Terra preta and Geochar

[JohnH]

Hello

Im a new member good to see such an active site .

Just come accross the Incas 'Terra preta '( black earth) they produced by incorporating charcoal into the soil and this is still in place apparently, it improves the qaulity of the soil and resulting crops .As this ties away carbon for thousands of years it is an effective carbon sink It seems that if waste timber chiped onto roadsides or coppice could be made into biochar it seems like a no brainer ,I would like to make a double skin retort to produce some biochar (see Utube ) to trial it's use in reducing soil acidity anyone any experiance of this.

JohnH

[John H]

Welcome to the forum, but this is very confusing, I thought I was John H.

[JohnH]

Apolgies only found out after joining I have asked for mine to be changed there's just too many of us John's !

[erich]

To me, in the long run, the final arbiter / accountancy / measure of sustainability will be

soil carbon content. Once this royal road is constructed, traffic cops ( Carbon Board ) in place, the truth of land-management and Biochar systems will be self-evident.

A dream I've had for years is to base the coming carbon economy firmly on the foundation of top soils. My read of the agronomic history of civilization shows that the Kayopo Amazon Indians and the Egyptians were the only ones to maintain fertility for the long haul, millennium scales. Egypt has now forsaken their geologic advantage by building the Aswan dam, and are stuck, with the rest of us, in the soil C mining, NPK rat race to the bottom. The meta-analysis of Syn-N and soil Carbon content show our dilemma;

https://www.agronomy.org/publications/jeq/articles/38/6/2295

The Ag Soil Carbon standard is in final review by the AMS branch at USDA.

Read over the work so far;

http://www.novecta.com/documents/Carbon-Standard.pdf

In my efforts to have Biochar's potential included, I have recruited several to join the list, briefed the entire committee about char when issues concerning N2O & CH4 soil GHG emissions were raised, fully briefed a couple of the 100 members when they replied individually to my "Reply all" briefs. The members cover the full spectrum of Ag interest.

With the Obama administration funding an inter-departmental climate effort of NASA, NOAA, USDA, & EPA, and now even the CIA is opening the data coffers, then soil carbon sensors may be less than 5 years away. I'm told by the Jet Propulsion Lab mission specialists responsible for the suite of earth sensing satellites, that they will be reading soil carbon using multiple proxy measurements in 5 years. Reading soil moisture to 3 foot dept in two year with SMAP, Reading GHG emissions and biomass from the tree tops down next year when the Orbital Carbon Observer (OCO, get it:) is rebooted, to 1 Ha resolution.

Then, any farmer can click "Google Carbon maps" to see the soil carbon accounted to his good work, a level playing field to be a soil sink banker.

The Moon Pie in the sky funding should be served to JPL

Sowing Seeds With New Agricultural Carbon Accounting Tool Carbon dioxide emissions from agricultural activity in the United States can now be tracked with unprecedented resolution because of a method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory team led by Tristram West.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100602131436.htm

Since we have filled the air , filling the seas to full, Soil is the Only Beneficial place left.

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

WorldStoves in Haiti ; http://www.charcoalproject.org/2010/05/a-man-a-stove-a-mission/ and

The Biochar Fund http://biocharfund.org/ deserves your attention and support.

Exceptional results from biochar experiment in Cameroon

NSF Awards $600K to BREAD: Biochar Inoculants for Enabling Smallholder Agriculture

http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0965336

Thanks for your efforts.

Erich

Erich J. Knight

Chairman; Markets and Business Review Committee

US BiocharConference, at Iowa State University, June 27-30

http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/events/biochar2010/conference-agenda/agenda-overview.html

EcoTechnologies Group Technical Adviser

http://www.ecotechnologies.com/index.html

Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)

1047 Dave Barry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

540 289 9750

Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list TP-REPP

Biochar current Developments in Research, Legislation & Reports:

Biochar Soils.....Husbandry of whole new Orders & Kingdoms of life

Biotic Carbon, the carbon transformed by life, should never be combusted, oxidized and destroyed. It deserves more respect, reverence even, and understanding to use it back to the soil where 2/3 of excess atmospheric carbon originally came from.

We all know we are carbon-centered life, we seldom think about the complex web of recycled bio-carbon which is the true center of life. A cradle to cradle, mutually co-evolved biosphere reaching into every crack and crevice on Earth.

It's hard for most to revere microbes and fungus, but from our toes to our gums (onward), their balanced ecology is our health. The greater earth and soils are just as dependent, at much longer time scales. Our farming for over 10,000 years has been responsible for 2/3rds of our excess greenhouse gases. This soil carbon, converted to carbon dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide began a slow stable warming that now accelerates with burning of fossil fuel. Agriculture allowed our cultural accent and Agriculture will now prevent our descent.

Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back our soil carbon,

Biochar allows the soil food web to build much more recalcitrant organic carbon, ( living biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the carbon in the biochar.

Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration (= to 1 Ton CO2e) + Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels = to 1MWh exported electricity, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.

Biochar viewed as soil Infrastructure; The old saw;

"Feed the Soil Not the Plants" becomes;

"Feed, Cloth and House the Soil, utilities included !".

Free Carbon Condominiums with carboxyl group fats in the pantry and hydroxyl alcohol in the mini bar.

Build it and the Wee-Beasties will come.

Microbes like to sit down when they eat.

By setting this table we expand husbandry to whole new orders & Kingdoms of life.

( These oxidised surface charges; carbonyl. hydroxyl, carboxylic acids, and lactones or quinones, have as well a role as signaling substances towards bacteria, fungi and plants.)

This is what I try to get across to Farmers, as to how I feel about the act of returning carbon to the soil. An act of penitence and thankfulness for the civilization we have created. Farmers are the Soil Sink Bankers, once carbon has a price, they will be laughing all the way to it.

Unlike CCS which only reduces emissions, biochar systems draw down CO2 every energy cycle, closing a circle back to support the soil food web. The photosynthetic "capture" collectors are up and running, the "storage" sink is in operation just under our feet. Pyrolysis conversion plants are the only infrastructure we need to build out.

Research:

NASA’s Space Archaeology; $364K Terra Preta Program

http://archaeologyexcavations.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-traveling-via-satellite.html

This is the finest explanation I have read on the process of biochar testing. Hugh lays it out like medical triage to extract the data most needed for soil carbon sequestration. A triage for all levels of competence, the Para-Medic Gardener to the Surgeon Chem-Engineer.

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/Characterizing_Biochars

The Ozzie's for 5 years now in field studies

The future of biochar - Project Rainbow Bee Eater

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20090211-20142.html

Phosphorous Solution;

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/nishio

The Japanese have been at it dacades:

Japan Biochar Association ;

http://www.geocities.jp/yasizato/pioneer.htm

UK Biochar Research Centre

http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/sccs/biochar/

ICHAR, the Italian Biochar Association

http://www.ichar.org/

Field Trial Data Base; The new version of BiocharDB has been released! To see it, please visit http://biocharbazaar.org.

Virginia Tech is in their 4 th year with the Carbon Char Group's "CharGrow" formulated bagged product. An idea whose time has come | Carbon Char Group

The 2008 trials at Virginia Tech showed a 46% increase in yield of tomato transplants grown with just 2 - 5 cups (2 - 5%) "CharGrow" per cubic foot of growing medium. http://www.carbonchar.com/plant-performance

USDA in their 2 nd year; "Novak, Jeff" <[email protected]>, & "david laird" <[email protected]>,

There are dozens soil researchers on the subject now at USDA-ARS.

and many studies at The ASA-CSSA-SSSA joint meeting;

http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Session5675.html

Nikolaus has been at it 4 years. Nikolaus Foidl,

His current work with aspirin is Amazing in Maize, 250% yield gains, 15 cobs per plant;

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/content/trials-maize-reactivating-dormant-genes-using-high-doses-salicylic-acid-and-charcoal

My 09 field trials with the Rodale Institute & JMU ;

Alterna Biocarbon and Cowboy Charcoal Virginia field trials '09

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/node/1408

Most recent studies out;

Imperial College test,

This work in temperate soils gives data from which one can calculate savings on fertilizer use, which is expected to be ongoing with no additional soil amending.

http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/1755-1315/6/37/372052/ees9_6_372052.pdf?request-id=22fb1902-1c23-4db8-8801-2be7e2f3ce1b

The BlueLeaf Inc./ Dynamotive study are exciting results given how far north the site is at 45 degrees, and the low application rates. I suspect, as we saw with the Imperial College test, the yield benefits seem to decrease the cooler the climate. In 2008, a 20% increase in grain yield was shown and for a forage mixture in 2009 a 100% increase in fresh biomass was obtained. Other parameters showing increases with CQuest Biochar included earthworm, nematode and mycorrhizal root colonization, supporting the hypothesis that biochar may serve as a refuge for soil microbes. Surface soil water infiltration was also greater in biochar amended soil.

http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/BlueLeaf_Inc__and_Dynamotive_Release_2nd_Year_Field_Trial_Results_With_Dynamotive_CQuestT_Biochar-90009.html

Reports:

For those looking for an overview of biochar and its benefits, These authors have done a very nice job of distilling a great deal of information about biochar and applying it to the US context:

US Focused Biochar report: Assessment of Biochar's Benefits for the USA

http://www.biochar-us.org/pdf%20files/biochar_report_lowres.pdf

This PNAS report (by a Nobel lariat) should cause the Royal Society to rethink their report that criticized Biochar systems sequestration potential;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Reducing abrupt climate change risk using

the Montreal Protocol and other regulatory

actions to complement cuts in CO2 emissions

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/10/09/0902568106.full.pdf+html

[coppiceer]

Hello JohnH,

I used to make my own charcoal using a 50-gallon metal drum (like an oil drum but it originally contained imported orange juice). As there was no demand in my area for barbeque charcoal, I dug the stuff into the ground as a soil fertilizer and conditioner. I found that it took years to break down and had often turned into a stodgey mess when I came to dig the area again. However I did find that mixing the charcoal dust into lime-loving pot plants did seem to improve their appearance.

[woodlander]

Thanks Erich for comprehensive reply Im still reading!

Interesting Copiceer the proponents of Biochar suggest that the charcoal should be ground down fairly small and represent only 10 % of the total volume maybe any more results in the stodgeyness you describe

I am currently setting up a trial at our hill farm with plots with 10% biochar ,biochar with gravel, ground limestone only and 2 controll plots to try and avoid the regrowth of rushes which are a problem in the wetter hills and result in use of sprays or energy hungry reseeding I'll post my results Woodlander (ex JohnH not John H)

[greyman]

Hello Erich,

By the flavor of your post I draw the impression that you are from across the pond...

Having said that, I am a bear of very little brain and although your post is most welcome and looks very informative, it is also filled with lots of acronyms, scientific information and references. Is there any way that you could 'dumb' it down so's the likes of use country bumpkins could get a better understanding of what you are saying?

[Darren]

i'm lost!

What about the toxins released from charing?

[jillybean]

hi Erich, Im with Greyman, Ive been raised with BBC tv, there everything is explained a la Blue Peter.

I did like the pictures though, they were very informative. food for thought and for the soil .

[coppiceer]

Hello Woodlander,

That's probably it. I just dug a trench, chucked the stuff in by the barrowload and backfilled. Otherwise I spread the stuff over an area and forked it in. The charcoal wasn't in big lumps but I didn't attempt to break it up. I just wanted to get rid of the stuff. My wife made me dig the patch over for years until it was usable again.