[Terrapreta] Urine and Brix

[Jon C. Frank]

David,

Urine should most definitely be recycled but I must throw in a caution.

Observe pastures where cattle urinate.  Many times you will see a dead spot
with lush growth all the way around the outside of the spot.  In further
grazing the cattle will not eat the lush growth.

The reason why the spot died in the middle was the salts were too high.  It
is too concentrated to benefit the soil and has a negative affect on soil
biology at the same time.  The lush growth is caused primarily from the
extra nitrogen.  It causes the the brix of grass to go down.  Animal
instinct clearly does not prefer plants over fertilized with nitrogen.

Diluting the urine and applying it with high carbon materials such as terra
preta, sawdust, or high carbon residue would be just fine.  Overdoing urine
in the garden leads to low brix (low quality) produce and really is not
better than commercial farmers overdoing the commercial nitrogen.  Excess is
still excess.

Just my thoughts,

Jon
  -----Original Message-----
  From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of David Yarrow
  Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:01 AM
  To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  Subject: [Terrapreta] urine & terra preta


  in trying to understand how the indigenous amazon tribes made terra preta,
how about careful consideration of the value of urine as a fertilizer:
  http://www.world-science.net/othernews/071007_fertilizer-urine.htm

  in addition to its immediate fertility value, i suspect urine has special
value as a microbial stimulant

  David Yarrow
  "If yer not forest, yer against us."
  Turtle EyeLand Sanctuary
  44 Gilligan Road, East Greenbush, NY 12061
  dyarrow at nycap.rr.com
  www.championtrees.org
  www.OnondagaLakePeaceFestival.org
  www.citizenre.com/dyarrow/
  www.farmandfood.org
  www.SeaAgri.com

  "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,
  if one only remembers to turn on the light."
  -Albus Dumbledore
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