[Terrapreta] Biochar trials in China

[Robert Flanagan]

See photos at: http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=gallery
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=gallery&g2_itemId=754>
&g2_itemId=754

And http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/flanaganchinabiochar

 

 

Hey Ron,

 

I've posted some clips on www.youtube.com so I won't be blocking any one's
email server just go to www.youtube.com and do a search for "Terra Preta" or
"Biochar". The attached photos are of plots 8,9&10. If you want the clips to
see the difference a little better I can mail them to you direct. 

 

In total I've 48plots so I focused on the middle as much as possible as the
natural lean on the land the far end of the field appears to have almost no
nutrition (very poor growth). But you can see the clip on youtube showing
the USA nutrient but the carrots are not up as yet so I left them out. 

 

Regarding other trials I've got going, This area called "Longwu" if famous
for green tea so I've treated a few rows for one farmer with nutrient and
had him turn on our sound unit every morning and last thing in the evening.
Already he yield on the treated side has produced more then 60% that of the
untreated rows. We've already met with the leaders of the village and should
be starting a much bigger (4ha) full scientific trial on green tea
production. 

 

I've got another large farmer that has 40ha of ornamental trees (For the
Japanese market) doing trials on sound+nutrient, sound no nutrient in one
green house and the far side of his property he has nutrient and control. So
far the sound+nutrient is a little more than double the control on height.
We'll continue to take sample over the coming weeks but on completion of
this trial we'll take 100samples from each section and get the real deal on
what's happening. Later if I'm successful I'll introduce the idea of using
biochar in the potting mix. 

 

In Hainan Island I have a few thousand (About 6K survived) Jatropha saplings
ready to go in the field that all had 10% rice husk charcoal mixed in with
the potting mix. I hope to send this company another 50Kg of seeds and
expand this project later this month. They are also using my sound unit and
nutrient but have not taken any control plants as they are not interested in
research only commercial (And that's fine to). 

 

We've also planted trees on the site we amended last year using three
application rates of bamboo charcoal. We sent Cornell soil samples last year
so now the land will not be cropped, I think Janice plans to return later
this year along with one student to conduct a follow up study. 

 

KC Das lands tomorrow so I'll take a few more pic's and pass them on then,

 

Kind regards,

Rob.



 

On 7/12/07, Ron Larson <rongretlarson at comcast.net> wrote: 

Rob:

 

    Thanks for sending those pictures. 

 

     My perception is that the plots with rice hull char showed plants with
more growth.  Was that your conclusion?  What are the workmen saying?  

 

    You have now had a few more weeks since the photos you sent.  Anything
new?

 

    You didn't show any photos of rows 7 (carrots) and 11 (USA addition).
Any reasons for their exclusion?

 

    You said there were more extensive scientific tests going on nearby.
How do those differ?  Any off-hand results yet?

 

    You say below that you are using 20kg per plot.  How large are the plots
- or can you estimate the tonnes per hectare application rate?

 

    Any guesstimates yet on the likely ability to justify the added expense
to farmers?   (what is local cost of charcoal?  Any big deal to adding the
char?  How was it worked in?)   

 

    Or - how much money might be needed from those with Kyoto agendas?  (I
assume it too early to answer all these questions - but maybe you have given
it some thought already)

 

    Again - very nice work.  This will be very helpful it seems.

 

Ron

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Robert Flanagan <mailto:saffechina at gmail.com>  

To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org  <mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 

Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:54 PM

Subject: [Terrapreta] Biochar trials in China


 

Hi,

 

Not sure if you guys pic's on your site so I just put them on a power point.
This is a small trial I'm doing for some farmers just outside Hangzhou to
show them the benefits of Biochar. I've 48 plots in all so 24 with rice husk
charcoal addition at 20Kg per plot. This trial is not for scientific data
collection we have that in another trial a little further outside town. 

 

Is it possible to see if any one else has clips of their trials to post on
www.youtube.com <http://www.youtube.com/> ? This might be a good way to
spread the word about terra preta and biochar (I tried to sign up and log in
but got sent around so much I gave up). I've only found a few ref's to
biochar at the moment but we could change all that very soon if more
positive results came in. 

 

Regards,

Rob.

-- 
Robert Flanagan
Chairman & President
Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Tel:   86-571-881-850-67
Cell:  86-130-189-959-57 


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-- 
Robert Flanagan
Chairman & President
Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Tel:   86-571-881-850-67 
Cell:  86-130-189-959-57 

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