[Terrapreta] Terra Preta and Ants

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Gerald

There might be another mechanism involved for "ant repellancy"...

When attacked or under stress, ants emit a cloud of formic acid vapor, 
as a "predator repellent." It may be that:

1: The charcoal absorbs the formic acid, and teh ants realize this. They 
don't go into the charcoal because they know they will be defenseless.

OR

2: The charcoal absorbs the formic acid, and ant predators have already 
eaten them.

Best wishes,

Kevin

Gerald Van Koeverden wrote:
>
> *
>
> Jim,
>
> There is such a thing as too much of a good thing...
>
> 1.  For example, Japanese studies on mychorizal development 
> demonstrate that too much charcoal can inhibit plant growth:
>
> The application of charcoal is very effective for VAM development. But 
> an excess of charcoal inhibits plant growth. This inhibition by an 
> excessive application of charcoal might be concerned with an increment 
> of soil pH value. Therefore, an appropriate amount of charcoal to be 
> applied is less than 20 ton per hectare. Zeolite is one of the soil 
> materilas. It absorbs chemicals which inhibit VAM growth, and cleans 
> the soil as charcoal does. But the application of zeolite does not 
> change soil pH value.
>
> *
>
> http://bio.kpu.ac.jp/pomlab/Vaminf.html
>
> *2. Perhaps some of this inhibitory effect comes from its properties 
> as a mild pesticide?  Or is it just that an excess of anything is bad?*
>
> * see "Insecticidal Effects of Activated Charcoal and Clays"*
>
> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v184/n4693/abs/1841165a0.html
>
> Geral
>
> On 15-Dec-07, at 9:40 AM, jimstoy at dtccom.net 
> <mailto:jimstoy at dtccom.net> wrote:
>
>> I think we should hope that charcoal is Not a pesticide. There are no 
>> good
>> or bad insects. They all have a job to do. Just like bacteria or viruses
>> in our bodies, they do not cause the problems. They are only 
>> responding to
>> a biological terrain. You are either healthy or you are compost. Same is
>> true of plants.
>>
>> If, like DE, charcoal kills insects, it will not discriminate between
>> honey bees and squash bugs.
>>
>> Hopefully, biochar will help the farmer/gardener to grow well nourished,
>> healthy plants, where pesticides are not needed. Pesticides, like drugs,
>> after all, are only expedients, not cures.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>> Though I've no luck in finding more references to charcoal as a
>>> pesticide, I did find several references to using charcoal-dust
>>> instead of fungicide to protect cut surfaces of vegetatively
>>> propagated plants.  Here's one of them from a Hungarian website:
>>>
>>> "During the rooting of soft leafed species the leaves should be cut
>>> back by 2/3 in order to fit the rootless rosette leaves economically
>>> and reduce the size of their evaporating surface. Perlit or sieved
>>> river-sand can be used for the rooting. Cut surfaces should be dipped
>>> in charcoal-dust or fungicide and left to dry for at least 1-2 days.
>>> Rooting hormones can accelerate the process. Then we plant them into
>>> pots in a half-shaded area and water the plants 2-3 times a week,
>>> then just wait patiently. We may occasionally water the leaves by
>>> some nutritive solution in order for faster results. The rooted
>>> plants should be planted into their permanent habitat in spring in
>>> order to leave them time for rooting."
>>>
>>
>>
>
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