[Terrapreta] Assaying carbon levels in soil

[Michael Bailes]

I posted this last June on the original Hypography TP thread

> "
> Famous last words??
>
> Quote:
> CSIRO MEDIA RELEASE 97/58
> 3 April 1997
>
> LEGACY OF A THOUSAND BUSHFIRES
>
> Australia's soil is even poorer than was thought, says CSIRO Land and
> Water researcher Jan Skjemstad. Much of our small supply of carbon - an
> essential element in fertile soil - is in the form of useless charcoal,
> resulting from tens of thousands of years of bushfires.
>
> "The charcoal is mostly carbon, but it is in a form which can't be used by
> plants or soil organisms," said Mr Skjemstad. "
>

So they must have away of measuring soil carbon?

How do they distinguish from char and decaying vegetable matter?

Perhaps you could Ask Adiana when she comes back.


On 01/12/2007, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com> wrote:
>
>  Hi Rick,
>
> I think you just weigh the biochar/agrichar/charcoal one would make,
> estimate the carbon content at 90%.  Maybe the payer would then certify that
> the charcoal was then put into soil before they pay the amount of that
> weight?  Let's assume you could not get paid if you put the charcoal in the
> soil first.  Paid only for the fixed carbon weight in the raw charcoal (if
> it can be weighed first), and then only when its verifiably buried.
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
>

Michael the Archangel

"You can fix all the world's problems in a garden. . . .
Most people don't know that"
FROM
http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/permaculture.swf
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