Wood-based Circular Biochar Fertilizers that Drive Soil Health and Crop Resilience

Rapid growth of poultry production in the United States led to significant manure management challenges, particularly in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). While manures are frequently spread on fields as fertilizers, excess manure from CAFOs are significant management challenges. Poultry manure is high in nitrogen and managing the high volumes of manure through field spreads is limited by soils ability to absorb the nutrients in ways that lead to crop and soil health. Nitrogen nutrients in CAFO manures could produce lower cost fertilizers for corn and soybeans. Wood-based biochar has gained traction for soil amendments because it increases soil health with moisture retention and higher yields. Significant potential exists to develop a nitrogen fertilizer product line that improves soil resilience, makes mineral nutrients available, valorizes byproduct streams, and lowers input costs. Universal Schedule and Booking (USB) seeks to develop a hybrid biochar-nitrogen fertilizer from poultry manure streams as a drop-in alternative to nitrogen fertilizers. USB has validated new tech-enabled, market-driven economic frameworks with significant preliminary research that can increase farm profitability from valorized nitrogen fertilizers. Phase I R&D will determine feasibility for a wood-based biochar-manure fertilizer and new revenue potential for farmers. The proposed R&D addresses Topic 8.1 research priority for development of value-added products from forest resources.