[Terrapreta] Permaculture and Biochar Development - QldAustralia

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Barry,

You said:

I'm now also trialling an idea of adding edge effect soils to my Biochar composts and worm farm systems, these soils are taken from the banks of water holes and swamps in my local area, I was reading about this earlier this year, An Australian human waste system (Biocycle) that uses bacteria from the edges of water systems as the break down of organic matter is many times faster than bacteria taken from the bottom of the swamps or creeks. 

Do you think that maybe the bacteria found on the banks of watering holes and swamps is aerobic bacteria (oxygen using), versus the anaerobic bacteria found at the bottom of swamps or creeks?  Maybe because the aerobic bacteria has access to oxygen from the air is why it is faster at decomposing organic matter?  Having a ready supply of oxygen to combine with carbohydrates produces much energy.  
The product of a reduction reaction (combine with oxygen) on carbohydrates is CO2 and a lot of heat energy.  When anaerobic bacteria (that under the water and away from air) decomposes carbohydrates the product of those decomposition reactions is Methane-CH4 and the release of energy is much lower than with reduction by oxygen.  Note that there is no oxygen in a molecule of Methane-CH4.

Regards,

SKB

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barry at Biochar<mailto:barry.batchelor at biochar.net> 
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 6:44 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Permaculture and Biochar Development - QldAustralia


  Hi Tom

  At this stage I'm adding roughly 45 litres per 400 litre batch, this is added in between fine carbon and coarse nitrogen layers, I follow a set pattern when building composts, starting with carbon layer coarse, nitrogen layer coarse, carbon layer fine, nitrogen layer fine then back to coarse, I also add activators like herbs, molasses, liquid kelp, soaked horse manure etc..

  My composts depend on what's around at the time, in the dry season's carbon is in excess and as we are now in our wet season nitrogen is most abundant. I like to raid next doors dam for floating weeds as they make great nitrogen rich compost in my dry season, they think I'm nuts but like the fact I clean out the dam for them.

  Grinding the biochar, Most of the dry wood that I char is quite fine already so I'm not to bothered with getting the char into a fine uniformed size, I like the idea of chunks and differing sizes (0.1 - 10mm), the worms in both compost and soil seem to like areas of chuncky (5-10mm) high char areas and I have now seen this quite a few times when digging holes or harvesting compost.

  I have also added some smashed up clay pots to a couple of compost batches out of interest, I have read that these pot's in the Amazon might have been for cooking, what about if they used them for soaking the char in bacteria rich liquid's like most Biodynamic and Organic gardeners use in their gardening systems? I think it's a fast way to add bacteria to biochar before spreading. These compost's are yet to be harvested.

  I'm now also trialling an idea of adding edge effect soils to my Biochar composts and worm farm systems, these soils are taken from the banks of water holes and swamps in my local area, I was reading about this earlier this year, An Australian human waste system (Biocycle) that uses bacteria from the edges of water systems as the break down of organic matter is many times faster than bacteria taken from the bottom of the swamps or creeks. So my thinking is if this bacteria can survive in the damp composts a month after they have gone through the early heat up and break down stages they might be of benefit in turning my composts into a higher percentage of quality stable humus. All the maps I have seen of ADE soils are close to water, maybe this is something they added to the char in the Amazon farms?

  Anyone know of researcher's in Queensland Australia who might be able to help check sample's of any positive results I get? I have been talking to Alfred Harris in New Zealand since the IAI conference and he spend some time here digging around my compost on his way to see Paul Blackall's work in WA earlier this year. But I cannot send him any samples, only photo's and descriptions. 

  Regards

  Barry Batchelor
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Tom Miles<mailto:tmiles at trmiles.com> 
    To: 'Barry at Biochar'<mailto:barry.batchelor at biochar.net> ; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
    Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 4:09 AM
    Subject: RE: [Terrapreta] Permaculture and Biochar Development - Qld Australia


    Barry,

     

    Biochar compost - how much biochar do you  adding to a liter of compost? Does this vary with the compost or the intended use of the compost? Is the biochar ground up? If so how do you grind it and how fine do you grind it?

     

    Thanks

     

    Tom

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