IBC 2012 - 4th IBI International Biochar Congress

On behalf of the Organizing Committee and China Agricultural University (CAU), it gives us great pleasure to welcome you to the 4th International Biochar Congress. It will be held in Beijing on 16-20th September, 2012, deliberately a few days after the ISHS meeting in Zheijiang University, Hangzhou. Thus, delegates can conveniently attend both meetings if desired.
International research into all aspects of biochar science and technology has grown rapidly over the last decade or so. This meeting will represent this world wide growth in interest and will cover the entire range of current biochar-related research. Scientific sessions will include biochar production, the chemistry, biology and physics of biochar- soil interactions, agronomic and economic aspects and biochar as a possible mitigator of global climate change. The very long half-life of biochar in soil, of possibly thousands of years, confers obvious advantages, in terms of various soil managements. It also poses a challenge to the scientific community to identify the short- and long-term risks of its incorporation to soil, if any, and how they may be overcome, before it can be widely used commercially.
Leading experts in these, and related fields, will give state-of the art keynote lectures on these topics, in addition to other offered oral and poster presentations from delegates. It is envisaged that a significant publication will result as a specialist book published by Springer with ISBN.
The Congress and accommodation will be at the Friendship Hotel, Beijing and all meals and refreshments during the Congress will be provided there. Tours to sites of architectural and cultural interest in and around Beijing, including the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Beijing Opera, and Beijing Hutong, will be offered to delegates and their guests after the Congress, depending upon the interest shown. It is expected that demand for attendance at the Congress will be high, so early registration is recommended.