[Terrapreta] Kevins TerraPreta questions & questions for Rich

[Tom Miles]

Rich,
 
Is this one of the Ogawa presentations you are referring to?
http://www.georgiaitp.org/carbon/PDF%20Files/MOgawa.pdf
 
Tom

  _____  

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Richard Haard
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 7:57 AM
To: Shengar at aol.com
Cc: Larry Williams; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Kevins TerraPreta questions & questions for Rich



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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