2017, Kern, Jürgen, Tammeorg, Priit, Shanskiy, Merrit, Sakrabani, Ruben, Knicker, Heike, Kammann, Claudia, Tuhkanen, Eeva-Maria, Smidt, Geerd, Prasad, Munoo, Tiilikkala, Kari, Sohi, Saran, Gascó, Gabriel, Steiner, Christoph, Glaser, Bruno

Peat is used as a high quality substrate for growing media in horticulture. However, unsustainable peat extraction damages peatland ecosystems, which disappeared to a large extent in Central and South Europe. Furthermore, disturbed peatlands are becoming a source of greenhouse gases due to drainage and excavation. This study is the result of a workshop within the EU COST Action TD1107 (Biochar as option for sustainable resource management), held in Tartu (Estonia) in 2015. The view of stakeholders were consulted on new biochar-based growing media and to what extent peat may be replaced in growing media by new compounds like carbonaceous materials from thermochemical conversion. First positive results from laboratory and greenhouse experiments have been reported with biochar content in growing media ranging up to 50%. Various companies have already started to use biochar as an additive in their growing media formulations. Biochar might play a more important role in replacing peat in growing media, when biochar is available, meets the quality requirements, and their use is economically feasible. © 2017 The Author(s) Published by VGTU Press and Informa UK Limited, [trading as Taylor & Francis Group].

2016, Tammeorg, Priit, Bastos, Ana Catarina, Jeffery, Simon, Rees, Frédéric, Kern, Jürgen, Graber, Ellen R., Ventura, Maurizio, Kibblewhite, Mark, Amaro, António, Budai, Alice, Cordovil, Cláudia M.d.S., Domene, Xavier, Gardi, Ciro, Gascó, Gabriel, Horák, Ján, Kammann, Claudia, Kondrlova, Elena, Laird, David, Loureiro, Susana, Martins, Martinho A.S., Panzacchi, Pietro, Prasad, Munoo, Prodana, Marija, Puga, Aline Peregrina, Ruysschaert, Greet, Sas-Paszt, Lidia, Silva, Flávio C., Teixeira, Wenceslau Geraldes, Tonon, Giustino, Delle Vedove, Gemini, Zavalloni, Costanza, Glaser, Bruno, Verheijen, Frank G.A.

Key priorities in biochar research for future guidance of sustainable policy development have been identified by expert assessment within the COST Action TD1107. The current level of scientific understanding (LOSU) regarding the consequences of biochar application to soil were explored. Five broad thematic areas of biochar research were addressed: soil biodiversity and ecotoxicology, soil organic matter and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil physical properties, nutrient cycles and crop production, and soil remediation. The highest future research priorities regarding biochar’s effects in soils were: functional redundancy within soil microbial communities, bioavailability of biochar’s contaminants to soil biota, soil organic matter stability, GHG emissions, soil formation, soil hydrology, nutrient cycling due to microbial priming as well as altered rhizosphere ecology, and soil pH buffering capacity. Methodological and other constraints to achieve the required LOSU are discussed and options for efficient progress of biochar research and sustainable application to soil are presented.