A “Biochar: Because Manure Happens” webinar will be hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife from 1-2:30 p.m. March 17.
The webinar is free, but participants must register in advance. Once registered, they will be sent a link to join the webinar on the Zoom platform.
The program is designed to discuss biochar, what it is and what effects biochar can have on plants, soil and soil microbiome, said Jennifer Spencer, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service dairy specialist in Stephenville.
Biochar is a man-made charcoal material composed of agricultural wastes, including manure, crop residues and forage grasses. It can be used as sustainable fertilizers and to filter a broad range of contaminants, including antibiotics, pesticides and hormones in wastewater and water, as well as to capture greenhouse and odorous gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia.
“We are hosting this event to inform producers, academics, industry representatives and the public about our research, producing biochar, a soil amendment product from dairy manure,” Spencer said. “We are hoping to provide information about what biochar is and the benefits it can have on the environment and sustainability.”
On the agenda
Guest speakers will be members of the “Biocarbon-enhanced dairy manure management demonstration for enhanced water quality” project. That project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Conservation Innovation Grants, CIG, program.
Speakers will include:
— Eun Sung Kan, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Research biological engineer at Stephenville with joint appointments in Texas A&M’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and at Tarleton State University.
— Jim Muir, Ph.D., AgriLife Research grassland ecologist, Stephenville.
— Paul DeLaune, Ph.D., AgriLife Research environmental soil scientist, Vernon.
— Jeff Brady, Ph.D., AgriLife genetics specialist, Stephenville.
For more information, contact Spencer at 254-595-6054 or [email protected].
