[Terrapreta] USDA organic certification standards

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kurt,

Charcoal is carbon (like 75-93% of it by weight is pure carbon).  I think the best evidence that it is insoluble is that it has stayed in "Terra Preta" soils in the Amazon rain forest, where it rains every bleeding day, and it has not dissolved (leached) away in some thousands of years.  It is highly resilient in moist (even saturated) soils.  It dos not dissolve.  It might float temporarily, though.  It attracts water (hydrophilic) because of its porosity and the cohesiveness of water.  Some charcoal can even hold an electrical charge, which would also help is attract the electrically polar molecules of water.  Charcoal's porosity provides a matrix for micro-organisms to grow into and they bind up nutrients in their biological structures, which they build (excrete, grow) inside that matrix.

See - Glomalin is a glycoprotein<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Glycoprotein> produced abundantly on hyphae<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Hyphae> and spores<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Spore> of arbuscular<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Arbuscular_mycorrhiza> mycorrhizal fungi<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Mycorrhizal_fungi> in soil<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Soil> and in roots<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Root>. 
As a glycoprotein, glomalin stores carbon<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Carbon> in both its protein<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Protein> and carbohydrate<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Carbohydrate> (glucose<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Glucose> or sugar<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Sugar>) subunits. It permeates organic matter<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Organic_matter>, binding it to silt<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Silt>, sand<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Sand>, and clay<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Clay> particles. Not only does glomalin contain 30 to 40 percent carbon, but it also forms clumps of soil granule<http://www.reference.com/go/http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiktionary%3Agranule> called aggregates<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Aggregate_%28composite%29>. These add structure to soil<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Soil_structure>, and keep other stored soil carbon from escaping. 

Glomalin is causing a complete reexamination of what makes up soil organic matter<http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Organic_material>. It is increasingly being included in studies of carbon storage and soil quality.

Regards,

Sean K. Barry
Principal Engineer/Owner
Troposphere Energy, LLC
11170 142nd St. N.
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 351-0711 (Home/Fax)
(651) 285-0904 (Cell)
sean.barry at juno.com<mailto:sean.barry at juno.com>

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rukurt at westnet.com.au<mailto:rukurt at westnet.com.au> 
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 10:02 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] USDA organic certification standards


  Sean K. Barry wrote:
  > Hi Tom,
  >
  > Sand maybe (to help with drainage)?  Gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate), clay, vermiculite, and perlite are all minerals with low solubility and help soil hold water.  Gypsum releases nutrients and improves soil structure.  Vermiculite has high cation exchange capacity.  I believe charcoal is insoluble.  
  >
  > SKB
  >   
  Green sand has special properties, not sure what they are. Aparently 
  it's not green, basically it's moist sand and clay mixture and used in 
  metal casting molds. What it does in gardens I don't know. Just googled it.
  Vermiculite and perlite are are both manufactured by heatreating rock. 
  Gypsum breaks up clay, clay makes sand less permeable and helps to hold 
  water. Yes, charcoal is insoluble, that's why it will sequester carbon, 
  but it's porous nature allows it to adsorb and harbour all sorts of things.

  Kurt

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