Biochar application to soils

The use of pyrogenic matter for agricultural purposes (so called Biochar) is a rising research topic in the scientific community. We are particularly interested in two aspects of biochar agricultural techniques:

• Biochar as a potential tool to increase C sequestration. This is the particular focus of the CSI project
• Biochar as a soil amendement. We are particularly interested in linking the biochar characteristics to it effects in different soils.

We are collaborating with many laboratories in Switzerland and abroad. We are particularly working with the Delinat Institute and the potential application of biochar technique in organic farming. Samuel Abiven is also chairing the Science Biochar Network Switzerland (20 different public and private institutions related to biochar research).

Students projects related to the Swiss Biochar project

• Barbara Pichler - Master - Biochar effects on vineyard soils in Valais  (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Cecilia Moraes – A-Level – Effect of biochar on maize and clover germination (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Andrew Crane-Droesch – Master – A toolkit to estimate biochar effects on soil fertility (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Charlotte Huber – Bachelor – Characterization of black carbon using infra-red spectroscopy (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Marisa Brauchli – Bachelor – A rapid method to determine charcoal sorption properties (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Cécile Wanner - Bachelor - Production and characterisation of chars from different feedstocks and temperatures (Supervision Samuel Abiven)
• Mirjam Studer - Bachelor– Use of Diffuse Infra-Red Fournier Transformed Spectrometry to characterize char - (Supervision Samuel Abiven)