Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Inspired solutions for the future of agriculture and the environment.
Learn More Program Areas

Biochar (pyrolysis)

Pyrolysis is the thermo-chemical conversion of dry organic materials (i.e. woody wastes) into bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. Biochar is being promoted for its potential to improve soil properties, fertility and carbon sequestration in soil while also producing renewable energy. Research results on how this material might impact agricultural soils within temperate regions is contradictory. Validation of biochar as a beneficial soil amendment and carbon sink would add important economic value to the pyrolysis process and spur adoption. More targeted uses in the near term include improved nutrient efficiency and contaminant absorption. Studies on the use of bio-oil have also been conducted.

Featured Publications

Advancing Organics Management in Washington State: The Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership, 2019-2021 Biennium

Jobe, J., K. Hills, J.E. Amonette, E. Bronstad, M. Garcia-Perez, T. Jobson, Y.J. Milan, D. Collins, D. Gang, X. Xiong, N. Stacey, A. Berim, A. Bary, S. Chen, W. Hoashi-Erhardt, N. Khosravi, E.A. Mhyre, S. Seefeldt, and G. Yorgey. 2022. Publication 22-07-002. Solid Waste Management Program, Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA.

Biomass to Biochar: Maximizing the Carbon Value

Amonette, J.E., J.G. Archuleta, M.R. Fuchs, K.M. Hills, G.G. Yorgey, G. Flora, J. Hunt, H.-S. Han, B.T. Jobson, T.R. Miles, D.S. Page-Dumroese, S. Thompson, K.M. Trippe, K. Wilson, R. Baltar, K. Carloni, C. Christoforou, D.P. Collins, J. Dooley, D. Drinkard, M. Garcia-Pérez, G. Glass, K. Hoffman-Krull, M. Kauffman, D.A. Laird, W. Lei, J. Miedema, J. O’Donnell, A. Kiser, B. Pecha, C. Rodriguez-Franco, G.E. Scheve, C. Sprenger, B. Springsteen, and E. Wheeler. 2021. Biomass to Biochar: Maximizing the Carbon Value. Report by Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, Pullman WA. csanr.wsu.edu/biomass2biochar

Integrated biochar research: A roadmap

James E. Amonette, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Chuck Hassebrook, David A. Laird, Rattan Lal, Johannes Lehmann and Deborah Page-Dumroese
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation January 2021, 76 (1) 24A-29A; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2021.1115A

A Rapid Test for Plant-Available Water-Holding Capacity in Soil-Biochar Mixtures

Amonette, J.E., Flury, M., Zhang, J. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 37 pp.

Biochar Production in Biomass Power Plants: Techno-Economic and Supply Chain Analyses

Garcia-Perez, M., Brady, M., Tanzil, A.H. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 20 pp.

Using CropSyst to Evaluate Biochar as a Soil Amendment for Crops

Stöckle, C.O., Pickering, N., Nelson, R. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 22 pp.

Production of Engineered Biochars for Phosphate Removal from Waste Lignocellulosic Materials: First, Second, and Third Generation Engineered Products

Ayiania, M., Haghighi Mood, S., Milan, Y.J., Garcia-Perez, M. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 71 pp.

Assessment of the Local Technical Potential for CO2 Drawdown using Biochar from Forestry Residues and Waste Wood in 26 Counties of Washington State

Amonette, J.E. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 174 pp.

Integrating Compost and Biochar for Improved Air Quality, Crop Yield, and Soil Health

Gang, D., Collins, D., Jobson, T., Seefeldt, S., Berim, A., Stacey, N., Khosravi, N., Hoashi-Erhardt, W. 2019. A technical report completed as part of the Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership. 99 pp.

Advancing Organics Management in Washington State: The Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership 2015-2017 Biennium

Chen, S., Frear, C., Garcia-Pérez, M., Kruger, C., Ewing, T., Jensen, J., Yorgey, G., Gang, D.R., Amonette, J., Ayiania, M., Berim, A., Botella, L., Carbajal Gamarra, F.M., Cleary, J., Dunsmoor, A., Finch, R.W., Fuchs, M., Haghighi Mood, S., Hall, S.A., Han, Y., Jobson, B.T., Long, R., Ma, J., Mainali, K., Moller, D., Neuenschwander, L., Seker, A., Sjoding, D., Stankovikj, F., Suliman, W., Tanzil, A., Terrell, E., Tran, C-C., Xiong, X., Yu, L. 2018. Compiled and edited by Hills, K., Hall, S.A., Saari, B., Zimmerman, T. Waste 2 Resources, Washington State Department of Ecology Publication No. 18-07-010. Olympia, Washington. 424 pp. June 2018.

Technology Research and Extension Related to Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure, 2015-2017 Biennium

Garcia-Pérez, M., Chen, S., Kruger, C., Yorgey, G., Ai, P., Ayania, M., Dunsmoor, A., Englund, K., Ewing, T., Frear, C., Gao, A., Ghoghare, R., Hall, S.A., Jensen, J., Ma, J., Manoharan, G., Martinez, J., Nasir, A., Parlina, I., Pelaez-Samaniego, M.R., Pereira-Ferraz, G., Rajagopalan, K., Smith, M., Suliman, W., Wang, D., Yao, Y., Yu, L. 2017. Compiled and edited by Hills, K., Hall, S.A., Saari, B., Zimmerman, T. A Project Report for the Washington State University Agricultural Research Center and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. 173 pp.

Soil Amendments

Yorgey, G., W. Pan, R. Awale, S. Machado, A. Bary. 2017. Chapter 7 In Yorgey, G. and C. Kruger, eds. Advances in Dryland Production Systems in the Pacific Northwest. Washington State University Extension, Pullman, WA.

Approaches for adding value to anaerobically digested dairy fiber

Manuel Raul Pelaez-Samaniego, Rita L Hummel, Wei Liao, Jingwei Ma, Jim Jensen, Chad Kruger, and Craig Frear. 2017. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 72, 254-268.

Technology Research and Extension Related to Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure, 2013-2015 biennium

Chen, S., C. Frear, M. Garcia-Perez, C. Kruger, A. Abghari, P. Ai, N. Abu-Lail, G. Astill, I. Dallmeyer, M. Flury, A. Fortuna, A. Gao, J. Garcia-Nunez, R. Ghoghare, J.B. Harsh, H. Iqbal, J. Jensen, N Kennedy, J. Ma, S. Mitchell, M. Smith, W. Suliman, D. Wang, G. Yorgey, L. Yu, Q. Zhao, S. Zhang, and T. Zhu. 2015. Washington State Department of Agriculture, Olympia, WA.

Advancing Organics Management in Washington State: The Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership

Chen, S., C. Frear, M. Garcia-Perez, J. Jensen, D. Sjoding, C. Kruger, N. Abu-Lail, G. Astill, I. Dallmeyer, M. Flury, A. Fortuna, J. Garcia-Nunez, S. Hall, J.B. Harsh, H. Iqbal, N Kennedy, J. Ma, S. Mitchell, B. Pecha, R. Pelaez-Samaniego, A. Seker, M. Smith, W. Suliman, G. Yorgey, L. Yu, and Q. Zhao. 2016. Publication 16-07-008. Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA.

Anaerobic digestion of C1-C4 light oxygenated organic compounds derived from the torrefaction of lignocellulosic materials

Liaw, S.S., Frear, C., Lei, W., Zhang, S., Garcia-Perez, M. (2015). Fuel Processing Technology, 131: 150-158.

Bio-Oil: An Introduction to Fast Pyrolysis and its Applications

Murray, T.,  F. Resende, and G. Luo. 2014.  WSU Fact Sheet FS140E. The United States has targeted biofuels generated from domestic biomass supplies as a significant contributor for future liquid fuel supplies. Reliance on domestic fuel production opens the door for a wide range of opportunities for natural resource managers, farmers, and other landowners who will be instrumental in developing the industry, its technologies, and its utilization of agricultural crop residues and forestry biomass. This publication discusses bio-oil produced via fast pyrolysis, its applications, and associated biomass feedstocks.

Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 3: Literature Review Technologies for Product Collection and Refining

Garcia-Perez, M. et. al. 2012. This is the third of a series of reports exploring the use of biomass pyrolysis to sequester carbon and to produce fuels and chemicals.

Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 2: Literature Review of the Biomass Supply Chain and Preprocessing Technologies From Field to Pyrolysis Reactor

Garcia-Perez, M., C. Kruger, M. Fuchs, S. Sokhansanj, P. Badger, J. Garcia-Nunez, T. Lewis, and S. Kantor. 2012. Second Project Report. Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 79 pp.

Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 1: Literature Review of Pyrolysis Reactors

Garcia-Perez, M., T. Lewis, C. Kruger. 2011. Funding for this study is provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology with the intention to address the growing demand for information on the design of advanced pyrolysis units. This is the first of a series of reports exploring the use of biomass thermochemical conversion technologies to sequester carbon and to produce fuels and chemicals.

Additional Publications

Advancing Organics Management in Washington State: The Waste to Fuels Technology Partnership, 2017-2019 Biennium

Hills, K., M. Garcia-Perez, J.E. Amonette, M. Brady, T. Jobson, D. Collins, D. Gang, E. Bronstad, M. Flury, S. Seefeldt, C.O. Stöckle, M. Ayiania, A. Berim, W. Hoashi-Erhardt, N. Khosravi, S. Haghighi Mood, R. Nelson, Y.J. Milan, N. Pickering, N. Stacey, A.H. Tanzil, J. Zhang, B. Saari, and G. Yorgey. 2019. Publication 19-07-027. Solid Waste Management Program, Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA.

Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State – Part 4: Literature Review of Sustainability Issues, Business Models, and Financial Analyses

Garcia-Perez M., J.A. Garcia-Nunez, T. Lewis, C. E. Kruger, M.R. Fuchs, G. Flora, S. Kantor 2012. Fourth Project Report. Department of Biological Systems Engineering and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 75 pp. (publish date for WP 2/1/2013)

Dairy Waste Biorefinery

Kennedy, N., C. Frear, M. Garcia-Perez, C. Kruger, and S. Chen. 2013. Concept illustration and description.

Organic Waste Biorefinery

Kennedy, N., C. Frear, M. Garcia-Perez, C. Kruger, and S. Chen. 2013. Concept illustration and description.

Biochar Produced from Anaerobically Digested Fiber Reduces Phosphorus in Dairy Lagoons

Streubel, J. D., H. P. Collins, J. M. Tarara, and R. L. Cochran.; Posted online 5 Jan. 2012

The economic value of biochar in crop production and carbon sequestration

Galinato, S., J. Yoder and D. Granatstein. 2011. Energy Policy, 39(10):6344-6350.

Economic tradeoff between biochar and bio-oil production via pyrolysis

Yoder, J., S. Galinato, D. Granatstein and M. Garcia-Perez. 2011. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(5):1851-1862.

WSU Thermo-Chemical Engineering Laboratory: Manuel Garcia-Perez

Professor Garcia-Perez is an expert in thermo-chemical engineering of biomass into energy and products. Our work with Garcia-Perez includes the development and evaluation of biochar from the pyrolysis of woody organic wastes as a potential soil amendment.

Bioenergy as an Agricultural GHG Mitigation Strategy in Washington State

Chapter 22 in Climate Friendly Farming: Improving the Carbon Footprint of Agriculture in the Pacific Northwest. Full report available at http://csanr.wsu.edu/pages/Climate_Friendly_Farming_Final_Report/.

Biochar and Pyrolysis: Renewable Soil Carbon and Energy – December 2009

Article in Sustaining the Pacific Northwest Newsletter

Some WSU Extension websites provide links to external sites for the convenience of users. These external sites are not managed by WSU Extension. Furthermore, WSU Extension does not review, control or take responsibility for the content of these sites, nor do these sites implicitly or explicitly represent official positions and policies of WSU Extension.