[Terrapreta] Terra Preta - not just about charcoal in soil

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Jon,

How could charcoal lead to a nitrogen shortage (in soil is where I presume you are speaking of)?  Can you suggest any ways to validate this?  Can you suggest any ways to prevent this?

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jon C. Frank<mailto:jon.frank at aglabs.com> 
  To: Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 11:09 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Terra Preta - not just about charcoal in soil


  Just adding charcoal may lead to a nitrogen shortage.

  Jon
  www.aglabs.com<http://www.aglabs.com/>

    -----Original Message-----
    From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org> [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of Sean K. Barry
    Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 10:12 AM
    To: Robert Flanagan; Kevin Chisholm
    Cc: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Terra Preta - not just about charcoal in soil


    Hi Kevin, Robert,

    Good questions, Kevin!  Right on point as I see it.  I would maybe add one more request, Robert.  4. Could we see if adding just charcoal made from the stover on a plot continues to show soil with "... a profound effect on plant development with no other soil fertility program".  You must be careful that only charcoal made from the wastes on the plot is used.  Adding more rice hull charcoal, for instance, would add some fertilizing nutrients that were taken from the soil that the rice grew in.  Adding new rice hull charcoal would not show the benefits of charcoal alone in the soil.

    As I see it, the contention in recent discussions has been that charcoal made from the plant crop wastes alone (corn stover) on an agricultural field, when applied to that field (alone, up to 10 or 50 repeated times) is all that is required to increase or maintain the soil fertility.  My reading is that this is NOT TRUE.  I do not see that the nutrient content can be maintained, as each harvest of the corn cobs will deplete the nutrients and the charred stover will add nothing new beyond what was there when the crop sprouted.

    Adding anything else would not reveal the value of charcoal in the soil.

    Regards,

    SKB
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