[Terrapreta] Charcoal agriculture: not ready for prime time

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Kurt, and All,

There has been some mention that charcoal amendments alone or charcoal and fertilizers, even organic fertilizers like chicken manure seem to only increase soil productivity for maybe the first 3 or 4 years after application.  The original Terra Preta soils have and do seem to retain their fertility for perhaps centuries.
There is a difference.  Some have proposed that the difference is in the size and/or variety of a healthy soil microorganism population.  In this vain, then, does anyone think it would be reasonable to say that charcoal could be inoculated with Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi or other beneficial soil microorganisms?
Maybe this is part of "the recipe" for making "Neo Terra Preta"?  Maybe a census of the soil microbes in the original Terra Preta could give us some clues about this theory as the possible key ingredient for a working "Neo Terra Preta" soil?

Regards,

SKB
  ----- 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: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:40 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Charcoal agriculture: not ready for prime time


  Tom Miles wrote:
  >
  > My thought was more modest:  a concentration of charcoal left in a 
  > poor soil from any natural cause could have resulted in abundant 
  > growth and  inspired terra preta. Studies that I have linked on the 
  > terra preta site have shown that the nutrient impact of fires in 
  > grasslands only lasts for about a year, and slash and burn about three 
  > years. Forest fires, however, can leave some substantial pockets of char.
  >
  >  
  >
  > Tom
  >
  >   
  >
  Nutrient impacts of fires are most likely due to the ash and not the 
  charcoal, which is mainly left on the surface anyhow.
  I believe that for maximum impact the char has to be ground somewhat and 
  incorporated and possibly impregnated with other nutrients.

  Kurt

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