Master's student Svein Wara has investigated the effect of biochar in dairy feeding for calves in his master's thesis, which was submitted in the spring of 2024. Svein has been a student at Nord University in Steinkjer, and has worked with biochar and calves during his studies. The experiment was carried out in two herds, where 24 of the calves were in the milking barn at Mære Agricultural School. Although there were few total health incidents, there are strong indications that biochar can improve the health of the calves.
- Two crews: A pilot herd with 5 calves and a main herd with 24 calves (14 with biochar and 10 without).
- Feeding: All calves had free access to roughage, concentrates and water, with the difference that some received biochar in their milk feed.
- Health: Calves with biochar had fewer health issues and fewer showed a deficiency of IGg (immune substances).
- Growth and mineral status: Biochar did not affect growth or mineral status in the blood.
- Blood tests: Showed that the majority of calves had deficiencies of iron, selenium and vitamin E.
Master's student Svein Wara together with senior lecturer at Nord University Hege Overrein.
Take a look at Svein's master's thesis here.
The master's thesis is interesting for us at Nulldissluppsgården. Biochar can contribute to better calf health, which in itself contributes to reduced climate emissions. In addition, the biochar will eventually reach our soil through the manure from the calves. Biochar breaks down slowly in the soil, so the carbon in the biochar is stored for a long time. 1 kg of biochar binds 3 kg of CO2 equivalents, and is a good measure for storing carbon.
The master's thesis has also given us better insight in connection with the research project RESTORE. In RESTORE we look at how we can utilize biochar, biogas, compost as technologies for more sustainable management. We also look at how we can use biochar to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases or nutrients. RESTORE is a collaboration between Mære, SINTEF, NGI and NIBIO.
