased plant population, fertilizer rates, and narrow row spacing) more than 2 t/ac of biomass can be harvested from Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soils for biofuels production without significantly decreasing long-term average no-till yield.
4. With cover crops more than 2 t/ac of biomass can be harvested from Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soils for biofuels production without significantly decreasing long-term average no-till yield.
5. Applying charcoal (biochar) will significantly increase the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) rating for Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soils where crop residues are harvested for biofuels production.
Research Project: Biogeochemical processes influencing formation and stabilization of soil organic matter and soil structure (3625-11120-011-00D) (D.L. Laird, LS, David.Laird@ars.usda.gov)
Objective: Determine the role of clay minerals and charcoal in the formation and stabilization of soil organic matter and soil structure
Hypotheses:
1. Charcoal additions to soil will have a positive impact on crop productivity in a Midwestern corn-soybean cropping system.
2. Charcoal additions to soils will stimulate formation of clay-humic complexes and the formation and stabilization of new biogenic soil organic matter.
3. Charcoal additions to soils will reduce nitrogen and pesticide leaching by increased adsorption.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Wed, 2008-01-02 03:53.
Knowing when plants capture phosphorus
Luis Pons, USDAi Agricultural Research, Jan, 2003
ARS research into how and when plants use the phosphorus in manure may aid farmers as they try to stem nutrient runoff into waterways.
"A future challenge," says soil scientist Thomas J. Sauer, "will be not only to avoid over-application of phosphorus to soil, but also to ensure that in doing so a farmer does not make the land phosphorus deficient."
Sauer and soil scientist John L. Kovar focus on phosphorus as they study nutrient management of animal manure at ARS' National Soil Tilth Laboratoryi in Ames, Iowa.
This research is part of Water and Quality Management, an ARS National Program (#201) described on the World Wide Web at http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov.
Thomas J. Sauer and John L. Kovar are with the USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory, 2150 Pammel Drive, Ames, IA 50011-4420; phone (515)294-3416 [Sauer], (515)294-3419 [Kovar], fax (515) 294-8125, e-mail sauer@nstl.gov.kovar@nstl.gov.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Sun, 2007-12-02 18:20.
True Value of Carbon in Agricultural Soils
Hatfield, J.L. 2007. True Value of Carbon in Agricultural Soils [CD-ROM]. South Dakota No Till Association Annual Conference.
Technical Abstract:
Carbon (CO2) in the soil plays a critical role in the development of a stable soil aggregate and contributes to the formation of soil particles that are resistant to the destructive forces from wind and water. The dynamics of carbon in the soil are complex because the amount of carbon is affected by the cycling of CO2 from the atmosphere into carbohydrates and ultimately into plant components of leaves, grain, stalks, and roots. Over the course of a year the constant exchange of CO2 between the soil and atmosphere is dependent upon the dynamics of the cropping system. There is a linkage between the CO2 uptake and water vapor release by the crop through the transpiration process. Carbon that is extracted from the atmosphere and incorporated into plant components is released through respiration. Crop growth is dependent upon the soil water availability during the growing season and in the Midwest there is a direct correlation between available water during the grain-filling period and grain yield. Crop residue on the surface mediates the water vapor and energy exchanges between the soil and atmosphere and provides an immediate impact on crop water use rates through a reduction in soil water evaporation. In the longer term, the increase in soil organic matter content leads to an increase in soil water availability and increases the aggregate stability that allows for more effective gas and water exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. The value of carbon in the soil has a positive effect on plant growth and yield through the effect on water availability, short¿term water stress, and more effective gas exchange that benefits the root and biological systems in the soil volume.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Sun, 2007-12-02 18:10.
The Charcoal Vision: Producing Bioenergy while Simultaneously Enhancing Soil and Water Quality and Permanently Sequestering Carbon
David Laird, Science Magazine, August 30, 2007
Interpretive Summary: The US is rapidly pursuing development of a cellulosic ethanol industry. This strategy is of concern to agricultural scientists, farmers, and conservationists because harvesting biomass crops will have an adverse impact on soil and water quality. This report describes the Charcoal Vision, which is a scenario for processing biomass by pyrolysis to generate bio-oil and charcoal. The bio-oil could be used to offset fossil fuel oil and the charcoal could be returned to the soil from which the biomass was harvested. Returning the charcoal co-product of pyrolysis to the soil is anticipated to build soil quality, increase agricultural productivity, and improve water quality. National deployment of the Charcoal Vision could generate enough bio-oil to meet 25% of the current US consumption of fossil fuel oil. The scenario would simultaneously reduce net US emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by about 10%. This report will help policy makers develop strategies that simultenously benefit energy security, global change, environmental quality, and rural economies.
Technical Abstract: Processing biomass through a distributed network of fast pyrolyzers has many advantages relative to the cellulosic ethanol platform. Fast pyrolyzers thermally transform biomass into bio-oil, syngas, and charcoal. The syngas can be used to provide the energy needs of the pyrolyzer. Bio-oil is an energy raw material (17.0 MJ/kg) that can be burned to generate heat or electricity or shipped to a refinery for processing into transportation fuels. Charcoal should be returning the charcoal to the soils from which the biomass was harvested. Application of charcoal to soils is hypothesized to do several positive things for soils, including; supply nutrients, increase bioavailable water, build soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, lower the bulk density, and act as a liming agent. Application of charcoal to soils is also anticipated to reduce the leaching of pesticides and nutrients to surface and ground water. The half-life of carbon (C) in soil charcoal is in excess of 1,000 years. This means that soil-applied charcoal will make both a lasting contribution to soil quality and the C in the charcoal will be removed from the atmosphere and sequestered in the soil for millennia. Assuming the U.S. can annually produce 1.1x10^9 Mg of biomass from harvestable forest and crop lands, then, national implementation of the Charcoal Vision would generate enough bio-oil to displace 1.91 billion barrels of fossil fuel oil per year or about 25% of the current U.S. annual oil consumption and thus offset 234 Tg of fossil fuel C emissions to the atmosphere per year. Furthermore, assuming that fixed C in the char is not biologically degraded, application of char to soils would sequester 139 Tg of C per year. The combined C credit for fossil fuel displacement and permanent sequestration, 373 Tg per year, is 10% of the average annual U.S. emissions of CO2-C.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Sun, 2007-12-02 17:28.
Research Project: Biogeochemical Processes Influencing Formation and Stabilization of Soil Organic Matter and Soil Structure
National Soil Tilth Laboratoryi, USDAi Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA
Location: Soil and Water Quality Research
Project Number: 3625-11120-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated
Start Date: Apr 25, 2006
End Date: Apr 24, 2011
Objective:
1)Develop a mechanistic understanding of processes controlling the formation and stabilization of organic matter in soils that enhance stabilization of soil structure. a) Determine the relative contributions of biochemical compounds to aggregation and C sequestration. b) Determine the role of clay minerals and charcoal in the formation and stabilization of soil organic matter and soil structure. c) Determine the nature of reactions between smectites and pesticides. d) Determine the effects of anaerobic soil conditions on biochemical processes that influence soil nutrient cycling. e) Develop integrative methods for fractionating SOM into meaningful pools. 2) Develop tools for in situ assessment of soil organic carbon and soil structure. a) Develop a multi-function probe (electrical and thermal properties) to evaluate soil structure. b) Develop and evaluate a field mobile NIRS tool for sensing soil carbon and various soil properties.
Approach:
Field plot and column leaching studies will be used to quantify the impact of adding charcoal to soils on nutrient cycling, soil productivity, C sequestration, pesticide leaching, and on the formation and stabilization of clay-humic complexes. Interactions between selected pesticides and reference clays will be investigated to elucidate bonding mechanisms between organic molecules and clay surfaces. Seasonal patterns for cycling of phenolic and organic nitrogen compounds will be compared for routinely flooded and non-flooded soils. Anticipated products will include more accurate predictions of how crop and soil management effect nutrient cycling and soil organic matter stabilization. We will develop and test electrical and thermal soil probes to characterize soil structure. A regional non-linear multivariate calibration model for a recently developed on-the-go in situ near infrared diffuse reflectance soil probe will be evaluated to determine if the system can accurately map the spatial distribution of numerous soil properties (organic C, total N, CECi, moisture, buffer pH, and extractable nutrients) at the field scale.
Submitted by Tom Miles on Sun, 2007-12-02 05:19.
Dynamotive in Iowa Biochar Test to Boost Corn Yields, Water Quality and Sequester Carbon
Business Wire, May 29, 2007
Joint Research Project to Use Ancient Amazonian Farmland Soil Enrichment Techniques
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Dynamotive USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (OTCBB:DYMTF), a leader in biomass-to-biofuel technology, announced it is taking part in a project to test biochar, a co-product of the company's BioOil([R]) biofuel, as a soil enhancer to increase fertility and corn crop yields.
The project is led by Heartland BioEnergy LLC, based in Webster City, Iowa. Heartland proposes to build a biorefinery in central Iowa that would include a BioOil([R]) and biochar plant developed in partnership with Dynamotive and several agriculture equipment companies.
Heartland works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Soil Tilth Laboratoryi, Iowa State University and Iowa Soybean Association in studies coordinated by the Prairie Rivers of Iowa RC&D, an organization that addresses regional environmental issues and economic development opportunities.
From Dynamotive SEC Form 6 K Filing May 30, 2007:
ARLINGTON, Virginia, May 29, 2007 -- Dynamotive USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (OTCBB:DYMTF), a leader in biomass-to-biofuel technology, announced it is taking part in a project to test biochar, a co-product of the company's BioOil(R) biofuel, as a soil enhancer to increase fertility and corn crop
yields.
The project, initially involving 14 tons of Dynamotive-produced biochar, is centered in Iowa's Corni Belt, and aims to replicate ancient Amazonian Indian soil fertilization practices. The soils created then are now
known as "terra preta", which means black soil, and are considered among the most fertile in the world.
Dynamotive's BioOil(R) biofuel is produced using carbon-neutral fast pyrolysis. However, the use of its biochar co-product as an agricultural soil enhancer means the company's production processes would be carbon
negative - resulting in a net reduction of carbon by "sequestering" it in the soil.
The project is led by Heartland BioEnergy LLC, based in Webster City, Iowa. Heartland proposes to build a biorefinery in central Iowa that would include a BioOil(R) and biochar plant developed in
partnership with Dynamotive and several agriculture equipment companies. Heartland works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Soil Tilth Laboratory, Iowa State University and Iowa Soybean Association in studies coordinated by the Prairie Rivers of Iowa RC&D, an organization that addresses regional
environmental issues and economic development opportunities. "Not only has Dynamotive's biochar the potential to raise high-yield rates of corn another 20%, but we believe there is a real possibility the char trial could also result in evidence that could point the way to dramatic improvements in water quality,
which could have far-reaching beneficial consequences,"said Dr. Lon Crosby, of Heartland BioEnergy.
Dr. Desmond Radlein, Dynamotive's chief scientist behind the company's proprietary fast-pyrolysis technology, added: "Because the biochar does not readily break down, it could sequester, apparently for thousands of years, nearly all the carbon it contains, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Crucially, we expect it to boost agricultural productivity significantly through its ability to retain nutrients and moisture and host beneficial soil micro-organisms." President of Dynamotive USA, Andrew Kingston, said: "By enhancing
productivity of the land and crop yields, sequestering carbon by putting it back into the soil, and producing alongside ethanol and biodiesel our BioOil(R) that displaces hydrocarbon fuel use in industrial applications, we aim to show, with our partners, a virtuous circle of land, crop, fuel and environment management. The Amazonian Indians created the most fertile soils in the world, and today we may be able to benefit from adopting their land management methods."
Dr. Crosby said the field trials will involve three strips of corn crop land 800 feet long and 30 feet wide. One strip will have no char applied, but the second one will have 2.5 tons of char applied per acre, and the third one will have 5 tons. Further tests will follow.
For several decades, scientists have recognized that the most productive soils in Europe have a char base, classifying these lands as "black carbon" based. The role of char was poorly understood and believed to be an indirect effect, resulting from the routine burning of crop residues from naturally productive
soils over centuries. Recent research from South America has shown that the application of char to low productivity soils can turn them into highly productive soils.
Dr. Crosby continued: "Subsequent research has shown that the char, per se, is playing an active role in changing bulk density, modifying soil structure, regulating water storage ability and loosely binding soil nutrients so they are retained and released for plant growth. Outside of the black carbon soils of Europe and the terra preta soils of South America, biochar is a minor soil constituent. However, when scientists have looked, they have found it, suggesting that char was, at one point, an important soil constituent in many soils. It has been found at low levels
in native prairie soils in the U.S. and Canada. This suggests that char application can significantly enhance soil
productivity."
Heartland BioEnergy's proposed biorefinery is expected to serve as the prototype for a series of biorefineries strategically located across the Corn Belt that would use up to 17% of the 10 million dry tons of annually available cornstalk biomass within a 50-mile radius. Cornstalks represent the single largest source of annually renewable energy in the U.S., and Iowa will produce over 40 million tons of cornstalks harvestable on an annual and
sustainable basis.
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