Project Number: 3640-12000-008-07
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 31, 2010
End Date: Aug 31, 2012

Objective:
1. Production of biochar from distillers grain and corn stover using microwave pyrolysis. 2. Impact of distillers grain and corn stover biochar on soil fertility and carbon sequestration potential.

Approach:
Overall, we seek to increase the value of distillers grain by sequestering carbon and producing additional renewable energy. More specifically, we will have an optimized process for making biofuels and biochar based fertilizers and soil improvement agents from an existing by-product steam. We will have a short-term demonstration of potential value of a bioenergy co-product to increase soil fertility and carbon sequestration (using soil respiration as an indicator of C loss). The potential long-term outcome of this research is the development and promotion of on-farm energy production using a combination of corn stover and distillers grain as a feedstock to improve the sustainability of corn production with biochar amendments.