1.3. Project Goal
The goal of this project was to examine the potential use of biochar as a soil amendment in a typical corn field in Illinois as part of a larger goal of promoting sustainable agricultural practice. To achieve this goal, three tasks were undertaken in the project:
Biochar production and characterization: This study focused on the production and characterization of biochar from a variety of waste biomass under different pyrolysis condition.
Removal of ammonium and phosphate (NH4+ and PO43-) nutrients by biochar: The sorption kinetics and mechanisms of NH4+ and PO43- removal by biochar were investigated.
Field trial on the efficacy of biochar as a soil amendment: Effects of the use of biochar on crop yields and soil quality were explored through a demonstration experiment conducted in a typical agricultural field in Illinois. Also, the field trial attempted to investigate if the use of biochar as a soil amendment could reduce chemical fertilizer use while at the same time maintaining or increasing crop yields.