[Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Michael,

Poor Mr. Skjemstad.  He must not be a soil scientists or a plant physiologist (or a good one of either?).  Plants don't ever use carbon from soil.  Plants only respire carbon in the form of Carbon Dioxide-CO2 from the air.  Little does he realize that carbon in soil in the form of charcoal in the soil is likely the best form it could be in.  Charcoal in soil aids the fertility of the soil by helping the microorganisms to hold more nutrients.  Charcoal in soil is highly resilient.  By Mr. Skjemstad's account, charcoal is still in the Australian soil from bushfires which occurred tens of thousands of years ago!

Perhaps Mr. Skjemstad would enjoy a subscription to the 'terrapreta' list?  Maybe he could help us learn how to convert mere "charcoal in soil" into Terra Preta soil, which is "ALIVE" and promotes the growth of plants above.

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Bailes<mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com> 
  To: Sean K. Barry<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com> ; Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 9:25 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil


  I posted this last June on the original Hypography TP thread

    "
    Famous last words?? 


    Quote:
    CSIRO MEDIA RELEASE 97/58
    3 April 1997

    LEGACY OF A THOUSAND BUSHFIRES

    Australia's soil is even poorer than was thought, says CSIRO Land and Water researcher Jan Skjemstad. Much of our small supply of carbon - an essential element in fertile soil - is in the form of useless charcoal, resulting from tens of thousands of years of bushfires.

    "The charcoal is mostly carbon, but it is in a form which can't be used by plants or soil organisms," said Mr Skjemstad. "


  So they must have away of measuring soil carbon? 

  How do they distinguish from char and decaying vegetable matter?

  Perhaps you could Ask Adiana when she comes back.



  On 01/12/2007, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>> wrote: 
    Hi Rick,

    I think you just weigh the biochar/agrichar/charcoal one would make, estimate the carbon content at 90%.  Maybe the payer would then certify that the charcoal was then put into soil before they pay the amount of that weight?  Let's assume you could not get paid if you put the charcoal in the soil first.  Paid only for the fixed carbon weight in the raw charcoal (if it can be weighed first), and then only when its verifiably buried.

    Regards,

    SKB

  Michael the Archangel

  "You can fix all the world's problems in a garden. . . . 
  Most people don't know that"
  FROM
  http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf<http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf> 
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