[Terrapreta] Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Michael,

Interesting article.

Tom Miles was asking earlier this evening about other ways to measure charcoal.  That article had a few reasonably good suggestions I thought ...
"We will also measure the nutrient content of the agrichar, particularly calcium and magnesium, its cation exchange capacity, pH and changes to microbial activity and microbial biomass."

I would also suggest a "pH buffer" capacity measurement.  This is something Richard Haard mentioned the other day as a measure of soil. I think he suggested including this type of measurement for soil enhanced with charcoal.  Your highlight in the article, Michael, "... paper mill waste applied at a rate of 10 tonnes per hectare raised the soil pH by one unit, making the soil 10 times less acid." points out the value of "buffering" acidity and/or alkalinity, which charcoal can provide, when added to soils which swing away from the ideal (is that neutral pH = 7.0?).

This quote -> "Char itself has a high fertiliser value, depending on its source.", I would like to discuss.  It seems to me, even if charcoal has some nutrient content when it is made (and it may well have, since charcoal is made from biomass), that when and if these nutrients become available for uptake by plants, then they would soon be depleted, perhaps in a few seasons of plant growth and harvesting.  But, "Terra Preta" soils are centuries old and had been there (are still there) for many many years (again centuries).  So, any original fertilizer (plant nutrient) content in charcoal, one put into the soil and having crops grown on it, would have been depleted long ago.  Therefore, if the "Terra Preta" soils still retain their fertility, then there must be something about the charcoal in the soil which helps the soil maintain it's fertility.  There also must be a continual application of nutrient containing charcoal and/or plants nutrients from another form, either organic plant materials (composts) or other sources of plant nutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca, Fe, Mg).

I think I have repeated this list, (N, P, K, S, Ca, Fe, Mg), like 100 times since I have been making posts to this site.  A "Plant Propagation" professor I had a few years back told use to remember all the "required" plant nutrients by a phrase.  It includes the 3 organic elements from air and water (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen) and the 6 or 7 organic elements (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfer, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Iodine) found in soils "See (C) HOPKINS CaFe Manager(Mg)".

Regards,

Sean K. Barry
Principal Engineer/Owner
Troposphere Energy, LLC
11170 142nd St. N.
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 351-0711 (Home/Fax)
(651) 285-0904 (Cell)
sean.barry at juno.com<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> 
  To: terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; robert.prince at ngia.com.au<mailto:robert.prince at ngia.com.au> 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 12:10 AM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar


  This is the first time I have seen anything on agrichar in a Oz agriculture.
  Paper mill waste has up to 70% water content. You would not get much free electricity from in a pyrolysis process  unless you added some wood waste as well.. 
  Paper mill waste is now dumped in landfill were it produces methane, a greenhouse gas.


  The emphasis and underlining in the article is mine.



  Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar 

  From the February 2007 edition of Agriculture Today.

   DPI research scientist, Lukas Van Zwieten, says charred feedlot waste is now being applied at a rate of 20 tonnes per hectare to Wollongbar's ferrosol soils. 
  After very successful pot trials, Wollongbar Agricultural Institute researchers are undertaking field trials to assess the value of agrichar on iron-rich ferrosols.

  Agrichar is organic matter that has been burnt very slowly with little oxygen present, a process known as pyrolysis.

  In the pot trials earlier this year, research scientist, Lukas Van Zwieten, found charred paper mill waste applied at a rate of 10 tonnes per hectare raised the soil pH by one unit, making the soil 10 times less acid.

  The agrichar application also eliminated plant-available aluminium which is toxic to some agricultural crops at low levels.

  "The success of the pot trials encouraged us to do field trials," Dr Van Zwieten said.

  "In November we set up 36 replicated plots to investigate the benefits of agrichar and lime on ferrosols.

  "This time the agrichar is made from charred chicken and feedlot manure.

  "We applied it at a rate of 20t/ha and incorporated it by rotary-hoeing to 15 centimetres.

  "While it is extremely easy to spread because it is so light, we are looking at ways of improving its handling and marketability.

  "We have planted a peanut ground cover, arachnis pintoi, where we will measure crop yields and hope to have results in early 2007.

  "One of our main goals is to quantify carbon sequestration in soil.

  "Agrichar has the potential to reverse 150 years of organic matter decline in Australian soils.

  "Results so far have been stunning.

  "We will also measure the nutrient content of the agrichar, particularly calcium and magnesium, its cation exchange capacity, pH and changes to microbial activity and microbial biomass."

  The agrichar research team has established a method for greenhouse gas analysis to examine emissions from soils.

  "Basically, we want to see if we can reduce the formation of nitrous oxides which develop following fertiliser application," Dr Van Zwieten said.

  "We suspect agrichar may help bind the nitrogen into the soil, reducing the biological reactions that cause loss of nitrogen.

  "Char itself has a high fertiliser value, depending on its source.

  "We want to know how much nutrient in char is available to plants."

  The Wollongbar field trials will provide information for a similar trial in central Vietnam next year to build soil health and provide forage crops as part of an ACIAR aid project.

  The trials will complement Best Energy Australia's US work in charring dairy and beef feedlot wastes.

  There they are harnessing the energy generated by the pyrolysis process to dry the effluent before it is pyrolised and spread on soil.

  Results of the Wollongbar trials will be announced at an international agrichar initiative conference at Terrigal in April.

  Dr Van Zwieten is on the organising committee for this conference (website: www.iaiconference.org<http://www.iaiconference.org/>).

  Contact the NSW DPI Environmental and Agricultural Health team at www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/wollongbar/eah.htm<http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/wollongbar/eah.htm>

  http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-today/february-2007/agrichar-trialled-wollongbar
  <http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/wollongbar/eah.htm>



  -- 
  Michael Bailes.

  "Human beings,
  who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others,
  are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." 
  Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See" _______________________________________________
  Terrapreta mailing list
  Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070424/c69a38e2/attachment-0001.html