[Terrapreta] Abstract on Charcoal in soil

[Michael Bailes]

Abstract  Application of organic fertilizers and charcoal increase nutrient
stocks in the rooting zone of crops, reduce nutrient leaching and thus
improve crop production on acid and highly weathered tropical soils. In a
field trial near Manaus (Brazil) 15 different amendment combinations based
on equal amounts of carbon (C) applied through chicken manure (CM), compost,
charcoal, and forest litter were tested during four cropping cycles with
rice (*Oryza sativa* L.) and sorghum (*Sorghum bicolor* L.) in five
replicates. CM amendments resulted in the highest (*P* < 0.05) cumulative
crop yield (12.4 Mg ha−1) over four seasons. Most importantly, surface soil
pH, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were significantly
enhanced by CM. A single compost application produced fourfold more grain
yield (*P* < 0.05) than plots mineral fertilized in split applications.
 Charcoal significantly improved plant growth and doubled grain production
if fertilized with NPK in comparison to the NPK-fertilizer without charcoal
(*P* < 0.05). The higher yields caused a significantly greater nutrient
export in charcoal-amended fields, but available nutrients did not decrease
to the same extent as on just mineral fertilized plots. Exchangeable soil
aluminum (Al) was further reduced if mineral fertilizer was applied with
charcoal (from 4.7 to 0 mg kg−1). The resilience of soil organic matter
(SOM) in charcoal amended plots (8 and 4% soil C loss, mineral fertilized or
not fertilized, respectively) indicates the refractory nature of charcoal in
comparison to SOM losses over 20 months in CM (27%), compost amended (27%),
and control plots (25% loss).
http://www.springerlink.com/content/6655755v113437g3/
Feb 2007
Christoph Steiner1 [image: Contact
Information]<http://www.springerlink.com/content/6655755v113437g3/#ContactOfAuthor1>,
Wenceslau G. Teixeira2, Johannes Lehmann3, Thomas Nehls1,
Jeferson Luis Vasconcelos de Macêdo2, Winfried E. H. Blum4 and Wolfgang Zech
1

Does this article abstract say that Charcoal kept SOM in the soil for
longer?
-- 
m
"May those who love us, love us;
and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know
them by their limping."
-Irish Blessing
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