Mobility and thermal stability of carbon in Oxisol amended with micro and nanobiochar

• Grant number: 23/17839-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Luís Reynaldo Ferracciú Alleoni
• Grantee: Evelyn Carolaine Arruda de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/06649-3 - Investigating micro and nanobiochar effects on soil organic matter dynamics: A molecular-level approach for climate resilience, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Opening new areas for agriculture and livestock, as well as the extensive management of pastures in Brazil, reduces carbon (C) stocks in the soil and increases CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The application of biochar in degraded pasture areas, especially in the Cerrado ("savanna"), can be a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to recarbonize these areas and help in C sequestration. However, the efficiency of biochar in storing C is closely linked to its physical and chemical properties and to environmental conditions. The change in biochar particle size and its aging can alter its properties and, consequently, affect its mobility and chemical stability in the soil. For these reasons, we aim to evaluate how the micro and nanoscale particles sizes of biochar interfere with carbon mobility in the soil profile and on the quality and thermal stability of soil carbon. It is expected that this information can assist in the choice of an efficient biochar size for incorporation and sequestration of C in degraded pasture areas.