<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><style> body { font-family: "Calibri","Slate Pro","sans-serif"; color:#262626 }</style> </head> <body><div><span style="font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif;">Dear Frank</span></div><div><br></div><div>Is the equipment setup and analysis methods for testing biomass essentially the same as for biochar? Here is a message from the IBI on methods :</div><div><br></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">The </span><a track="true" target="_blank" href="http://ibi.memberclicks.net/message2/link/20f0e689-f8fe-4c09-96ab-515c0db92436/1" style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><em>IBI Biochar Classification Tool</em></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">—derived from the paper </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">A Biochar Classification System and Associated Test Methods</em><sup style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva;">1</sup><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">—classifies four biochar properties: 1) carbon storage value, 2) fertilizer value (Phosphorous, Potassium, Sulfur, and Magnesium only), 3) liming value, and 4) particle size distribution. In addition, the tool provides the fertilizer grade for six plant nutrients (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S), Calcium (Ca), and Magnesium (Mg)). To classify a biochar with the tool, users must have laboratory-measured values of: hydrogen to organic carbon ratio (H/C</span><sub style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva;">org</sub><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">) and organic carbon concentrations (C</span><sub style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva;">org</sub><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">); plant-available levels of P, K, S, and Mg; calcium carbonate equivalent (% Calcium carbonate (CaCO</span><sub style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva;">3</sub><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">)-eq); and particle size distribution. To provide the fertilizer grade, users must have laboratory-measured values of total and plant-available levels of N, P, K, S, Ca, and Mg. </span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">Thanks</span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;">Crispin </span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div></body></html>