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S. Castillo., A. Soria., C. Ping., G. Michaelson., M. Leigh University of Alaska Fairbanks

Google images 2011. Biochar Application to Subarctic Soils: Effect of biochar on microbial activity after freeze-thaw cycles and plant response at different application rates. S. Castillo., A. Soria., C. Ping., G. Michaelson., M. Leigh University of Alaska Fairbanks. Introduction.

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S. Castillo., A. Soria., C. Ping., G. Michaelson., M. Leigh University of Alaska Fairbanks

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  1. Google images 2011 Biochar Application to Subarctic Soils: Effect of biochar on microbial activity after freeze-thaw cycles and plant response at different application rates. S. Castillo., A. Soria., C. Ping., G. Michaelson., M. Leigh University of Alaska Fairbanks

  2. Introduction • High latitude soils are weakly developed and are a challenge to producers (1) • Alaska has some has harsh climatic conditions that affect agriculture (2) • The demand for locally grown produce is gradually increasing . • Abundance of black spruce as feedstock.

  3. Research questions • What are the differences among black spruce biochar created at different residence times? • What is the influence on microbial activity of soils amended with different biochar types and amounts before and after freeze-thaw? • What is the effect of black spruce biochar on plant yield and nutrient retention at different application rates?

  4. PiceamariannaBiochar • Five different types of biochar were created based on a response surface model conditions. • Black spruce biochar was produced in a pilot scale, fixed bed pyrolysis unit, with a capacity of 1 kg/hr • Temperature was maintained at 550 °C • Chemical analysis of samples

  5. Black Spruce biochar chemical analysis

  6. Nutrient analysis Mehlich III

  7. Freeze-thaw and charcoal effect on soil biota • Forest fire charcoal presence on boreal forest has shown greater efficiency of nutrient uptake.( Wardle, 1997) • Freeze and thawing destroys microbial tissue (Haines, 1938) • Burst of CO2 during freeze and thaw (Ross,1972) • Soil goes through physical and chemical changes (DeLuca, 1992)

  8. Biochar influence on microbial activity before and after freeze-thaw Methods: • Treatments based on a response surface model, constructed using Design Expert v7 software • Actively cropped soil and forest soil were collected from the Matanuska Experiment Farm • Microbial activity was measured with 8210-CO2 gas analyzer Columbus instruments 180 C. • Samples underwent 1 cycle of freeze-thaw .

  9. Cultivated soil

  10. Cultivated soils after freeze-thaw

  11. Forest Soils

  12. Forest soils after freeze -thaw

  13. Remaining work Google images • Amend soils with the optimal biochar and evaluate plant response. • Examine the physical change of biochar after freeze – thaw cycles.

  14. Summary • Residence time influenced the chemical characteristics of black spruce biochar specially at the shortest residence time. • Biochar treatments increased microbial activity especially on cultivated soils before and after freeze thaw. It stabilization after few days confirms that biochar can be a long term carbon storage on soils. • The response surface model indicated significance in all models except for forest soils before and after freeze-thaw.

  15. Questions Thanks! smcastillo@alaska.edu

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