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

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Larry & Jon C. Frank,

Larry, you said some things in the last paragraph of your post ... highlighted below.  Jon, please look at this below ... Could this be what you are suggesting about charcoal causing a nitrogen deficiency?  Is it just a lack of nitrogen fertilizer in the unfertilized charcoal?  Is the charcoal eliminating nitrogen?  Is the charcoal preventing Actinobacteria from working to fix nitrogen?

Regards,

SKB
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Larry Williams<mailto:lwilliams at nas.com> 
  To: Miles Tom<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 1:27 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Terra Preta - not just about charcoal in soil


  Sean and all ...

  Secondly, I am currently experiencing nutritional deficiencies with some beet starts grown in commercially made unfertilized charcoal. The deficiencies were obvious after one month's growth. Some of these starts are in the ground now so that they can be harvested in the late spring. There may be a nitrogen shortage occurring.  Something is happening that is totally different than the Webber made charcoal that set on the ground and fertilized for the greater portion of the year before being buried in a planting bed.


  Thanks for the postings, much appreciated-------Larry


         


  -------------------------------------- 

  On Oct 1, 2007, at 9:48 AM, Sean K. Barry wrote:


    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<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<mailto: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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