By Fran tenBensel Benne
Two University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists, partnering with American Farmland Trust, extension educators and four Nebraska farmers, have established a biochar on-farm research network which is among the first and largest in the United States.
According to ongoing research at Nebraska, applying biochar to agricultural soil is a promising approach to building healthy soils and promoting long-term, input-efficient agroecosystems. Biochar is produced by pyrolyzing or combusting organic waste biomass at high temperatures under low-oxygen conditions.
Guillermo Balboa and Michael Kaiser, researchers in agronomy and horticulture, report that field observations indicate significant, long-lasting positive effects of biochar on soil carbon and water storage, but the impact of biochar on soil nitrogen retention to improve nutrient-use efficiency in row-crop systems is less clear. Scalable field data from different soils under varying water and nitrogen management strategies are missing and critically needed to guide farmers.
Balboa says this is where research data from the Nebraska on-farm research network will be critical for generating new insights.
This on-farm research network is part of the AFT-led Conservation Innovation Grant, “Breaking Down Barriers to Biochar Adoption on Farms from Coast to Coast.” It is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and led by Bianca Moebius-Clune, AFT national director of climate and soil health and the project’s principal investigator.
Source : unl.edu