International Biochar Symposium 2015 “Biochar – Contribution to Sustainable Agriculture”
Potsdam, May 28-29, 2015
During the last years the application of biochar to arable land has been suggested as a method to improve soil fertility and plant growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon for decades or centuries. But holistic scientific research to identify environmental as well as economic potentials of biochar in the tropics and especially in the temperate zones is limited and needs to be improved. Furthermore, biochars may differ substantially in their chemical, physical and biological properties and therefore in their fate after soil application depending on the biomass material and conversion technology used. Hence, the identification of biochar properties responsible for positive (and negative) impacts on soil fertility, greenhouse gases and carbon sequestration is needed, followed by the development of methods to optimize these biochar properties and soil improvement.
The projects “Biochar in Agriculture – Perspectives for Germany and Malaysia” and APECS (Anaerobic Pathways to Renewable Energies and Carbon Sinks) focus on these research questions.
Within this symposium the results of both projects and related research results by other scientists shall be presented and discussed. We expect about 200 participants from all over the world including Germany, Malyasia, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, Denmark, Italy, Spain, China, among others.
Tentative scientific sessions:
I Production and post-treatment of -/hydrochars
II The influence of bio-/hydrochars on the Soil-Plant-System
III The influence of bio-/hydrochars on soil C and N dynamics
IV The influence of bio-/hydrochars on soil biota
V Integrated Assessment of biochars
Scientific committee:
Dr. Rosenani Abu Bakar, UPM, Malaysia
Prof. Dr. Frank Ellmer, Humboldt-Univeristät Berlin
Dr. Tinia Mod. Ghazi, UPM, Malaysia
Prof. Dr. Azni Idris, UPM, Malaysia
Prof. Dr. Martin Kaupenjohann, TU Berlin
Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert, DIW, Berlin
Dr. Jürgen Kern, ATB, Potsdam
Dr. Monika Joschko, ZALF, Müncheberg
Dr. Peter Lentsch, ZALF, Müncheberg
Dr. Andreas Meyer-Aurich, ATB, Potsdam
Dr. Jan Mumme, ATB, Potsdam
Dr. Stephan Wirth, ZALF, Müncheberg
Organizing committee:
Dr. Andreas Meyer-Aurich
Dr. Anja Sänger
Helene Foltan
Contact:
Leibniz-Institute for Agricultural Engineering Potsdam-Bornim
Max-Eyth-Allee 100
14467 Potsdam
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)331 5699-228
Email: Biochar-symposium2015@atb-potsdam.de