Analysis of the Economic Potential Trough Biochar Use for Soybean Production in Poland

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most important crops grown globally. Biochar has been proposed as an alternative to aid sustainable soybean production. However, comprehensive studies that include both the economic aspects of soybean production and biochar are scarce. Poland, with an economy largely based on agriculture, is an interesting case to investigate the cost-effectiveness of using biochar in soybean production. We show that the use of biochar at rates of 40, 60 and 80 t/ha is unprofitable compared with a traditional soil amendment, such as NPK fertilization. The breakeven price for biochar to be economically viable should be USD 39.22, USD 38.29 and USD 23.53 for 40, 60 and 80 Mg/ha biochar, respectively, while the cost of biochar used for this experiment was USD 85.33. The payback period for doses of 40 and 60 Mg/ha was estimated to be three years. With a carbon sequestration subsidy of USD 30 per ton of CO2, the use of biochar may be profitable in the first year of soybean production. This is the first comprehensive economic analysis of the use of biochar in soybean production in Poland and one of the few published worldwide.

[1]  J. Sikora,et al.  Sunflower Husk Biochar as a Key Agrotechnical Factor Enhancing Sustainable Soybean Production , 2021, Agriculture.

[2]  J. Królczyk,et al.  Biochar Improves Maize Growth but Has a Limited Effect on Soil Properties: Evidence from a Three-Year Field Experiment , 2021, Sustainability.

[3]  B. Usowicz,et al.  Effect of Fine Size-Fractionated Sunflower Husk Biochar on Water Retention Properties of Arable Sandy Soil , 2021, Materials.

[4]  Ya-qi Yu,et al.  Effectiveness, stabilization, and potential feasible analysis of a biochar material on simultaneous remediation and quality improvement of vanadium contaminated soil , 2020 .

[5]  M. Obersteiner,et al.  Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration , 2020, Nature.

[6]  P. R. Yaashikaa,et al.  Bioconversion of municipal solid waste into bio-based products: A review on valorisation and sustainable approach for circular bioeconomy. , 2020, The Science of the total environment.

[7]  R. Naidu,et al.  Influences of feedstock sources and pyrolysis temperature on the properties of biochar and functionality as adsorbents: A meta-analysis. , 2020, The Science of the total environment.

[8]  D. Laird,et al.  Global land-use and carbon emission implications from biochar application to cropland in the United States , 2020, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[9]  D. Laird,et al.  Soil carbon increased by twice the amount of biochar carbon applied after 6 years: Field evidence of negative priming , 2020 .

[10]  B. Zhang,et al.  Soybean Production, Versatility, and Improvement , 2020, Legume Crops [Working Title].

[11]  Guoshun Liu,et al.  Research and Application of Biochar in Soil CO2 Emission, Fertility, and Microorganisms: A Sustainable Solution to Solve China’s Agricultural Straw Burning Problem , 2020, Sustainability.

[12]  H. Knicker,et al.  Chemical, physical and morphological properties of biochars produced from agricultural residues: Implications for their use as soil amendment. , 2020, Waste management.

[13]  Adam Pawlewicz.  Change of Price Premiums Trend for Organic Food Products: The Example of the Polish Egg Market , 2020, Agriculture.

[14]  M. Śmiglak-Krajewska,et al.  Globalization of the Market for Vegetable Protein Feed and Its Impact on Sustainable Agricultural Development and Food Security in EU Countries Illustrated by the Example of Poland , 2020 .

[15]  Cheng-xiao Hu,et al.  Biochar is superior to lime in improving acidic soil properties and fruit quality of Satsuma mandarin. , 2020, The Science of the total environment.

[16]  K. Schmidtke,et al.  Influence of priming on germination, development, and yield of soybean varieties , 2020 .

[17]  B. Oni,et al.  Significance of biochar application to the environment and economy , 2019 .

[18]  I. Michalak,et al.  Germination of soybean seeds exposed to the static/alternating magnetic field and algal extract , 2019, Engineering in life sciences.

[19]  L. G. Barioni,et al.  Biochar amendment improves degraded pasturelands in Brazil: environmental and cost-benefit analysis , 2019, Scientific Reports.

[20]  D. Laird,et al.  Where should we apply biochar? , 2019, Environmental Research Letters.

[21]  T. DeLuca,et al.  Use of Biochar in Organic Farming , 2019, Organic Farming.

[22]  F. Miglietta,et al.  Biochar mineralization and priming effect in a poplar short rotation coppice from a 3-year field experiment , 2018, Biology and Fertility of Soils.

[23]  D. Laird,et al.  Long term biochar effects on corn yield, soil quality and profitability in the US Midwest , 2018, Field Crops Research.

[24]  A. Zimmerman,et al.  Multi-year double cropping biochar field trials in Nepal: Finding the optimal biochar dose through agronomic trials and cost-benefit analysis. , 2018, The Science of the total environment.

[25]  R. Lal.  Soil and Climate , 2018, Soil and Climate.

[26]  A. Farooque,et al.  Biochar: a sustainable solution for solid waste management in agro-processing industries , 2018 .

[27]  B. Strassburg,et al.  The Effects of Gliricidia-Derived Biochar on Sequential Maize and Bean Farming , 2018 .

[28]  Nicholas Stern,et al.  Report of the high-level commission on carbon prices , 2017 .

[29]  B. Strassburg,et al.  Willingness to Adopt Biochar in Agriculture: The Producer’s Perspective , 2017 .

[30]  Simon Jeffery,et al.  Biochar boosts tropical but not temperate crop yields , 2017 .

[31]  P. Brookes,et al.  Combined biochar and nitrogen fertilizer reduces soil acidity and promotes nutrient use efficiency by soybean crop , 2017, Journal of Soils and Sediments.

[32]  Chander Shahi,et al.  Life cycle cost and economic assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario, Canada , 2016, Forest Ecosystems.

[33]  P. Burmistrz,et al.  Impact of the Temperature of Waste Biomass Py-Rolysis on the Quality of the Obtained Biochar , 2016 .

[34]  Markus M. Bugge,et al.  What Is the Bioeconomy? A Review of the Literature , 2016 .

[35]  Xingzhu Ma,et al.  Biochar Improves Soil Aggregate Stability and Water Availability in a Mollisol after Three Years of Field Application , 2016, PloS one.

[36]  S. Lewandowska.  Perspectives of soybean cultivation in Poland , 2016 .

[37]  H. Piepho,et al.  Effects of soybean variety and Bradyrhizobium strains on yield, protein content and biological nitrogen fixation under cool growing conditions in Germany , 2016 .

[38]  F. Dijkstra,et al.  Synergistic Effects of Biochar and NPK Fertilizer on Soybean Yield in an Alkaline Soil , 2015 .

[39]  F. Miglietta,et al.  Biochar stimulates plant growth but not fruit yield of processing tomato in a fertile soil , 2015 .

[40]  G. Huylenbroeck,et al.  Cost‐benefit analysis of using biochar to improve cereals agriculture , 2015 .

[41]  M. Antal,et al.  Biochar characteristics and application rates affecting corn growth and properties of soils contrasting in texture and mineralogy , 2015 .

[42]  T. J. Purakayastha,et al.  Biochar carbon sequestration in soil - A myth or reality? , 2015 .

[43]  Bruno Glaser,et al.  Biochar organic fertilizers from natural resources as substitute for mineral fertilizers , 2015, Agronomy for Sustainable Development.

[44]  Heike Knicker,et al.  Relating physical and chemical properties of four different biochars and their application rate to biomass production of Lolium perenne on a Calcic Cambisol during a pot experiment of 79 days. , 2014, The Science of the total environment.

[45]  J. Veres,et al.  Biochar Status Under International Law and Regulatory Issues for the Practical Application , 2014 .

[46]  Farzana Mahdi,et al.  The role of vitamin e in human health and some diseases. , 2014, Sultan Qaboos University medical journal.

[47]  Jürn Sanders,et al.  Evaluation of the EU legislation on organic farming , 2013 .

[48]  J. L. Gaunt,et al.  Practicality of Biochar Additions to Enhance Soil and Crop Productivity , 2013 .

[49]  G. Pan,et al.  Biochar’s effect on crop productivity and the dependence on experimental conditions—a meta-analysis of literature data , 2013, Plant and Soil.

[50]  James C. Arnott,et al.  A COMPARISON OF VARIABLE ECONOMIC COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TWO PROPOSED BIOCHAR APPLICATION METHODS , 2010 .

[51]  C. Greene,et al.  The profitability of organic soybean production , 2009, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.

[52]  Yul-Ho Kim,et al.  Increased alpha-tocopherol content in soybean seed overexpressing the Perilla frutescens gamma-tocopherol methyltransferase gene. , 2007, Plant cell reports.

[53]  Deutsche Ausgabe.  World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2006 , 2007 .

[54]  Yul-Ho Kim,et al.  Increased α-tocopherol content in soybean seed overexpressing the Perilla frutescens γ-tocopherol methyltransferase gene , 2006, Plant Cell Reports.

[55]  John Gaunt,et al.  Bio-char Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems – A Review , 2006 .

[56]  D. Tessier,et al.  Soil physical properties affected by long‐term fertilization , 2004 .

[57]  J. Deckers,et al.  World Reference Base for Soil Resources , 1998 .

[58]  C. G. Zarkadas,et al.  Assessment of the protein quality of a new high-protein soybean cultivar by amino acid analysis , 1993 .

[59]  W. Reinhart,et al.  THE ROLE OF THE PAYBACK PERIOD IN THE THEORY AND APPLICATION OF DURATION TO CAPITAL BUDGETING , 1982 .

[60]  J. Olsen,et al.  The European Commission , 2020, The European Union.