First field study focusing on agroforestry and biochar in semi-arid regions: biochar increased soil C, K and water

 

Field location

We studied the effects of tree (Acacia seyal Del.) intercropping and 10 t/ha biochar addition on soil properties and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) yields in a two-year field experiment in South Sudan.

 We found that two acacia treatments had lowered soil pH, N and had higher C/N ratios when compared to sole sorghum treatments. While biochar had significantly increased soil carbon, exchangeable K+ contents,field capacity and available water content had reduced soil exchangeable Ca2+ and effective CEC, and no effect was observed on soil pH. Acacia treatments had significantly reduced sorghum grain yields whereas, biochar treatments did not demonstrate significance effects on sorghum yields. The land equivalent ratio for sorghum yield was 0.3 for both acacia systems in 2011, with or without biochar, but increased in 2012 to 0.6 for the scattered acacia system when combined with biochar.


The lead researcher of the project, Mr. Biar Deng from the AgriChar group of University of Helsinki, continues to explore the effects of biochar in semi-arid conditions and is currently working on a greenhouse study on the same topic. Stay tuned!


Read more from :


Deng, B., Tammeorg, P., Luukkanen, O., Helenius, J., Starr, M. (2017). Effects of Acacia seyal and biochar on soil properties and sorghum yield in agroforestry systems in South Sudan. Agroforest Syst (91):137–148. DOI 10.1007/s10457-016-9914-2.

The 2017 field season has started for biochar experiments

AgriChar research group has been working especially hard the past month to get started this years field experiments.

This year we are involved in seven (!) field experiments! Starting from the two long-term experiments in Viikki (one has just entered into its eight growing season!) to several new experiments in Finland and Estonia. One especially intriguing case study in Estonia focuses on the environmentally best practice for recycling nutrients from eutrophicated waterbodies.

Our people are involved also in HYKERRYS project that includes four new field experiments in Southern Finland and there also other soil amendment materials than biochar are being tested. The peas in the long-term Viikki experiments looked happy on 9th of June (see below). Let's see, if the promising trends first time noticed in the seventh growing season, where peas seemed to benefit from biochar more than other crops, will get stronger!

The growing season 2017 has started!

Welcome to the biochar session in 22nd International Conference on Environmental Indicators, 1-5 August 2017 in Helsinki, Finland!

Dear biochar friends,

It is my pleasure to invite you to participate the  22nd International Conference on Environmental Indicators, 1-5 August 2017 in Helsinki, Finland!


Check out the intriguing conference programme and submit you abstract to one of the various special sessions by May 15!


Looking forward to see you there!


Kind regards,
Priit

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MICROBIOME AND HEALTH: INDICATIONS OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD-CHAIN BE A PRESENTER Participants interested in presenting a poster or oral presentation at ICEI 2017 are invited to submit their abstracts online. We look forward to receiving your crucial research that will contribute to the first-class scientific program and be published in the ISEI Journal: Journal of Environmental Indicators. A GLOBAL PROGRAM Working in collaboration with the Local Organizing Committee, the International Scientific Advisory Committee will ensure a truly global approach to the discussions of significant new developments, overall views and scientific advancements. SPECIAL SYMPOSIUM One of the special program sessions is the Sustainable Agriculture Symposium which will be held at the Helsinki University Viikki campus. The symposium will include topics such as biofortified agriculture and a discussion on the topic "Food Crisis is Soil Crisis".

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