Ithaka Institut

Program and Speakers

The Summer School will be given in a workshop-seminar style, with biochar function, characterization, production and environmental interaction being among the major learning objectives. Strong interaction with the students is a priority.

Speakers:

Ellen Graber (Volcani Center, Israel), Heike Knicker (IRNAS Seville, Spain), Claudia Kammann (University of Giessen, Germany), Olivier Husson (Cirad Montpellier, France) Samuel Abiven (University Zurich), Gerald Dunst (Sonnenerde, Austria), Helmut Gerber (Pyreg, Germany), Greet Ruysschaert (ILVO, Belgium), Thomas Bucheli (ART Zurich, Switzerland), Luke Beesley (Hutton Institute, UK), Gerard Cornelissen(NGI Oslo, Norway), Cornelia Rumpel (CNRS Paris, France), Pascal Boivin (HEPIA Geneva, Switzerland), Chris Adam (Ethopia), Hans-Peter Schmidt (Delinat Institute, Switzerland)

Video conference speakers: Johannes Lehmann (Cornell University), Bruno Glaser (Martin-Luther-University Halle, Germany), Stephen Joseph (University of NSW and Nanjing Agricultural University), Jürgen Kern and Jan Mumme (Leibnitz Institute, Potsdam)


Program:

Sunday

  • Meeting in Geneva at 6 pm, bus travel to Ayent, accommodation in Chalet Wildhorn. Presentation of participants. Dinner and get-together.

Monday

  • 9:00 – 10:00 Introduction to the Summer School (Thomas Bucheli, Jürgen Kern, Jan Mumme, Hans-Peter Schmidt)
  • 10.30 – 12:00 State of the art, gaps and visions in biochar science and biochar use. (Short keynote talks: Bruno Glaser, Claudia Kammann, Samuel Abiven, Gerard Cornelissen)
  • 13:00 to 15:30 What effect does biochar have on plants, and what can we learn about biochar, its components, and its functioning from plant responses? Volatile carbon, minerals, aromatic carbon structure, and what lies between. (Ellen Graber)
  • 16:00 to 18.00: Redox potential and pH as drivers of soil/plant/microorganism systems and possible influences of biochar (Olivier Husson)
  • 21:00 Late-night lecture: Johannes Lehmann (video conference)

Tuesday

  • 9:00 – 10:00: Interaction of pyrogenic carbon and minerals, biochar mineral complexes, biochar enhancement (Stephen Joseph, video conference)
  • 10:15 – 12.00 Biochar Chemical Function and Analysis: Chemical constitution of biochar, it's reactivity, aging and characterisation. How to predict the behavior of biochar in soil or other biological active substrate? (Heike Knicker)
  • 13:00 - 14:00 Student presentations of their work on biochar with the participation of at least all lecturers of day 1 and 2. Presentation of the work as speed science dating, poster, practical demonstration or talk depending on the students’ subject.
  • 14.30- 17.00 Theory and practice of post production treatment of biochar. Lessons from Terra Preta research. Biochar substrate production, making biochar bokashi and other biochar substrates (Claudia Kammann, Hans-Peter Schmidt)
  • 17:30 Visit of the Mythopia Vinyard and it's biochar field trials.  
  • 20:00 Dinner and Degustation in the Vineyard 

Wednesday

  • 10:00 – 11:30 Visit of the biochar production at Swiss Biochar, Introduction to the main pyrolysis systems (Helmut Gerber), pre-production treatment, influencing biochar quality through pyrolysis technology.
  • 11:45 – 12:30 Biochar sampling and sample representativeness (Thomas Bucheli, Isabel Hilber)
  • 13:30 – 14:30: How to create a biochar business? (Gerald Dunst) 
  • 14:30 – 16:30 World Café Group Work on creating new biochar business (Gerald Dunst, Helmut Gerber)
  • How to use biochar in animal farming – visit of an animal farm using biochar

Thursday:

  • 9:00 – 9:45: Four student presentations of their work on biochar. Presentation of the work as speed science dating, poster, practical demonstration or talk depending on the students’ subject.
  • 10:00 – 12h30 Biochar stability in soil, priming effect, Carbon – Nitrogen dynamics, gross N transformation in biochar amended soils (Samuel Abiven, Cornelia Rumpel)
  • 13:30 - 15:00 How to set-up and evaluate field trials. Results of the Interreg field trials in 5 countries with temperate climate (Greet Ruysschaert)
  • 15:30 - 18:00 Student presentations of their work on biochar with the participation of at least all lecturers of day 1 and 2. Presentation of the work as speed science dating, poster, practical demonstration or talk depending on the students’ subject.
  • 21:00 Late-night lecture from the real world: Biochar use in developing countries. (Chris Adam, the inventor of the Adam Retort)

Friday:

  • 9:00 – 12:00  Biochar sorption dynamic and contamination – PAH, VOC, DOM, heavy metals (T. Bucheli, Gerhard Cornelissen): analysis, total content, plant availability, origin, formation; accessibility and chemical activity of organic contaminants in soils. Toxic/Pesticide/Plant Resistance
  • 13:45 – 16:15 Decontamination/remediation of soils with biochar. Biochar substrates for biobeds, industrial and urban applications  (Luc Beesley, Pascal Boivin)
  • 17:00 – 19:00 Future projects. Discussion of ‘unknowns’ and how to address these ‘unknowns’ experimentally / by research

Saturday: Departure at 9:00, Arrival in Geneva at 11:00