[Terrapreta] volatile matter and char

[Richard Haard]

Edward

Yes - A key point Ogawa made at the 2002 UGA meeting was a description  
of  his study of Azotobacter distribution and activity with latitude  
and his graphic showed EU to Japan.(Both less numerous and slower  
metabolism for this free living nitrogen fixer). In my discussion with  
him about my planned research at the farm he suggested treating the  
charcoal with some amount of fertilizer and/or compost and to 'let it  
sit for a while' A woman from Cornell at the meeting whose name I lost  
also recommended the same charcoal preparation. I was never sure what  
he meant about this and why. But Larry's results point out the need to  
do this --- or to wait for a few years for the effects to show up.

I only did this in 2002 for a few days and in 2006 put down untreated  
charcoal on my block treatment study.

I am preparing the images of Larry's charcoal aging and treatment test  
and will post later today but for the moment I would like to ask you  
if you have suggestions for a 3 month pretreatment of charcoal , about  
3000 lbs we intend to spread on about 60,000 square feet of low  
organic matter sandy soil we are preparing for cropping. An equal area  
will be left untreated.

We do not know yet if it will be cover cropped and fall planted to  
crop or planted immediately. I have become interested because of the  
shift in CEC of our charcoal treated section that had been cropped for  
4 years.

This would be an opportunity to establish a block treatment

Also Edward can you elaborate on what you mean by' rather complex  
inputs'

Rich H

Lastly, distracted by this interesting topic this morning I pyrolysed  
my oatmeal. It my wind up in my garden pot and all. :>()


On Dec 21, 2007, at 1:18 AM, Edward Someus wrote:

> Dr. Ogawa's view is correct, but need to be added, that the TP  
> effect is highly depending on soil and climate conditions. There is  
> a difference in effects in warmer climate than continental. Another  
> issue is that in high productive agriculture not only one parameter  
> is considered, but rather  complex inputs.
>
>
>  Sincerely yours: Edward Someus (environmental engineer)
> Terra Humana Clean Tech Ltd. (ISO 9001/ISO 14001)
> 3R Environmental Technologies Ltd.
> ADDRESS: H-1222 Budapest, Szechenyi 59, Hungary
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> TEL SKYPE phone via computer:  Edward Someus
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>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: Richard Haard
> Date: 2007.12.21. 9:15:23
> To: Terrapreta
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] volatile matter and char
>
> I keep going back to Dr. Ogawa's view that charcoal in the soil is a  
> selective enrichment for beneficial organisms in that it excludes  
> saprophytic organisms (ie no fermentable carbon source) and   
> otherwise improves soils much like organic matter. In the context of  
> volatile matter here is the vm he cited on charcoal he claims has  
> the following effects
>
> Rich
>
>
> Charcoal Characteristics and Uses Characteristics and Function of  
> Charcoal
> From: Makoto Ogawa, Effects of Soil Microbial Fertility by Charcoal  
> in Soil
> 1.Porous substance with high water and air holding capacity;  
> Suitable habitat for some microbes and plant growth, good material  
> for soil amendment, absorption of chemicals and humidity control
> 2.High alkalinity; Neutralization of acidic soil and improvement of  
> chemical components of soil and selection of microorganisms
> 3.Non organic matter ; Exclusion of saprophytes and propagation of  
> autotrophic and symbiotic microorganisms, free living nitrogen  
> fixing bacteria, root nodule bacteria, Frankia and some mycorrhizal  
> fungi
> 4.Low mineral content ; “Charcoal has no role as a fertilizer”
> Composition of bark charcoal %
> Carbon:77.58,
> Volatile matter:12.92,
> Ash: 9.50
> Mineral content of ash %
> SiO2:36.5
> Al2O3:10.9
> CaO:19.2
> K2O:1.1
> Na2O3:5.35
> Fe2O3:7.5
> MgO:10.3
> P2O5:1.7
> # Air supply by charcoal induces the activation of soil microbes and  
> CO2 emission temporally. Small amounts of chemical fertilizers or  
> organic matter should be mixed with charcoal in agricultural use.
> soil application of charcoal to provide a microhabitat for AM fungi  
> to colonize and survive.
>

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