[Terrapreta] Kevins TerraPreta questions & questions for Rich

[Richard Haard]

On Feb 11, 2007, at 9:30 PM, Shengar at aol.com wrote:

> Rich , great read
>
> Questions:
>
> Are the trachieds of hardwoods, the voids in the charred "bones" of  
> the lignin structure?

These are tube like elements in the wood (xylem) that are responsible  
for conducting water. Conifer wood (softwoods) are primarily  the  
narrow, long trachieds and pitted vessels are much larger and are  
found in other kinds of plants (angiosperms) as well as trachieds.  
This microstructure of the original wood is retained in charcoal.  
This important point speaks to the role of charcoal in soil. The  
likely role is habitat for beneficial bacteria and fungi. You need to  
see Ogawa's electron micrographs of charcoal with bacteria and fungi  
to appreciate this.

I have a post on basic plant anatomy i prepared for our local  
discussion group and can repost it here.
>
>
> "slower in temperate zones"........, maybe, less water and solar  
> inputs, but we know of the non char high soil biome masses in  
> "virgin" forest,
> the bugs of each zone should all like quality homes and  
> infrastructure to be their best.

Yes i would presume soil temperature would be responsible for  
relative abundance and activity of Azotobacter. I am (impatiently)  
awaiting reports of charcoal effects on northern soils. Will it work  
in alkaline dry desert soils ? All that we have is studies in the  
moist tropics. In my location, western Washington, we have highly  
leached, acidic, sandy loam soils - a parallel

If  free living, nitrogen fixing, Azotobacter is the primary reason  
for the terra preta effect then its relative activity in the soil may  
be the reason the effect shows within the first growing season in the  
moist tropics. It may take 2-3 years up here.  My own thinking .

>
>
> "let the mix age for a period of time."...... ? amount of  
> time?....then spread & tile?.. or disk?.... cultivate?.

I have let the mix sit for a few days to weeks. At least long enough  
to allow the soluble fertilizer elements to be adsorbed into the  
charcoal. Longer would be better.

I have spread it on the surface and tilled in, also spread over  
emerging seedlings and worked into surface soil in the rills and  
placed as a band in the seedbed along with the seed with our seeder.  
The later two put the charcoal where it is in contact with primary  
seedling roots.

In Ogawa's forest, container, nursery article he describes putting  
charcoal and collected natural soil on the porous fabric the  
containers rest. Roots growing out of the containers become  
'infected' with beneficial fungi.
>
>
> "I am using charcoal at 200lbs/1000sq feet for my work in  
> combination with commercial fertilizer or compost and collected  
> natural forest  surface soil and rotting litter.  
> ".......................................................
>    This sounds like a great mix ; natural innoculum ,  High density  
> Compost microbes, got it all. As I mentioned in the "TP Kit " post  
> last month, love to test the different affects of Time release  
> Fertilizer and Hydro-Gels

Good idea -

It would be worthwhile to look at Epidra website and their  
explanation of incorporation of ammonium bicarbonate into the biochar  
(patent applied for) by capturing stack gasses - SOx,NOx and CO2. It  
seems to me application of fertilizer or fertile compost as done by  
Ogawa accomplished the same, ie converts the charcoal into slow  
release fertilizer, in alkaline soils anyway...... So perhaps the  
added cost of slow release fertilizer is redundant..

I wish I had access to a lab!!



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