[Terrapreta] compost and charcoal

[David Yarrow]

if adding char to topsoil provokes a microbial proliferation by providing microbial communities the kind of open spongy spaces to take up permanent residence in the char's micropores, imagine what such a residential resource would do in a teeming compost heap!!!!

in fact, char is likely the ideal medium to transfer microbes from old compost to inoculate raw materials of a new compost batch.

David Yarrow
"If yer not forest, yer against us."
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  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Saibhaskar Nakka 
  To: Gerald Van Koeverden ; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 3:06 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] compost and charcoal


  Dear All,

  Gerald Van Koeverden >What about adding charcoal to the compost pile at the beginning of
  > the process? 

  This is a great idea. I remember a traditional practice in India. People dump the charcoal and ash from their stoves in a pit along with cattle dung+urine (some part) +left over fodder grass from their respective cattle sheds, etc. Over a period of time i.e., about 1 year, it develops into a nice compost called Farm Yard Manure (FYM). Such FYM pits are found close to the villages. This FYM is used extensively by the farmers in India. Yes, there is need for scientific research on this. I am willing to do some experiments in this regard. 

  With regards,

  Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy
  http://www.e-geo.org
  http://www.goodstove.com




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