Long Term Experiment Platform : proposition for a global site network and experience coordination for the study of agronomical and environmental effects of biochar
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per le Scienze Ambientali (CIRSA), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
After a long debate spanning 20 years, biochar has emerged as a promising land management technique for addressing climate change and improving soil fertility. Biochar is an effective long-term carbon store due to its resistance to decomposition compared to fresh organic matter or compost, and it has the potential to stabilize soil organic matter when added to the soil.
However, there is a lack of long-term data and knowledge about Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stocks due to a lack of historical databases. Studies have shown that few experiments have lasted over 3 and focused on estimating SOC increase from biochar application. Additionally, few of these studies have measured biochar decay rate.
In line with the lack of a consistent number of historical databases we developed the LTEP-BIOCHAR (https://site.unibo.it/environmental-management-research-group/en/activities/long-term-platform): a specific platform for experimenting with biochar application to soil with the agronomic and environmental purposes such as carbon sequestration, soil erosion, and soil biodiversity in real conditions and over a significant timeframe. The LTEP-BIOCHAR is community-driven resource dedicated to biochar and includes around 22 long-term experiments from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The platform aims to list active field experiments, identify methodological gaps in current experiments, suggest new hypotheses, establish a minimum standard of analysis, create a network of expert researchers, support the design of coordinated experiments, and promote the platform at a wider international level.
Next steps in research will include collaboration with experts in the domain of pyrogenic carbon from vegetation fires and finding agreement among practitioners on the mean residence time of C-biochar and related measurements (e.g. isotopic signature, loss of ignition, near-infrared spectroscopy).
How to cite: Marazza, D., Pesce, S., Balugani, E., Buscaroli, A., and Greggio, N.: Long Term Experiment Platform : proposition for a global site network and experience coordination for the study of agronomical and environmental effects of biochar, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17470, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17470, 2023.
