EUBCE 2026 - Keiji JINDO - Enhancing Compost Quality and Reducing N2O Emissions Through Biochar Amendment in Cow Manure Composting

Enhancing Compost Quality and Reducing N2O Emissions Through Biochar Amendment in Cow Manure Composting

Short Introductive summary

Soil health depends on the soil’s ability to sustain crop production while preserving environmental quality. Composting transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich amendments that improve soil structure, organic matter, and fertility. However, conventional composting of manure often leads to nitrogen losses through ammonia (NH3) volatilization and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions—both environmentally harmful and indicative of inefficient nutrient use. Strategies to mitigate these losses are therefore essential. Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolysis of biomass, has been shown to enhance composting by improving aeration, accelerating organic matter decomposition, and reducing gaseous emissions. When incorporated into compost, biochar can promote nitrogen stabilization and enhance the final product’s agronomic quality. Despite these benefits, mechanisms governing N2O mitigation and nitrogen retention during biochar-assisted composting remain incompletely understood. This study evaluates the effects of biochar addition on the composting dynamics of cow manure, focusing on temperature evolution, nitrogen transformation, and N2O emissions, to clarify how biochar improves co

K. Jindo, Wageningen University and Research, THE NETHERLANDS
T. Sonoki, Hirosaki University, JAPAN
K. Suto, Hirosaki University, JAPAN