NGI and partners aim at investigating the potential of biochar produced from organic waste to sequester carbon and improve soil quality and therefore livelihoods. Through this work a very relevant win-win can be obtained; mitigation of climate change and simultaneously improving soil fertility.
NGI currently has biochar initiatives in Zambia, Indonesia/Malaysia, Nepal, Tanzania and Brazil, coupled to laboratory work in Norway. The Zambia initiative is financed by Norad and the Zambian Conservation Farming Unit, partly supported by a personal grant from the Norwegian Research Council. The Indonesia/Malaysia and Nepal projects are financed by the Norwegian Research Council. The Tanzania initiative is financed by the Nordic Climate Fund (NCF) and led by Norges Vel. The Brazil Project is financed by support provided by Norad.
Background
Biochar is charcoal from incomplete combustion of organic waste. When mixed into soil, biochar is stable, and thus its carbon is removed from the carbon cycle.
This mitigates climate change and transfers a waste product into a valuable resource. In addition energy is generated within the combustion process. The offset for climate is substantial; If all rice husk in, for example, Indonesia was converted to biochar and mixed into the soil, it would compensate the whole of Norwegian climate gas emissions. (around 50 million ton CO2 per year).
Due to its alkaline reaction, biochar also increases soil quality by reducing soil acidity. Especially in sandy soils, biochar can increase the water-holding capacity to alleviate water stress of plants. In addition, biochar can also reduce nutrient leaching, pesticide run off and organic pollutant bioavailability. All of these in combination can increase seed germination, plant growth and crop yield.

Norway and abroad
Biochar in soil: Mechanisms of Carbon sequestration, Soil quality improvement and Contaminant remediation 2012-2016 NRC Fri-Pro program ("excellent" proposal in EU-ERC Ideas program).
The core aim of the proposed research is to elucidate the mechanisms of biochar's potential to simultaneously sequester carbon, improve soil quality and chemically remediate polluted soils in diverse environments.
Unconventional, multidisciplinary approaches are proposed to unravel the mechanisms of biochar effects on soil quality: systematic lab and field studies on soil acidity, nutrient availability, GHG emissions, (de)nitrification, microbial populations, plant growth, biodiversity and pollutant availability will be undertaken.
Elements will include leaching tests, passive sampler sorption experiments, gas sorption experiments, and molecular modelling. A combination of environmental, soil, biogeochemical and climate science is envisioned.
A PhD candidate , Alfred Obia, has recently started his research at the University of Life Sciences (UMB) on the collaborative NGI/UMB biochar projects. The topic of his research will be the effect of biochar on soil physics (water repellency, soil aggregation) as well as mechanism of biochar effect on greenhouse gas emissions (nitrous oxide and methane).

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