Re: Potential project biochar Uni Zurich (Switzerland) in Karnataka

[Sai Bhaskar Reddy Nakka]

Dear Samuel,

I am happy to know that you are working on Biochar and also leading a network in Switzerland. Thank you very much for your interest to support a project on Biochar in Karnataka, India. I am posting this email to the biocharindia egroup, hope some of the members would support you during your visit to India and also support in identifying the partners. During your visit please visit GEO Research Center for understanding the ongoing Biochar project in Andhra Pradesh.

Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy

On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 9:58 PM, Samuel Abiven <samuel...@geo.uzh.ch> wrote:

Dear sir

I found your email on the website biochar India

I am a senior scientist at the university of Zurich, Switzerland, and I am leading a research team which is focussing on organic matter dynamics in the plant-soil systems (more about myself here: http://www.geo.uzh.ch/en/units/2b/about-us/staff/samuel-abiven/). 

I am particularly interested in some soil fertility aspects related to soil organic matter. Within the last years, a part of my team focussed on pyrogenic organic matter (biochar) effect on soil properties. 

We developed quite an expertise here in Zurich and we are going more and more into this topic. In particular, I am the head of the Swiss biochar network, which is coordinating 15 labs in Switzerland working on this topic. I also published a couple of papers on this topic.

Recently, we received some seedling money from the university of Zurich to find out if it would be possible to develop a biochar project in India (the two main reasons why India was mentioned were that soils and climate of South India could be well adapted to the biochar technology and that my wife is from Bangalore and one of my PhD student from Ranchi, so we already have contacts there). We would like to propose a study about biochar impact on soils and crops in Karnataka. Last time I was there, I was particularly interested in the sugar cane production near Mandya, and I would be interested in this kind of systems.  

I know that some initiatives already exist in India regarding biochar, and I would like to know more about it. 

With 3 of my PhD students, we are planning to come in March to Bangalore to find out if it would be possible to start a project with partners on-site. We would like to meet different potential partners and plan for proposals.

Is there people working about biochar in Karnataka or in the south ? would it be possible to meet some people on site there ? 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions

regards

Samuel Abiven

-------------------------------------------------------

Samuel Abiven

University of Zurich / Physical Geography / Soil Science and Biogeography

Winterthurerstr. 190 / CH-8057 Zurich / Switzerland

Phone number: +41-(0)44 635 51 83 

Fax number: +41-(0) 44 635 68 41

e-mail: samuel...@geo.uzh.ch

Skype : abiven.samuel

http://www.geo.uzh.ch/en/units/2b/about-us/staff/samuel-abiven/

--
Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy
CEO GEO | GOOD STOVES | BIOCHAR INDIA | GEO Resources
Mobile No. (+91) 9246352018 or 9505760669

saibh...@facebook.com | skype: saibhaskarnakka

[Veeresh Hogarnal]

Dear Bhaskar & Samuel,

 

Thanks for your emails.

 

I would like to mention that Biochar has more potential use in India, particularly in problematic soils. I mean command areas where in continuous monocropping (Sugarcane after sugarcane or Paddy after paddy) rendered the soils with low productivity due to decline in soil physical properties.

 

After procuring activatd biochar from Dr. Bhaskar, I have initiated a small pot culture experiment at my laboratory to get some preliminary information about its level of impact on soil's physico-chemical properties. I can presume that Biochar can act like a chelating agent and store a large amount of applied nutrients, serve as a reserve pool and thus avoids loss of nutrients from soil, in other words increased nutrient use efficiency. Anything 10-20 percent higher nutrient use efficiency through biochar may be a big achievment.

 

I wish you good luck and also like to have colloboration with your team in future.

 

Regards

 

Veeresh

--
Veeresh H Ph.D (Environmental Soil Geochemistry)
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Soil Science & Agri. Chemistry
College of Agriculture, Raichur
UAS, RAICHUR
KARNATAKA, INDIA

Mobile: 09886482131