[Terrapreta] The economics of soil enhancement

[Robert Klein]

Hi Duane, Lou, Sean

I return to my corn protocol for the production of biochar.  Converting corn stover into biochar manure is a natural adjunct to pure corn production that has been missing in corn production from the beginning.

Ripe corn stover by itself is a farm disaster and is resolved only with difficulty.  In fact, corn would be every farmer's first crop choice where moisture is sufficient if the problem of stover were resolved.  Otherwise it starts of by been far too hard on the soil in terms of nutrient depletion.

Biochar actually returns the nutrients and even more importantly, likely grabs and holds other nutrients that would be lost.

I anticipate that a biochar manure cycle is not unlike the cattle manure cycle and will both support higher corn production in terms of land usage but also support higher per acre yield of sustainable production.  I anticipate that corn biochar culture will now become the dominant form of agriculture globally because of this  soil building quality. 

I obviously consider the issue of carbon credits to be a red herring, but it can help jump start the global conversion.  Once farmers have the right tools, we will never look back.

Can you imagine the impact in Indonesia and the Philippines were tropical soils can be only cropped once every fifteen years with slash and burn?



----- Original Message ----
From: Duane Pendergast <still.thinking at computare.org>
To: Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com>; lou gold <lou.gold at gmail.com>
Cc: Terrapreta preta <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:56:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] The economics of soil enhancement






 


 


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In a way, although I was hoping in that short message that the agricultural
economic benefits of terra preta production would turn out to be so compelling
that no emission reduction credit system would be needed at all.  


 


Duane


 


-----Original Message-----

From: Sean K. Barry
[mailto:sean.barry at juno.com] 

Sent: December 11, 2007 1:24 PM

To: still.thinking at computare.org;
'lou gold'

Cc: 'Jim Joyner'; 'Terrapreta
preta'

Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] The
economics of soil enhancement


 








Hi
again Duane,







 







I
think we just said the same thing again.







 









Hi
Lou, Duane,







 







There
is a scale of improving effect from reducing "carbon positive"
activity (conservation), to "carbon neutral" (using biomass renewable
energy), and finally to "carbon negative" (carbon
sequestration).  Maybe it might be worhwhile considering that "carbon
credits" could be paid along a similar graduated scale, as well,
making "carbon negative" activities earn the highest value of "carbon
credits" ?







 







What
might any of you think of that?  I think it would promote the
formation of Terra Preta, in lieu of others schemes for ACTION to combat
Global Climate Change (GCC).







 







Regards,







 







SKB















-----
Original Message ----- 







From: Duane Pendergast 







To: 'lou gold'








Cc: 'Sean K.
Barry' ; 'Jim Joyner' ; 'Terrapreta preta' 







Sent: Tuesday, December 11,
2007 2:03 PM







Subject: RE:
[Terrapreta] a braoder theory of torrefaction and TP







 





           
... , it would sure be great if the economics of soil enhancement could trump
the economics of emission reduction credits


 


Duane 


 


 
















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