[Terrapreta] growth

Sun Jul 29 23:33:54 EDT 2007

Hi Edward

On Jul 30, 2007, at 8:02 PM, Edward Someus wrote:

> Hello Richard,
>
> What dosis are using for charcoal to mix into the soil? What grain  
> size?
  We used 30 gallons of charcoal in each 5 foot by 17 foot plot,  
rototilled in a single pass to 6 inches.
John Flottvik's charcoal is a fine powder and conifer source.
Larry's Charcoal is about 1/2" minus and is made from hardwoods  
primarily alder, with some maple, birch and cherry.
> What is the organic volatile residual content in the char? Is that  
> hard wood or soft wood you are using for  char?
We are not releasing analysis of John's charcoal. Ours is 11.22%  
Volatile,46.5% fixed C and 42.2 % Ash. It is as we put it in the  
soil. The high ash is because of our earth covered mound method of  
production and with a followup test of clean charcoal the Volatile  
component might be considerably higher.
> What is your irrigation programme during tests?

We are using overhead irrigation in this section. Rate is high  
because adjacent seedbeds are moist habitat native shrubs, willow, etc.

>
> Tks
>
>
> Sincerely yours: Edward Someus (environmental engineer)
> Terra Humana Clean Technology Engineering Ltd.
> (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified organization for scientific  
> research, technical development and industrial performance  
> engineering design of agro-biotechnological and pyrolysis methods,  
> apparatus and applications)
>
> ADDRESS: H-1222 Budapest, Szechenyi 59, Hungary
> TEL handy:  +(36-20) 201 7557
> TEL / FAX:   +(36-1) 424 0224
> TEL SKYPE phone via computer:  Edward Someus
> WEB:   www.terrenum.net
>
>
>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: Richard Haard
> Date: 2007.07.30. 4:40:05
> To: Robert Flanagan
> Cc: Todd Jones;  terrapreta at bioenergylists.org;  Veronica Wisniewski
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] growth
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Terrapreta mailing list
> Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
> http://bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/ 
> terrapreta_bioenergylists.org
> http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
> http://info.bioenergylists.org
>
>
>
> -- 
> Robert Flanagan
> Chairman & President
> Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.
>
> Tel:   86-571-881-850-67
> Cell:  86-130-189-959-57
>
>
>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070729/fee61f0d/attachment-0001.html 