[Terrapreta] www.biochar.org

[Christoph Steiner]

Dear All,

I am glad to introduce my webpage (www.biochar.org). It is only one week
old and will be developed and extended constantly.

Best wishes,

Christoph Steiner




Am Fr, 27.04.2007, 06:08, schrieb terrapreta-request at bioenergylists.org:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>
> 1. Re: sugar usage (Christoph Steiner)
> 2. Re: Low Temp Chars (AJH)
> 3.  Long term durability of  Low Temp Chars (Duane Pendergast)
> 4. Re: Long term durability of  Low Temp Chars (AJH)
> 5. IAI conference report #1 (rongretlarson at comcast.net)
> 6. Re: sugar usage (adkarve)
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:38:46 +0200 (CEST)
> From: "Christoph Steiner" <Christoph.Steiner at uni-bayreuth.de>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] sugar usage
> To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID:
> <60095.83.215.117.89.1177609126.squirrel at mail.uni-bayreuth.de>
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
>
> Dear Mr. Karve,
>
>
> We assessed the influence of charcoal and condensates from smoke
> (pyroligneous acid, wood vinegar) on the microbial activity in a highly
> weathered Amazonian upland soil via measurements of basal respiration (BR),
> substrate induced respiration (SIR), and exponential population increase
> after substrate addition. The extraction of pyrogenous acid and its use as
> fertilizer or pest control is common in Brazil, where phosphorus
> availability and nitrogen leaching are among the most severe limitations
> for agriculture. Microbial immobilization may prevent nitrogen losses and
> the stimulation of endomycorrhizal associations and heterotrophic
> phosphate solubilising bacteria might increase the availability of
> phosphorus. The BR, microbial biomass, population growth and the microbe?s
> efficiency (expressed by the metabolic quotient as CO2 production per
> microbial biomass unit) increased linearly and significantly with
> increasing charcoal concentrations (50, 100 and 150 g kg-1 soil).
> Application of pyrogenous acid caused a sharp increase in all
> parameters. We suppose that the condensates from smoke contain easily
> degradable substances (and only small amounts of inhibitory agents) which
>  could be utilized by the microbes for their metabolism. I hope the
> results will be published in ?Pedobiologia? soon.
>
> Best,
> Christoph Steiner
>
>
>
>
> Am Do, 26.04.2007, 19:00, schrieb terrapreta-request at bioenergylists.org:
>
>> Send Terrapreta mailing list submissions to
>> terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
>>
>>
>>
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> terrapreta-request at bioenergylists.org
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> terrapreta-owner at bioenergylists.org
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than "Re: Contents of Terrapreta digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1.  sugar usage (adkarve)
>> 2. Re: John,s experiment. (Sean K. Barry)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:10:48 +0530
>> From: adkarve <adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in>
>> Subject: [Terrapreta]  sugar usage
>> To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
>> Message-ID: <000701c787ca$32dc7240$4d69fea9 at adkarve>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>>
>>
>>
>> I received many inquiries about sugar. I give below the thought
>> processes that led me to applying sugar to a field. Sorghu,m, being
>> highly drought resistant, is quite popular with farmers who cannot
>> irrigate their fields. Sorghum farmers drill the seed into the field
>> when the first showers of the monsoon have wetted the soil sufficiently
>> to assure germination of the seed. After that stage, if the rainfall is
>> adequate, the farmers harvest an average 2 tonnes of grain and about 4
>> tonnes (dry weight) of fodder per ha. If the rainfall is inadequate,
>> they lose the crop. Since the harvest is uncertain, the farmers do not
>> apply any inputs to the field. The grain is used as human  food and the
>> stems and leaves are fed to cattle. Only the roots are left in the field
>> to rot. When one looks at the input and output of plant nutrients in the
>> case of a sorghum field, it becomes obvious that the soil loses more
>> nutrients every year than it receives. I therefore started looking for
>> mechanisms that would allow the soil to sustain such robbery of the
>> nutrients. Although water,
>> carbon dioxide and perhaps even nitrogen are derived from the
>> atmosphere, the other nutrients have to come from the soil. This led me
>> to search for mechanisms that would generate water soluble nutrient ions
>> every year anew in the soil. As stated above, the roots of sorghum rot
>> in situ. Like seeds, roots too to contain plant nutrients.  If you cut a
>> plant at soil level, it sprouts again, using the food stored in the
>> roots. Normally, when one applies only composted organic matter to the
>> field. Compost does not have much nutritional value as far as the soil
>> micro-organisms are concerned. Therefore, although the agronomists
>> recommend the application of compost to the field as a source of food
>> for the soil micro-organisms, the doses of application of compost (25 to
>> 40 tonnes per ha) are
>> calculated on the basis of its N,P and K content, and not on the basis
>> of its nutritional calorific value. The roots thus represent
>> non-composted, high calorie source of carbon. Because the
>> micro-organisms need the same mineral nutrients that the green plants
>> need, I argued, that the soil micro-organisms utilize the carbon and the
>> energy in the roots to extract mineral ions from the normally insoluble
>> soil minerals.  When the roots have been completely consumed, the
>> micro-organisms too die, releasing the minerals in their cells for the
>> next crop of sorghum. I started experimenting with sugar, because it
>> represented a high calorie carbon source, that did not have any mineral
>> components in its molecular structure. Later on I learned that the water
>> of guttation that falls every night from the leaves of sorghum on the
>> soil surface, also contains sugar. When I started looking for similar
>> phenomena, I found that water of guttation of safflower also contained
>> sugar. The water of guttation of chickpea contains organic acids. It was
>> clear that the plants were already feeding the soil micro-organisms with
>> high calorie, noncomposted organic matter, long before I thought of it.
>> Therefore, it is not the
>> quality of sugar or its composition that is important. It has to be a
>> high calorie, non-composted organic substance. At least under Indian
>> conditions, application of about 25 kg (dry weight) of such a substance
>> to a hectare, once every two or three months, gives very good results. I
>> got interested in terra preta because charcoal, with its highly porous
>> nature, offers a much increased surface area for the soil
>> micro-organisms to settle on. Application of charcoal, along with
>> relatively small quantities of high calorie, non-composted organic
>> matter may evolve in future as the new agronomic practice. Yours
>> A.D.Karve
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:03:37 -0500
>> From: "Sean K. Barry" <sean.barry at juno.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] John,s experiment.
>> To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>, "Tom Miles" <tmiles at trmiles.com>,
>> "John G. Flottvik" <jovick at shaw.ca>
>> Message-ID: <AABDDBNJ2A6Q5YUA at smtp02.nyc.untd.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi John,
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes, I have your descriptions still around.  Consider doing replicates
>> in your next experiments.  Good luck with the ones you are working on
>> now and thank you for doing this work and providing us reports.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>>
>>
>> SKB
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: John G. Flottvik<mailto:jovick at shaw.ca>
>> To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> ;
>> terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ;
>> Tom
>> Miles<mailto:tmiles at trmiles.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 11:40 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] John,s experiment.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Sean.
>>
>>
>>
>> I hoped that I had explained clearly before, but I have 6 different
>> seeds ( vegtables) in 10 variations of soils.
>> Tomorrow I am going to collect some new soils from farms, gardens and
>> fields, find some more pots to do a few more samples. I'm not to happy
>> with bought soils as I dont think it will give the real answer we are
>> looking for. That said, what I have now is worth keeping track of, so I
>>  will just add to the variation.
>>
>> Regards
>> John
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>
>> To: 'John G. Flottvik'<mailto:jovick at shaw.ca> ;
>> terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ;
>> Tom
>> Miles<mailto:tmiles at trmiles.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 9:11 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] John,s experiment.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom, thanks for posting the pictures.
>>
>>
>>
>> John, it sure is exciting to see pictures with some results from some
>> real experiments with charcoal in soil!  I don't remember, but
>> hopefully, you have duplicates or triplicates of the varied test
>> samples.  If you don't, consider making some up.  Make duplicates or
>> triplicates of all the pots, with all the same variances, plant the same
>> kinds of seeds. The replication will help with validating a real
>> effective combination and maybe keep us from having some fluke
>> "super-grower" radish seed
>> "sport" in one of the pots, making us think its an obvious winning
>> recipe. Do you know what I mean?
>>
>>
>> Happy Gardening,
>>
>>
>>
>> SKB
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Tom Miles<mailto:tmiles at trmiles.com>
>> To: 'John G. Flottvik'<mailto:jovick at shaw.ca> ;
>> terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 7:17 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] John,s experiment.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> See:
>> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=jfbiocarbonapr25<http://terrapre
>> t a.bioenergylists.org/?q=jfbiocarbonapr25>
>>
>>
>>
>> Be sure and click on the photos for a full view.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks John
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From:
>> terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenerg
>> y lists.org> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of
>>  John G. Flottvik
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:16 PM
>> To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
>> Subject: [Terrapreta] John,s experiment.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dear List & Kevin.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Kevin, your radishes win, they came up first.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Came home from a two day trip and the radishes are all showing. Pot # 4
>>  which has 75 % liteway and 25 % JF BioCarbon
>>
>> is the best but please view new photos that I will ask Tom to post on
>> terra preta.
>>
>> Pot #5 with straight garden soil has the poorest showing. Also see pot
>> with 10 % charcoal.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks to Kevin for suggesting radishes.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> John Flottvik
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>> End of Terrapreta Digest, Vol 4, Issue 105
>> ******************************************
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:35:36 +0100
> From: AJH <list at sylva.icuklive.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Low Temp Chars
> To: "Sean K. Barry" <sean.barry at juno.com>
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID: <sc2233h60adskl5adgln8h5ahlrai19v82 at 4ax.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:12:03 -0500, Sean K. Barry wrote:
>
>
>> It is claimed that microorganisms decompose or digest bio-oils (VM,
>> pyroligneous acids, acetic acid, wood vinegar, etc.) in charcoal This
>> may in fact be true and there maybe even some evidence to support those
>> claims. But, I don't know if this precludes any sequestration of the
>> carbon in those substances.
>
>>
> This is what I'd like an answer to, I'm completely happy that adding
> char to a soil can enhance the soil by both changing growing conditions and
> supplying plant minerals in an easily assimilated form.
>
> I'm afraid I may be missing some gems on this list because I cannot
> keep up with the threads but if it is to be promoted as a means of carbon
> sequestration then we need to know what carbon remains long term in the
> soil.
>
> Now plants respire CO2 as well as photosynthesise with it, it's just
> that they fix more than they use, so if someone tells me a microbe makes
> use of a volatile portion of the char then I assume it will involve some
> oxidation of it.
>
> Knowing we can make char with fixed carbon contents varying from 70%
> to 99% and that the yield of the original (woody) dry matter will vary
> inversely from 45% to 15% we need to know how much is sequestered long
> term before we start making a generic claims about the effect with no
> regard to the source or type of char.
>
>
>
>> When the microorganisms free up plant nutrients from the bio-oils,
>> immediately when they decompose the bio-oils or when the microorganisms
>> die, then the roots of plants will likely take them up.  These
>> nutrients (N, P, K, S, Ca, Fe, Mg,  etc.), however, do not include
>> carbon-C. Growing plants do not absorb soil-based carbon.  They get it
>> from the atmosphere in the form of CO2.
>
>
> Yes, which is why I'm suggesting the microbes will be oxidising it or
> is there another explanation? Can an experiment that tests the remaining
> carbon from ancient terra preta soils be devised that relates the original
> mass of biochar (low temperature and agriwaste rather than wood I believe)
> to that which survives in the soil?
>
>
> AJH
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:19:17 -0600
> From: Duane Pendergast <still.thinking at computare.org>
> Subject: [Terrapreta]  Long term durability of  Low Temp Chars
> To: 'AJH' <list at sylva.icuklive.co.uk>, "'Sean K. Barry'"
> <sean.barry at juno.com>
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID:
> <!~!UENERkVCMDkAAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAAAAAAAAAbxxJInXmQU6ZPRDFG1n46MKAAA
> AQAAAAj7V2YuZ4oEap+tugoEz7mwEAAAAA at computare.org>
>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> Dear AJH,
>
>
> I suspect that archeologists could develop some conclusions from layers
> built up over the centuries and carbon 14 content of remaining char. I
> think I've seen some papers along those lines but have no references right
> at hand. I also recall seeing some references that indicate the char can
> last a very long time - into the thousands of years.
>
> I'm sure there are several involved in this list that can point us very
> quickly to the right stuff to start answering these questions.
>
> Duane Pendergast
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of AJH
> Sent: April 26, 2007 2:36 PM
> To: Sean K. Barry
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Low Temp Chars
>
>
> On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:12:03 -0500, Sean K. Barry wrote:
>
>
>> It is claimed that microorganisms decompose or digest bio-oils (VM,
>>
> pyroligneous acids, acetic acid, wood vinegar, etc.) in charcoal
>> This may in fact be true and there maybe even some evidence to support
>>
> those claims. But, I don't know if this precludes any sequestration of
> the carbon in those substances.
>
>>
> This is what I'd like an answer to, I'm completely happy that adding
> char to a soil can enhance the soil by both changing growing conditions and
> supplying plant minerals in an easily assimilated form.
>
> I'm afraid I may be missing some gems on this list because I cannot
> keep up with the threads but if it is to be promoted as a means of carbon
> sequestration then we need to know what carbon remains long term in the
> soil.
>
> Now plants respire CO2 as well as photosynthesise with it, it's just
> that they fix more than they use, so if someone tells me a microbe makes
> use of a volatile portion of the char then I assume it will involve some
> oxidation of it.
>
> Knowing we can make char with fixed carbon contents varying from 70%
> to 99% and that the yield of the original (woody) dry matter will vary
> inversely from 45% to 15% we need to know how much is sequestered long
> term before we start making a generic claims about the effect with no
> regard to the source or type of char.
>
>
>
>> When the microorganisms free up plant nutrients from the bio-oils,
>>
> immediately when they decompose the bio-oils or when the microorganisms
> die, then the roots of plants will likely take them up.  These nutrients
> (N, P,
> K, S, Ca, Fe, Mg,  etc.), however, do not include carbon-C. Growing plants
>  do not absorb soil-based carbon.  They get it from the atmosphere in the
>  form of CO2.
>
>
> Yes, which is why I'm suggesting the microbes will be oxidising it or
> is there another explanation? Can an experiment that tests the remaining
> carbon from ancient terra preta soils be devised that relates the original
> mass of biochar (low temperature and agriwaste rather than wood I believe)
> to that which survives in the soil?
>
>
> AJH
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:28:13 +0100
> From: AJH <list at sylva.icuklive.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Long term durability of  Low Temp Chars
> To: still.thinking at computare.org
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID: <31623311h2pmam8kqc0bg652ibmt76u061 at 4ax.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:19:17 -0600, Duane Pendergast wrote:
>
>
>> I suspect that archeologists could develop some conclusions from layers
>>  built up over the centuries and carbon 14 content of remaining char. I
>> think I've seen some papers along those lines but have no references
>> right at hand. I also recall seeing some references that indicate the
>> char can last a very long time - into the thousands of years.
>
> Hi Duane
>
>
> I'm sure carbon 14 dating can tell us some things, despite not really
> knowing how this method copes with changes in solar activity or atmospheric
> CO2 concentrations, but can it tell us whether the
> surviving carbon in the terra preta soil started out as fixed carbon in
> biochar or oxygenated hydrocarbons bound within a char matrix?
>
> AJH
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:26:00 +0000
> From: rongretlarson at comcast.net
> Subject: [Terrapreta] IAI conference report #1
> To: AJH <list at sylva.icuklive.co.uk>, still.thinking at computare.org
> Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID:
> <042720070026.20169.463143180008475700004EC9221357533302019C9D0E049B0A9D09
> 02019D at comcast.net>
>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> Hi terrapreta list members:
>
>
> Have a few minutes before starting the first field trip activities at
> Wollongbar, NSW.  This is a liovely country.  Rain forests hereabouts,
> moderately hilly.  This laboratory said to be here because they have the
> best soil in the country.  Perhaps more in a few hours if I can get back
> on a computer.  About a dozen so far and a few more expected.
>
> Ron
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> ------------------------------
>
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:56:02 +0530
> From: adkarve <adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] sugar usage
> To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> Message-ID: <000101c78881$2fbe2e20$4d69fea9 at adkarve>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>
> Dear Dr.Steiner,
> thanks for the information. I presume that pyroligneous acid and wood
> vinegar would be added to the soil only once, when one applies charcoal
> to the soil. I am suggesting that one applies char once, so that it acts
> as a place for the micro-organisms to inhabit and then add any high
> calorie organic material every year as feed for the micro-organisms.The
> latter is what a lot of farmers in India are already doing. Yours
> A.D.Karve
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christoph Steiner <Christoph.Steiner at uni-bayreuth.de>
> To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 11:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] sugar usage
>
>
>
>> Dear Mr. Karve,
>>
>>
>> We assessed the influence of charcoal and condensates from smoke
>> (pyroligneous acid, wood vinegar) on the microbial activity in a highly
>> weathered Amazonian upland soil via measurements of basal respiration
>> (BR), substrate induced respiration (SIR), and exponential population
>> increase after substrate addition. The extraction of pyrogenous acid and
>>  its use as fertilizer or pest control is common in Brazil, where
>> phosphorus availability and nitrogen leaching are among the most severe
>>  limitations for agriculture. Microbial immobilization may prevent
>> nitrogen losses and the stimulation of endomycorrhizal associations and
>> heterotrophic phosphate solubilising bacteria might increase the
>> availability of phosphorus. The BR, microbial biomass, population
>> growth and the microbe?s efficiency (expressed by the metabolic quotient
>> as CO2 production per microbial biomass unit) increased linearly and
>> significantly with increasing charcoal concentrations (50, 100 and 150
>> g kg-1 soil). Application of pyrogenous acid caused a sharp increase in
>> all parameters. We suppose that the condensates from smoke contain
>> easily degradable substances (and only small amounts of inhibitory
>> agents) which could be utilized by the microbes for their metabolism. I
>> hope the results will be published in ?Pedobiologia? soon.
>>
>> Best,
>> Christoph Steiner
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
>
>
>
> End of Terrapreta Digest, Vol 4, Issue 106
> ******************************************
>
>