[Terrapreta] corn stalk carbonization

[Robert Klein]

I just posted this on my blog on global warming found
at:

http://globalwarming-arclein.blogspot.com/

 carbonizing corn in the field

I have already commented earlier in how I thought that
the Indians in the Amazon likely created windrows that
they then lightly buried and set afire. Today I
figured out the rest of it.

When a corn stalk is pulled out of the ground, the
root ball resembles an eight inch wide disk. This
allows the building of a wall of inward pointing corn
stalks in which the earthen root ball forms a brick on
the outer surface. The stalks will stack and pack very
well. Of course, you build a matching wall on the
other side of the first stack so that you get a two
sided bank protected by the root balls. With any luck
the tops of the stalks will compact well and a small
space of a several inches can be left between the two
halves for fire ignition. The compaction could allow
the formation of an arched top to the bank that
continues the root ball surface unto the top of the
bank.

The ends of the bank can then be sealed off with with
either more stalks or more likely a little earth. The
same holds true for any gaps in the roof. Building one
of these things would even be fun for the community,
since pulling the corn is very easy work.

It is then a simple matter to wait for the right time
to set this stack afire and you have a natural
carbonizing oven. Two days later, you have a nice pile
of reduced carbonized corn waste mixed with dirt that
can be forked unto seed hills for the next corn crop.
It really is that easy and only requires a little bit
of additional effort in the stacking.

What I am very conscious of is that is not a lot of
work compared to what many other crops require. A
family could even do this today on any simple one acre
patch, anywhere in the world.

Posted by arclein at 9:44 PM 0 comments    

Labels: carbonization in Amazon, corn root ball 


       
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