[Terrapreta] To compost or not; and some other points
Randy Black
rblack at hillcity.k12.sd.us
Tue Apr 24 08:58:40 CDT 2007
To Frank Teuton,
What I did this year to the green manure I put in my garden was to char
it up in my kiln. Not only does this kill off any pathogens/weed seeds
but most likely creates some interesting chemistry and products. I let
this mix smolder and char for at least 12 hours and got a range of
material across the combustion continuum. I think this is what the
Amazonian Indians may also have done with their garbage/latrine wastes.
Burning would have reduced the smell, insects, animal infestation, and
possibly disease. Also smoldering manure is reported to keep mosquitoes
and other bugs away and from my experiments I (and the whole town of
Hill City, South Dakota), would agree (I'm still getting flack for that
day, how was I to know the wind would change).
Randy Black
-----Original Message-----
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Subject: Terrapreta Digest, Vol 4, Issue 89
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Today's Topics:
1. supper time menu (Michael N Trevor)
2. Re: Sugar, use on soil (Tom Miles)
3. Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar (Michael Bailes)
4. Re: To compost or not; and some other points (Frank Teuton)
5. More on Sugar and soil (Michael Bailes)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:30:00 +1200
From: "Michael N Trevor" <mtrevor at ntamar.net>
Subject: [Terrapreta] supper time menu
To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Message-ID: <000a01c78620$d7ad9020$8e0319ac at USER2>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Thanks to all for the tidbits of information
at 25 kg per hectare it does not seem sugar
is an expensive soil additive.
1 teaspoon 20/20/20
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup coconut frond charcoal fro the TLUD
6 cups water all into the blender.
and mixed with 3 quarts water.
AND my daughter is going to be really angry when she has to wash the
blender.
I usually tell her is good for us though
Michael
Marshall Islands
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:14:28 -0700
From: "Tom Miles" <tmiles at trmiles.com>
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Sugar, use on soil
To: "'Michael Bailes'" <michaelangelica at gmail.com>, "'terrapreta'"
<terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Message-ID: <001c01c78627$0d599650$280cc2f0$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
High temperature and low temperature don't mean much. If I recall these
were
two chars from the same feedstock made in the same reactor at two
different
temperatures. We'll need to examine the composition of these chars and
characterize them in a different way so that we can clearly
differentiate
char composition. Michael Antal has suggested volatile matter (VM). We
may
also need to use something like chemical fractionation - leaching in
water,
dilute acid and strong acid plus elemental analysis - or similar methods
to
clearly identify the substances available to the microbes.
What measures would the plant and soil people on this list suggest?
Tom
>Low temperature woody charcoal (not grass or high cellulose) has an
>interior layer of bio-oil condensates that microbes consume and is
>equal to glucose in its effect on microbial growth (Christoph Steiner,
>EACU 2004).
>High temp char loses this layer and does not promote soil
>fertility very well.
>Michael Bailes.
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:10:35 +1000
From: "Michael Bailes" <michaelangelica at gmail.com>
Subject: [Terrapreta] Agrichar trialled in field at Wollongbar
To: terrapreta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>,
robert.prince at ngia.com.au
Message-ID:
<7dcba7be0704232210m7ce0e1a1jf23fef9f8c92cc5e at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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.
[image: 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.] 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).
*Contact the NSW DPI Environmental and Agricultural Health team at
www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/wollongbar/eah.htm*
*
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/news/agriculture-today/february-2007/a
grichar-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"
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 01:12:58 -0400
From: Frank Teuton <fteuton at videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] To compost or not; and some other points
To: Janice Thies <jet25 at cornell.edu>, Kevin Chisholm
<kchisholm at ca.inter.net>
Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Message-ID: <592CE6C4E6C6498088098C8F16264105 at FrankPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Just to add one more point: to compost manures sufficiently to meet USDA
Organic requirements requires only that the initial C:N ratio be between
25:1 and 40:1, and that the material is heated hot enough for long
enough to meet PFRP (Process to Further Reduce Pathogens) standards used
in sewage treatment composting.
You can compost in vessel or static pile, where the entire mass of the
materials reaches 131 F for three full days...or you can compost in a
windrow, turning five times in 15 days with temps reaching 131 F after
each turning of the pile. Such material is considered safe, but anyone
with any experience in the matter will tell you...it isn't yet compost!
However, it is safer than fresh manure and this speeds up considerably
the time between application and potential harvest, as there are no
restrictions on such materials once heated per regulations. Different
crops will appreciate such fresh residues more, and others less...YMMV
For best weed seed destruction 145 F is a better target temperature (
and no, it won't kill every kind of seed, black medic seed can take up
to 180F...nature has a bell curve of diversity here as elsewhere.)
Hope this helps someone,
Frank Teuton
---- Original Message -----
From: Janice Thies To: Frank Teuton ; Kevin Chisholm
Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: To compost or not; and some other points
Many thanks to you, Frank, for your very detailed explanations and
additions to the previous messages. I had meant to mention
reducing/destroying pathogens and weed seeds as an important function of
thermogenic composting and am very glad to see that you made this
important point in your reply, along with being aware of the withholding
period for vegetables to which manures (composted or uncomposted) are
applied.
Kind regards,
Janice
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:30:19 +1000
From: "Michael Bailes" <michaelangelica at gmail.com>
Subject: [Terrapreta] More on Sugar and soil
To: terrapreta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Message-ID:
<7dcba7be0704232230h10d1b906u21987a5b13f6b04f at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
This is an interesting new product
i imagine sugar itself would be hydroscopic until the ants got it?
Unique Composition Promotes Healthy Microenvironment
Zeba is a unique superabsorbent polymer based on natural cornstarch,
making
it biodegradable, nontoxic and odorless. As a starch-based polymer, Zeba
is
made up of glucose molecules, which are linked together chemically to
become
a water-insoluble, net-like matrix in the form of a hydrogel that holds
and
releases water for use by plants as needed.
MORE AT
http://www.zeba.com/technology/technology1.htm
--------------------
I recently read on a gardener's forum that Cornflower was good for
Gardenias.
So a packet of paella corn disappeared from my wife's pantry.
Of course the mad scientist didn't keep any controls; so I have no idea
if
it did any good.
But it is interesting that it is a old wives'/gardeners' tale.
--
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"
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