Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity

Joseph, Stephen; Pow, Doug; Dawson, Kathy; Mitchell, David R. G.; Rawal, Aditya; Hook, James M.; Taherymoosavi, Sarasadat; Zwieten, Lukas Van; Rust, J.; Donne, Scott W.; Munroe, Paul; Pace, Ben; Graber, Ellen R.; Thomas, Torsten; Nielsen, Shaun; Ye, Jun; Lin, Yuping; Pan, Genxing; Li, Lianqing; Solaiman, Zakaria M.

doi:10.1016/s1002-0160(15)30047-3

Cited by 77 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Moreover, recent developments in activation procedures allow a better control over the pore structure and surface property, which have widened the use of biochar to more demanding applications including catalyst precursor, energy storage, gas storage, and contaminant adsorbents [26,27]. Biochar from pyrolysis of biomass was also used as a supplement of the animal feed [28]. These high-value applications are still in their infancy, and further research and development are needed to reach commercialization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Enhanced by Various Chemicals as a Means of Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

et al. 2018

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Abstract:Because of the increase in concentrated animal feeding operations, there is a growing interest in sustainable manure management. In this study, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of dairy manure enhanced by various chemicals (NH 3 ·H 2 O, H 3 PO 4 , and glycerol) was proposed as a sustainable alternative for the dairy manure management. The applications of NH 3 ·H 2 O and H 3 PO 4 during HTL could significantly enhance the production of liquid chemicals. The addition of NH 3 ·H 2 O or glycerol increased the amounts of non-polar toluene, xylene, and other benzene-contained compounds, while the use of H 3 PO 4 produced high amounts of acids, pyridine, 3-methyl-pyridine, 2,6-dimethyl-pyrazine, 2-cyclopenten-1-ones, and phenols. The biochars produced via HTL showed a significant increase in the surface area/pore volume and relatively higher N, P, C, and other minerals, and may serve as a good soil amendment and nutrient source. The preliminary energy analyses showed that the energy consumption of this process might be reduced to 50% of the original energy content of the feedstock, and the energy payback period was about 3.5 years. Combining all advantages, HTL of dairy manure might increase the sustainability of the farming operation via producing energy products, fine chemicals, and biochars.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Enhanced by Various Chemicals as a Means of Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

et al. 2018

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“…Biochar has been shown to improve microbial fermentation and lower methane production from ruminants (Leng, Inthapanya, & Preston, 2012a;Leng, Preston, & Inthapanya, 2012), which are an important source of agricultural GHGs. In addition, overall farm productivity can be improved as a result of reduced inputs of chemical fertilizers, as biochar can adsorb nutrients from the guts of cattle which are then excreted out as soil fertilizer (Joseph et al, 2015).…”

Section: Production Conditions Similaritymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 2010, biochar has increasingly been used as a feed additive in animal husbandry (O'Toole et al, 2016). As shown in Table 1, biochar used as a feed supplement is commonly made from biomass such as rice husks (Leng et al, 2012;Phongpanith, Inthapanya, & Preston, 2013), woody green waste (Prasai et al, 2016), pine wood chips (Saleem et al, 2018) and jarrah wood (Joseph et al, 2015).…”

Section: Raw Materials Used For Production Of Biocharmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These deviations enable biochar to be added into the feeds as a supplement for feeding different animals. For instance, Jarrah wood biochar shared similar organic molecules as those found in wood vinegar, which was proven to be enhancing the growth of cow in the perspective weight gain and the taste of beef (Joseph et al, 2015;Kook & Kim, 2003). Moreover, the pH level of Jarrah wood biochar is close to the saliva of cows and thus may have the a buffering function (Joseph et al, 2015).…”

Section: Biochar Derived From Different Feedstocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of biochar as feed supplements for animal farming

Man

Chow

Man

et al. 2020

Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology

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The production and application of biochar has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years. Biochar has similar characteristics to charcoal and activated charcoal: they are all pyrogenic carbonaceous matter derived from organic carbon-rich materials and produced by pyrolysis. Studies related to the incorporation of biochar in animal feed are limited. This review summarizes major studies related to the use of biochar as a feed additive for ruminants (cattle and goats), pigs, poultry (chickens and ducks) and fish. Documented positive responses to biochar supplementation include improved growth performance, blood profiles, egg yield, ability to resist pathogens including gut pathogenic bacteria and a reduction of methane production by ruminant animals. In addition, the high sorption capacity of biochar efficiently aids the removal of pollutants and toxins from animals' bodies as well as from farm environments. It is expected that there will be increasing use of biochar in animal farming. The potential use of biochar in the medical and human health sectors should also be explored.

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“…When the fed biochar is excreted again with the animal feces, it reduces odors and nutrient losses from the manure, both in fresh form, as well as during its composting. Eventually, when the biochar containing manure or compost is applied to soil, biochar serves as a slow-release fertilizer [52]. Also, biochar is used in biodegradable packaging materials to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables, eventually improving soil quality after co-composting the packaging boxes [50].…”

Section: Biocharmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activated Carbon, Biochar and Charcoal: Linkages and Synergies across Pyrogenic Carbon’s ABCs

Hagemann

Spokas

Schmidt³

et al. 2018

Water

242

100

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Biochar and activated carbon, both carbonaceous pyrogenic materials, are important products for environmental technology and intensively studied for a multitude of purposes. A strict distinction between these materials is not always possible, and also a generally accepted terminology is lacking. However, research on both materials is increasingly overlapping: sorption and remediation are the domain of activated carbon, which nowadays is also addressed by studies on biochar. Thus, awareness of both fields of research and knowledge about the distinction of biochar and activated carbon is necessary for designing novel research on pyrogenic carbonaceous materials. Here, we describe the dividing ranges and common grounds of biochar, activated carbon and other pyrogenic carbonaceous materials such as charcoal based on their history, definition and production technologies. This review also summarizes thermochemical conversions and non-thermal pre-and post-treatments that are used to produce biochar and activated carbon. Our overview shows that biochar research should take advantage of the numerous techniques of activation and modification to tailor biochars for their intended applications.

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Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity

Cited by 77 publications

References 28 publications

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Enhanced by Various Chemicals as a Means of Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Enhanced by Various Chemicals as a Means of Sustainable Dairy Manure Treatment

Use of biochar as feed supplements for animal farming

Activated Carbon, Biochar and Charcoal: Linkages and Synergies across Pyrogenic Carbon’s ABCs

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