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Combined application of biochar and microbial inoculant for deteriorated soils
Project number: HU09-0029-A1-2013
Project period: 2014.07.01. - 2016.04.30.
Beneficiary Name:
BioFil Microbiological, Biotechnological and Biochemical Ltd.
Budapesti University of Technology and Economics
Centre of Agricultural Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research
Total amount of the grant: 193.665.999 HUF
Opening workshop in Budapest: Terra Preta Opening Workshop Invitation.pdf
Training Workshop in Norway: Terra Preta Training Workshop Invitation.pdf
The aim of the project:
Technology and product development applying biochar to degraded soils.
Development tasks:
Development of technologies applying the biochar-based products. The stages of technology implementation are: selection of the suitable biochars based on an inventory and on preliminary experiments; adaptation of the results to the field experiments in small plots (20–100 m2) and demonstration of the developed innovative technology in large field plots (400 m2). Verification of the applied technologies and inclusively of the new products, based on the results of the integrated monitoring elaborated specifically for technology demonstration. Industrial property rights protection and marketing of the verified products and technologies.
Justification of the targeted developments:
Utilisation of wastes/by-products as feedstock to biochar production increases the feasibility of the pyrolisis technology. Pyrolisis may gain unrivalled environmental, economic and social advantages against other energy production technologies, if in addition to energy production, the benefits from the application of the by-product, the biochar as carrier of soil inoculum and as soil amendment may be realised too. The environmental and socio-economic benefits from pyrolysis and its by-product utilisation may by far over-compensate the disadvantages that appear at present when compared with other, routinely practiced energy producing technologies.
The sandy soils in Hungary are considered to be soil types requiring amendment. These soils are continuously deteriorating therefore their long term amendment is hard to be anticipated. Application of biochar to these soils might be a real alternative to improve the texture and normalise the nutrient and water retention capacity of the deteriorated acidic sandy soils on the long term. In Hungary 1.4 million hectars land is endangered by erosion, due to decreased organic matter and nutrient content, deteriorated soil structure and acidification. 12% of Hungary’s territory is covered by acid sandy soil needing amendment and sustaining the soil quality on the long term.
We not only have as an example the historical “terra preta”, good quality, fertile artificial soil in the Amazonas area, but also the scientific research of the modern times which both have confirmed the efficiency of biochar application to soil.
The planned development covers the complete innovation chain starting from the idea of innovation, the development of products and implementation technologies through the first field demonstration to verification and market entry of the product.
Targeted results:
Demonstration of the innovative utilisation of biochar, the by-product of pyrolisis and substantiation (verification) of the feasibility of the developed products (carrier and soil amendment) and technologies (soil amending and crop yield increasing technologies).
Selection of the biochar types suitable for sandy soils and development of the technology applying biochar to soil. Know-how development.
Demonstration of the use of biochars in environmental technologies, verification of the technologies, dissemination of the verified products and technologies, marketing, industrial property protection of the product & technology.
