[Terrapreta] Nothing? -- A round of applause!

[Len Walde]

Let us hear a round of applause for the efforts made by this man!  Isn't 
this just the thing we all
want to see happen all over the world?  He has made things happen. 
Congratulations to Mr. Bakary Jatta!

Len Walde, P.E.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bakaryjatta" <bakaryj at gamtel.gm>
To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 4:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Nothing?


>
> Dear List members,
>
> This is about something.
>
> Thanks for all your contributions. It took a lot of reading and I had to
> sift out what was useful and dismiss what is not applicable to third world
> peasant conditions.  No time for speculative experiments. No means of
> producing tons of biochar. No tractors to spread it with. The rainy season
> was fast approaching and land was to be prepared for planting.
>
> Now some things!
>
> Last year I had the benefit of Dr A. D Karve's information about the 
> Biogas
> plant. The effluent was applied to the crops and the soil protected from
> direct exposure by using mulch from a stand of elephant grass and leaves
> from nitrogen fixing trees. It gave good results and yielded food and more
> crop residue.
>
> This year I found out about Terra Preta. Biomass was available in the form
> of crop residue and trimmings of the Agroforestry trees and cashews. 
> Thanks
> to Dr.Priyardashini Karve I adopted her Biochar production method.
> Modification was needed as the materials are not available here. I used a
> 200 l drum with a piece of pipe in the bottom to let the gas flow under 
> the
> drum. A lid was wired down on top. Mudblocks surrounded the drum and most 
> of
> the top covered by sheetmetal scraps. It was lit and worked. Depending on
> the biomass used it took more or less time to get the volatiles to take 
> over
> the heating process. Sorghum stalks was very fast but the volatiles ran 
> out
> before the material was poperly charred. Next time I will use a mixture of
> materials to see whether we can achieve a better product. The drum also
> seems to to big to have the heat properly distributed throughout as there
> were portions not quite 'done'. The material was pounded to reduce the 
> size
> and then ground up in a hand powered corn grinder. I was slow and a very
> light load. Being a privileged person I have an electric drill and a
> powersupply. Adapting the drill to the grinder made a fast job of making a
> gritty biochar.
>
>>From the list I learned about the different opinions regarding the effect 
>>of
> biochar on soil.
> 1. Water retention. Very good, the soil drains very fast.
> 2. Soil organisms like char as a home. Very good. The soil organisms are
> dead or missing from exposure to high heat, lack of organic material or
> whatever other reasons. Even beans don't fix nitrogen allthough other 
> plants
> do.
> 3. What kind of organisms do we have to add? If we don't know, we will 
> have
> to make a guess and add as  large a variety as we have access to. The
> effluent from the biogas digester should be good. Bokasi fertilizer is 
> made
> from biochar and fermented fruit or plant juices. As that takes time the
> process will have to take place in situ.
> 4. Biochar was reported to rob the soil of nutrient intially but released
> later. Urine was mentioned as a good thing to overcome nitogen deficiency.
> We have some available so let us add it to the witches potion.
> 5. Quantities required. A ton per HA? That is like building Rome in a day
> here. It is illegal to produce charcoal as the forest is dissappearing at 
> a
> rate faster than it naturally grows. Biomass from other sources is not
> abundent and due to traditional practices usually burned to get rid off.
> In contrast my location has not been burned for more than 23 years and I
> have struggled to get vegetation re-established during that time. Slow, 
> bit
> by bit. Application of biochar will also be bit by bit but if proven to
> increase production speed up as time goes on.
>
> Now in some West African countries farmers dig small depressions in the 
> soil
> and rake the scarce organic materials  into them. They are called 'Zai'
> holes. Those planting stations get the benefit of collecting rain water.
> Termites consume the organic material and dig channels into the soil in 
> the
> process. When the rainy season starts the plants get the benefit of a 
> looser
> and moister soil so there is better food production there compared to the
> mud brick soils else where.
>
> So that is the something going on. This year planting stations only. Next
> year a change of location. With the introduction of Velvet beans and
> Titonia, more organic material into the soil and biomass for char.
>
> Being an optimist tempered with a lot of experience, we may have a major
> shift of focus among the peasants of the world (still the majority) if 
> there
> are a sufficient number of demonstration plots that show obvious 
> worthwhile
> increased yields. Then they may put in the considerable increased effort 
> to
> replicate what they have seen. Five years minimum when successfull and it
> will be a while before there are a 'sufficient' number of demos. Perhaps 
> the
> developed world will be able to produce result faster?
>
> Awaiting practical answers suitable for application by (still the 
> majority)
> the peasants of the world, I thank you for your collective contributions.
>
> Bakary Jatta
>
> Bwiam village WD
> The Gambia
>
>
> Kurt wrote:
>
>> Nothing since the 19th?? Something wrong on here?
>>
>> Kurt
>>
> Tom wrote:
>
>> Kurt,
>>
>> It's summer. We're all sequestered.
>>
>> Tom
>
> Then Kurt wrote:
>
>> Sequestered??? Good Grief, like charcoal in terrapreta?
>>
>> Winter here, so to speak, occasionally get around in long pants.
>>
>> Kurt
>>
>
>
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