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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(7)

Characterisation and evaluation of biochars for their application as a soil amendment

Balwant Singh A D , Bhupinder Pal Singh B and Annette L. Cowie C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

B Forest Science Centre, Industry and Investment NSW, PO Box 100, Beecroft, NSW 2119, Australia.

C National Centre for Rural Greenhouse Gas Research, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: balwant.singh@sydney.edu.au

Australian Journal of Soil Research 48(7) 516-525 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR10058
Submitted: 10 March 2010  Accepted: 24 May 2010   Published: 28 September 2010

Abstract

Biochar properties can be significantly influenced by feedstock source and pyrolysis conditions; this warrants detailed characterisation of biochars for their application to improve soil fertility and sequester carbon. We characterised 11 biochars, made from 5 feedstocks [Eucalyptus saligna wood (at 400°C and 550°C both with and without steam activation); E. saligna leaves (at 400°C and 550°C with activation); papermill sludge (at 550°C with activation); poultry litter and cow manure (each at 400°C without activation and at 550°C with activation)] using standard or modified soil chemical procedures. Biochar pH values varied from near neutral to highly alkaline. In general, wood biochars had higher total C, lower ash content, lower total N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Al, Na, and Cu contents, and lower potential cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable cations than the manure-based biochars, and the leaf biochars were generally in-between. Papermill sludge biochar had the highest total and exchangeable Ca, CaCO3 equivalence, total Cu, and potential CEC, and the lowest total and exchangeable K. Water-soluble salts were higher in the manure-based biochars, followed by leaf, papermill sludge, and wood biochars. Total As, Cd, Pb, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the biochars were either very low or below detection limits. In general, increase in pyrolysis temperature increased the ash content, pH, and surface basicity and decreased surface acidity. The activation treatment had a little effect on most of the biochar properties. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of whewellite in E. saligna biochars produced at 400°C, and the whewellite was converted to calcite in biochars formed at 550°C. Papermill sludge biochar contained the largest amount of calcite. Water-soluble salts and calcite interfered with surface charge measurements and should be removed before the surface charge measurements of biochar. The biochars used in the study ranged from C-rich to nutrient-rich to lime-rich soil amendment, and these properties could be optimised through feedstock formulation and pyrolysis temperature for tailored soil application.

Additional keywords: carbon sequestration, soil fertility, pyrolysis, Boehm titrations, heavy metals, surface acidity.


Acknowledgements

We thank Tshewang Namgay, Irshad Bibi, Nabeel Niazi, Kamaljeet Kaur, Cheryl Poon, and Blake Hatton for their assistance in the laboratory analyses, and Peter Geelan-Small for his advice on statistical analysis.


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