[Terrapreta] growth

Sun Jul 29 22:40:05 EDT 2007

Hello Robert

Thanks for the comment

I had initially planned to set up a pot experiment with our farm soil  
in some 200+ 3 gallon pots. Trouble is it set up like cement while  
testing the soil/charcoal mixes. My motivation beyond testing the use  
of charcoal is to study our soil management practices at our nursery.  
The test duplicates our normal practices.

Over past 4 years I have conducted soil tests with charcoal and  
charcoal inocculation with Frankia and others but never really had  
controlled plots.

Our charcoal is from 2 known sources with proximate analysis  
completed. I have abundant supplies of these charcoals to conduct  
additional tests and as the test plots will be harvested in November  
with a lifter-shaker the soils will remain intact so I plan to  
replant with a fall planting of a nitrogen loving shrub, Oemleria  
cerasiformis and no additional fertilizer or compost.

I agree
On Jul 29, 2007, at 7:13 PM, Robert Flanagan wrote:

> Dear Richard,
>
> Thank you for supplying the data from your trial. From the little I  
> know it appears that not all fibrous materials appear to be good  
> feedstocks for biochar. Robert Hill found that he did not get the  
> same positive effect when he used his beneficial bacteria on  
> charcoal produced from the mulberry bush. There may also be a time  
> factor as claimed by Bruno Glazer where it can take two to three  
> years before you see the full effect of the biochar? It should be  
> pointed out that you still did a good thing by fixing atmospheric  
> carbon in the form of charcoal and placing it in the soil should  
> keep it stable for many years to come.
>
> I think this again point out how much we have yet to understand  
> about "Biochar" as it can be produced from so many different  
> feedstocks. One simple way to accumulate info is to get more people  
> to conduct a simple pot trial and submit a photo after 30days with  
> details about the type of charcoal used in your trial. All you have  
> to do is set up six 1L pots and mix about 10% by volume of biochar  
> into three, then plant some thing fast growing like corn.
>
> Also if any one else has plot trials could they take a short clip  
> and post it on www.youtube.com so we can all take a look at the  
> results with out blocking up emails.
>
> Kind regards,
> Rob.
>
>
> On 7/30/07, Richard Haard <richrd at nas.com> wrote:
> Some results from the 28 - 17 foot planting block experiment with
> charcoal, compost, fertilizer and permutations. at Fourth Corner
> Nurseries with swiss chard, a native aster and a woody shrub,
> Lonicera involucrata.
>
> Spent a few hours at the research plots today. Picked swiss chard and
> squash for dinner and farm crew.
>
> Above ground results so far (July 29) are as expected. Best is
> compost plus fertilizer with or without charcoal, next fertilizer
> with or without charcoal, next compost with or without charcoal and
> last control with or without charcoal. The only measurable
> differences in these sets is with the swiss chard.
>
> I decided to omit the urea treatment as soil analysis showed adequate
> nitrogen levels in both compost and  fertilizer treatment sets.
> Growth is very rapid now and I plan next week to harvest and blanch
> November.
>
> A first look at the soil analysis on samples collected end of June .
> Next samples will be taken for soil testing in November just before
> harvest. This set of samples is essentially at the beginning of the
> experiment about 6 weeks after plots were set up. 23 months to go
> before the experiment is finished.
>
> Total = 24 plots All OM= 5.04 (.72)  All N=14.7 (9.4)
>
> Total =  2 plots control OM = 4.6 (1.7)  N= 2.5 (.71)
> Total =  6 plots charcoal and control OM = 4.73 (.79)  N=5 (5.1)
> Total =  4 plots charcoal  OM = 4.8 (.27)  N= 6.25 (6.1)
>
>
> Total =   2 plots compost OM=5  (.57) N=10 (2.8)
> Total =   4 plots compost and charcoal OM= 5.78  (.60) N=12.75 (3.4)
> Total =   4 plots compost and fertilizer and charcoal OM=5.5 (.34)
> N=19.25 (7.3)
> Total =   2 plots compost and fertilizer OM=5  (.42) N=34 (2.8)
>
> Total =  2 plots fertilizer OM= 4.65 (.77) N=20 (11.3)
> Total =  4 plots fertilizer and charcoal OM= 4.53 (.64)  N=16.75 (2.6)
>
> Key
>         OM= organic matter %
>         N= nitrate ppm
>         bracketed (__) = standard deviation (a statistical measure
> of variation between the set of samples)
>
> Considerable variation is noted in soil analysis numbers at either
> ends of test row hence an explanation of large variability seen in
> some sets.
>
> It is interesting to see the effect of compost ,fertilizer and
> charcoal additions on soil om and nitrate. Have not looked at this
> set of data yet on some of the other items of interest as CEC, and %
> base saturation.  There is essentially no difference between the
> treatments  in pH and buffer pH.
>
>
>
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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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