Biochar research

Published research

Centre staff are widely published in the area of biochar with topics including:

• Contribution to characterisation of biochar to estimate the labile fraction of carbon
• Producing biochars with enhanced surface activity through alkaline pretreatment of feedstocks
• Detailed carbon chemistry in charcoals from pre-European Maori gardens of New Zealand as a tool for understanding biochar stability in soils
• Assessing biochar stability indices using near infrared spectroscopy

• Marta Camps' publications
• Roberto Calvelo publications

Current research

Specific research questions we are investigating include:

• Can we produce environmentally-safe biochars from New Zealand feedstocks with an agronomic value for New Zealand soils?
• Is the whole process economically viable with a long-term net carbon negative footprint?
• Which barriers (e.g., social, technical and logistical aspects) are to be overcome before a large-scale implementation is attempted?
• Are there alternative uses of biochar other than agronomic ones (e.g., wastewater filtering)?
• Can we monitor biochar in soils with rapid and accessible technologies?
• What are the opportunities for the trading of carbon credits sourced from biochar/bioenergy systems?