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Dipartimento dei Sistemi Agro-Ambientali V.LE DELLE SCIENZE EDIFICIO 4, 90128 PALERMO - ITALY

Biochar: tecnologia eco-compatibile per la produttività dei suoli

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25/10/2011


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AMAZONIAN DARK EARTH SOILS (TERRA PRETA)

Recognised hypothesis

Agricultural activity of ancient populations;

Deposition of plant residues;

Deposition of ashes and coal produced from use of fires;

All those factors contribute to the formation of dark soils in Amazonia basin. These soils result very fertile due to the large amounts of C, P, Ca, Mg, Zn and Mn.


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Available research and trials mainly show that biochar amendments result in appreciable improvements of soil fertility:

1. soil cation exchange capacity is increased.

2. soil microbial functions are enhanced; the porous structure of biochar forms a safe haven for microbes that make nutrients available to crops.

3. nutrient retention capacity of soils is improved thus preventing leaching and erosion; this allows farmers to reduce organic and inorganic fertilizers.

4. water retention capacity of soils is improved; the porous structure of biochar holds water and prevents the moisture from evaporating.

5. biochar variously affects soil pH depending on inorganic and organic soil constituents.


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Eight key questions:


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A B C

D E Chicken manure char T=600°C; Charring time: 2h A=500 mm B=400 mm C=100 mm D= 50 mm E= 10 mm


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Chemical shift (ppm)

-50 0 50 100 150 200 250

Conifer char

126

Marc char

Poplar char SSB SSB

T=1200°C


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Surface water-biochar interactions

Protons belonging to different chemical or physical domains are relevant to FFC-NMR.


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Biochar produced from gasification of 1. Poplar residues 2. Residues from coniferous trees 3. Marc residues


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A. marc char, B. poplar char and C. conifer char


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Samples a (s-1) b (x 106 s-2) <t> (x 10-6 s-1)

Marc char 5.1±0.5 32±3 0.35±0.03

Poplar char 5.4±0.5 7.6±0.8 1.4±0.1

Conifer char 3.2±0.3 8.1±0.8 0.95±0.08

]

218.0

12.0[

1

12

1

12

1

N

n

n

N

n nL

nn

N

n

n

N

n nL

nn

c

c

c

c

Rt

t

t

t

ba

n n

n nn

c

c tt


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Experimental design Seeds on wet cotton Seeds on a soil Seeds on biochar Seeds on a mixture Biochar/soil (1:5)

Radish seeds


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Radish plants after 5 days


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Soil

Cot

ton

fiber

s

Mar

c

Pop

lar

Con

ifer

Soil+

mar

c

Soil+

Pop

lar

Soil+

Con

ifer

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

root le

ngth

(cm

)


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Biochar can be applied for environmental remediation due to its chelating properties

Biochar can be applied for

environmental remediation due to its

chelating properties.

These properties are affected by the

nature of the parent material Two chars:

1. Chicken manure char

2. Fir waste char

Charring temperature: 500 C

Charring time: 30 min

Adsorbing metal: Cu

Adsorbing time: ½ and 4 h


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0 2 4 6 8 10 12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Abete 0.5 h

Abete 4 h

Sigmoidal model

Cu

ad

so

rbe

d (

mg

/g)

Cu solution (mg/mL)


Le isoterme con curva di tipo-S mostrano, inizialmente, un modesto assorbimento con l’incremento della concentrazione in soluzione dell’elettrolita. Ciò significa che l’affinità per la soluzione è, a concentrazioni relativamente basse, superiore a quella per le particelle solide del suolo. In alcuni casi ciò è stato spiegato con la presenza in soluzione di composti organici naturali che legano in complessi (non assorbibili) l’elettrolita, competendo fortemente con il solido. Aumentando le concentrazioni dell’elettrolita in soluzione vengono saturate le capacità di complessazione degli eventuali composti organici presenti ed aumenta fortemente la quantità di elettrolita che viene assorbito sulla superficie delle particelle solide.


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0 2 4 6 8 10

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

pollina 0.5 h

pollina 4 h

Sigmoidal modelC

u a

dso

rbe

d (

mg

/g)

Cu solution (mg/mL)



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About 50% of N is in urea; around 10% of N is in ammomium salts

Chicken manure:


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(mainlib) Pyridine, 2-ethyl-4,6-dimethyl-

40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 1500

50

100

41 5165

77

91

107

117

134

N

(mainlib) Dibenzo[b,e]7,8-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 1800

50

100

41 50 63

76 89

98 109 126 139152

162

178

NH

HN

(mainlib) Pyridine, 3,4-dimethyl-

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 2200

50

100

4151 65

79

92

107

N

(mainlib) Pyridine, 2-ethyl-6-methyl-

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 2200

50

100

4151

6577

93

106

120

N

(mainlib) Pyridine, 2-ethyl-4,6-dimethyl-

40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 1500

50

100

41 5165

77

91

107

117

134

N

(mainlib) Dibenzo[b,e]7,8-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octa-2,5-diene

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 1800

50

100

41 50 63

76 89

98 109 126 139152

162

178

NH

HN

(mainlib) Pyridine, 3,4-dimethyl-

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 2200

50

100

4151 65

79

92

107

N

(mainlib) Pyridine, 2-ethyl-6-methyl-

40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 2200

50

100

4151

6577

93

106

120

N

(mainlib) 2H-Benzo[f]oxireno[2,3-E]benzofuran-8(9H)-one, 9-[[[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amino]methyl]octahydro-2,5a-dimethyl-

40 70 100 130 160 190 220 250 2800

50

100

41

58

81109

126 149 166 185 203 219 248 278

O

N

O

O

NH


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CONCLUSIONS

Use of biochar clearly enhances soil quality (i.e. soil fertility)

Still a lot must be investigated to understand role of biochar in soils (e.g. effect of biochar on the inorganic and organic soil components)

A multidisciplinary approach is essential for the evaluation of char characteristics and its interactions with soils

As an example, combined use of spectroscopy and chromatography with mass spectrometry allows identification of biochar molecular components which are released into soils and may have toxic consequences

Among others, FFC NMR appears as a very suitable technique to study dynamics characteristics of biochar

Forschungszentrum Jülich

Dr. Anne E. Berns

Dr. Peter Burauel

Universität Koblenz-Landau

Prof. Gabriele E. Schaumann

Brno University of Technology

Dr. Jiry Kučerik,

Dr. Alena Prusova

Instituto de Recursos Naturales

y Agrobiología

Prof. Heike Knicker

Advanced Gasification

Technology

Dr. Alessandro Pozzi

Fondazione Minoprio

Dr. Massimo Valagussa

ENEA - Casaccia

Dr. Carlo Alberto Campiotti

Collaborazioni:

G. Alonzo P. Conte A. Micalizzi C. De Pasquale G. Butera G. Cimò V. Marsala G. Fontana S. Saladino

GRAZIE PER L’ATTENZIONE Biochar: tecnologia eco-compatibile per la produttività dei suoli

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