FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE IBI
by Brian Lewis - February 3rd, 2017.Filed under: Announcements.
Date: 3 Feb 2017.
FROM: Tom Miles, The Chairman,
International Biochar Initiative
Compost & Biochar:
There are now several biochar amended compost products in retail garden stores. Biochar has been added to compost for filtration and growing media. Research continues to improve ways in which biochar can help compost, especially for water retention and odor management. Compost is used to reduce odor in poultry (broiler and layer) production. It is used to immobilize herbicides (e.g. clopyralid) in finished compost.
Compost 2017.
Biochar was well represented at the annual meeting of the US Composting Council (compostingcouncil.org) in Los Angeles, California, January 23-27, 2017. There was considerable interest in how biochar could be used with compost for growing media, landscaping, stormwater filtration, and erosion control.
Organic recycling managers were interested to know how biochar could help recycle or reuse woody waste and biosolids.
Biochar producers, Phil Blom (Terra Char), Josiah Hunt (Pacific Biochar) and Michael Whitman (Blue Sky Biochar) spread the biochar message among the more than 90 exhibitors and 1080 visitors attending the conference.
IBI Chairman, Tom Miles, provided an overview of biochar production and use.
Jack Hoeck, Rexius Products, described how his company uses biochar to produce commercial potting soil and growing media (Opus Grows).
Dave Crohn, University of California, Riverside, described results from multi-year trials using compost, biochar and biosolids for managing water in turf.
Greg Stangl, Phoenix Energy, described their production of biochar and power as a solution to the excess wood in California.
Leave a Reply