[Terrapreta] Terra Preta & Pigs

[Tom Miles]

Doug,

 

I'm curious about the reason between the fast pyrolysis char vs slow
pyrolysis char. I'd like to see the research or the anecdotal experience
that supports this. Char can have different properties for many reasons. It
is probably in the Lehmann papers that we have linked to the site. 

 

Tom

 

 

  _____  

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Douglas Clayton
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:21 PM
To: Jeff Davis
Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Terra Preta & Pigs

 

I spoke with Dr. Johannes Lehmann this morning and received the clear
message from him that it was a mistake to go fooling around willy-nilly with
charcoal at this time. Not that it is dangerous but just that it is hard to
learn anything definative. The science isn't there yet to know what we are
doing. This was a great disappointment to me but I understand where he is
coming from. 

Dr. Lehman indicated that the temperature at which the charcoal is produced
is critical, the material being charred and the end use, the soil type and
conditions and the crop being grown are variables about which we can not
yet, say what is appropriate. Not knowing the source material means
something may work one time but not the next. He indicated that it is
definitely not a panacea and applying charcoal can, in some circumstances,
do harm to soils and crops.

Never the less, I plan to experiment a little bit in the garden this summer
myself!

How do we check the pH of the charcoal we purchase or produce?

Douglas Clayton
50 Bullard Road
Jaffrey, NH 03452
H. 603-532-7321
W. 603-532-1120
Fax. 603-532-4581

On Feb 22, 2007, at 10:27 PM, Jeff Davis wrote:

wrote:

Jeff, charcoal is used for human consumption for certain conditions
including indigestion and some poisonings. I think that some of it in the
soil would
be not so bad for the pigs.


Maybe the pigs would be helpful to the Terra Preta. They rot, eat soil and
produce manure.


Jeff



-- 
Jeff Davis

Some where 20 miles south of Lake Erie, USA

_______________________________________________
Terrapreta mailing list
Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070223/edc322ed/attachment.html