[Terrapreta] FIeld and Nursery Trials

[Jim Joyner]

Thanks Tom.

Seems strange that Fourth Corner Nursery doesn't know how much charcoal they applied . . . maybe they don't want to tell anyone?

A discussion of how the appropriate application
rate is determined would be welcome.

I came up with a figure of about 40 to 50 tons per acre trying to optimize the CEC of my own land (making several assumptions), applying it only to the top 6 inches. (Someplace I have an email from Kevin with a figure that was similar or slightly higher). The biggest assumption I made was that charcoal would measure out similar to stable humus carbon in the soil. I've seen this done with soft coal (Personally, I'm not a fan of soft coal). I would also likely need to apply some calcium (lime) but I would not do so until I gave it a full season to resettle it's own biological structure.

In a sense this already takes into consideration the climate, use and structure of soil because it is based the knowledge of the soil in question, i.e., I know what kind of response I would get, what my soil is capable of and where the returns diminish in terms of CEC. I can't find that anyone seems to care about the particular soil structure or its climate -- which to me, makes all the difference in the world!. If I moved my soil to the Amazon, I would needs much more; in Minnesota, less. But I would only know after looking at actual responses in those climes.

But Sean, I think, said he thought 100 tons/acre would be better -- applied over many years, presumably to buffer the cash outlay bite. I don't think he said how he arrived at that figure, unless he was using Cornell's numbers in the tropics -- which I doubt is a good yardstick for temperate soils. (Sean, please correct me if I'm wrong.  I didn't mean to put words into your mouth, there's just much of what you said, I don't get when it comes to the soil)

Jim

----- Original Message ----
From: Tom Miles <tmiles at trmiles.com>





 
 

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Jim,
 



It’s not always very clear. A discussion of how the appropriate application
rate is determined would be welcome. 
 

  
 

The applications appear to be from 5-10 tones/ha or about 2.2-4.4
tons per acre. The highest is probably equal to 3% C in the top 10 cm (4 in) of
soil. 
 

  
 

1 mt = 1.102311 short tons; 1 ha=2.471044 acres; 1 mt/ha = 0.446091
t/a.
 

  
 

I used 5-10 t/ha to calculate some carbon sequestration rates:
 

http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/carbondioxide
 

  
 

The tests in the Oil Mallee charcoal project in Australia used a
rate of 6 t/ha (2.68 t/a) in a  100 mm (3.94 in)  wide band, equal to
a broadcast rate of 1 t/ha (.45 t/a) for a row spacing of 600 mm (23.6 in ).
See  http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/oilmalleeiai07
 

  
 

Tom  
 

 

   

 


 


 


 







From:
terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Jim Joyner

Sent: Friday, November 23, 2007 8:25 AM





It may have been stated but I can't find anyplace where the
amount of charcoal applied on the trial beds is reported. Anyone know?



Thanks,



Jim
 





 



















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