[Terrapreta] Emailing: The Carbon Farmers-Features- The Lab -Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Gateway to Science.htm

[bakaryjatta]

Dear David, Len, Kurt and list members.

Thanks for your observations about char and soil organic matter. Reading a 
lot about soil restoration methods I saw the comment that Soil organic 
matter is soon lost, especcially in hot moist conditions. This I observe to 
be a major problem on my site (in W. Africa). The concern for providing an 
environment for soil organisms to survive and flourish is valid. Besides 
compost consider the alternative sources of these organisms. Bokasi 
fertilizer mentioned in REAP canada web pages deals with that and has rice 
char in it as an ingredient. The other source, which I am using, is the 
effluent of the biogas digester I constructed based on Dr. A. D. Karve's 
design. You can find references to them  on the Bioenergy site. Not having 
the time to spend on elaborate experiments I tried several combinations in 
various parts of a field and can only draw a general conclusion, which you 
may not consider sufficient as far as detail or think not to be scientific 
enough.

The best result I found  was on the part of the field where the inputs were 
some char mixed with urine in individual planting holes, and diluted 
effluent from the digester was added  periodicallly. Another factor was that 
this part of the field had some agro-forestry trees growing which provided 
mulch. Other parts of the field where even Agro-forestry trees had failed to 
establish successfully still showed better crop yields compared with 
previous years.

This is great progress for me as I have been trying to improve this site for 
twenty years!  The use of effluent from the biogas digester in combination 
with mulch was the first noticeable improvement in this process. An other 
observation I made was that partial shade seems to be a sgnificant factor as 
well. I will have to try and establish more trees using the biochar mixture 
to assist!

In conclusion I think that it will be difficult to come up with silver 
bullet answers for the varried conditions found even within the same region.
Your observations that Biochar needs to combined with other elements seems 
obvious. CO2 sequestering is a common benefit. Convincing farmers to do so 
will be depending on their knowledge, attitudes and motives. Carbon trading 
is out of it as far as the common peasant is concerned as he or she has not 
even heard of it. If the 'developed' world cannot get it sorted out, what 
can you expect the millions of peasants to do?

The task is rather big, I think. I am appreciating your efforts.

Kind regards,

Bakary Jatta,
Bwiam Village, Western Region, The Gambia

----- Original Message ----- 
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 14:19:29 -0500
> From: "David Yarrow" <dyarrow at nycap.rr.com>
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Emailing: The Carbon Farmers - Features -
> The Lab -Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Gateway to Science.htm
> To: <terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Message-ID: <0abb01c82305$74237ab0$d5301d18 at turtle>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> you're making a common mistake of focusing on one single factor alone.
>
> terra preta is not made only with charoal.  charcoal is just a unique,
> unusual and very useful ingredient in the mix.  terra preta was created by 
> a
> recipe that blended several ingredients together.
>
> sure, you can say bread is just wheat flour, but bread requires a few 
> other
> ingredients, and they have to be mixed and processed just right.  and you
> shouldn't substitute bread flour for pastry flour.
>
> to me, the main and key ingredient that makes terra preta work is
> micro-organisms.  charcoal invites these living communities to establish
> permanent residence.  all by itself, charcoal won't create the
> extra-ordinary, regenerative fertility of terra preta.
>
> making charcoal should never replace composting.  fostering such centers 
> for
> concentrated bacterial digestion is also critical to creating terra preta.
> charcoal is sterile; compost is alive.  keep making compost to blend with
> your charcoal.  composting works well with organic wastes too wet to burn.
>
> David Yarrow
> "If yer not forest, yer against us."
> Turtle EyeLand Sanctuary
> 44 Gilligan Road, East Greenbush, NY 12061
> dyarrow at nycap.rr.com
> www.championtrees.org
> www.OnondagaLakePeaceFestival.org
> www.citizenre.com/dyarrow/
> www.farmandfood.org
> www.SeaAgri.com
>
> "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,
> if one only remembers to turn on the light."
> -Albus Dumbledore
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <rukurt at westnet.com.au>
> To: <Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 5:10 AM
> Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Emailing: The Carbon Farmers - Features - The
> Lab -Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Gateway to Science.htm
>
>
>> Len Walde wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     *The Carbon Farmers - Features - The Lab - Australian Broadcasting
>>>     Corporation's Gateway to Science*
>>>
>>>     [This is the print version of story
>>>     http://www.abc.net.au/science/features/soilcarbon/default.htm]
>>>
>> The problem with this, and other discussions of carbon in the soil are
>> talking about soil organic matter and not pure carbon, as in charcoal.
>> When we talk about Terrapreta we are talking about adding charcoal, ie
>> solid largely pure carbon to the soil and NOT organic material. Farmers,
>> and others are going to get confused about this.
>>
>> Kurt
>