[Terrapreta] The new "Black Gold" is already on sale in Indonesia!

[Robert Flanagan]

See: http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/flanaganaug3107

 

Dear David and terrapreta list,

 

All I can say is David, thank God there are people like you on this mailing
list and I personally want to thank you for taking time to clearly point out
the true magic of Terra Preta is the biology above all else! 

 

Only yesterday in a conversation with Danny Day I stress the same thing
"Stop talking about biomass to fuel and focus on biochar for soil
restoration". I've been asking the same question time and time again "What
is the best charcoal for long term microbial response"? To date I have not
received an definitive answer! but as I've mentioned before Robert Hill
noted that charcoal made in the flash carbonizer appeared the have a higher
response. 

 

Regarding the application of biochar in agriculture and the naming of "Black
Gold" or "New Black Gold" there is already a company selling the closest
thing I've seen to terra preta in Indonesia. This product is not just the
output of some mindless mixing of "X" and "Y" to get "Z". Here they start
the process by first introducing microbes into the animals feed then the
take the odourless manure and mix that with waste mushroom compost, charcoal
and dolomite. Then they apply more microbes and allow to ferment for one
month and currently the Japanese buy every Kg they produce (1,100T/mt). 

 

So if this approach was applied to all animal farming would we still need to
char the manure? and how much further would each ton of charcoal go? If we
want to start promoting the next revolution in "Carbon Capture Cropping"
then we need to take a closer look at every thing we've done wrong in the
past century and that starts from the ground up as David points out! 

 

I just took some soil, leaf and corn samples from my field trial yesterday
and I hope to have some data for you in the coming weeks. Attached is a
photo from our modified seaweed extract + biochar at day66, as I've
mentioned before NO organic or chemical fertilizer were added to the soil
only biochar and foliar nutrients. 

 

For the future of energy production note, Stan Meyer's patent expired July
this year and already two working models have been produced by open source
engineering www.h2earth.com  <http://www.h2earth.com> . This is in no way to
be confused with Electrolysis (passing high electrical current through an
electrolyte) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9XrLOudwRw low voltage and low
current and  this water fuel cell is getting over 400% efficiency. Another
sign of hope for the future is a water power car in Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1OWDcWoXHs . One thing to note about the HHO
gas is that it's extremely reactive (Exothermic) and is a perfect gas to use
in gasification to reduce any waste into H2:CO (syngas) so in the future
this could take care of the offgas from our charcoal production
http://www.xogentechnologies.ca/ . 

 

The point that I tried to raise a few weeks ago is still as relevant, we
need less talk and more trials!

 

Regards,

Rob. 

 

"Just an observation, from my view (Technician) we really need to focus on
data collection at this point and maybe not worry so much about equipment
(horse before the cart). The variables as I see them are feedstock's
(Forest, agriculture and animal waste) then processor (pyrolysis,
gasification & flash carbonization) then temperature. Now moisture content
should help determine what feedstock is best suited to what reactor. The big
variable that as yet remains unanswered is that is the most suitable
temperature and what with the effect be when the same temperature char is
used in soil of different pH? I've heard it all, high temp "V" low temp and
the most credible information I've received to date is from Robert Hill that
feedstock appeared to have more on an impact on microbial response then
temperature but he did note that char make from the flash carbonizer
appeared to have an extremely beneficial response. On my own field trials
I've stuck with 500C and on this years rice hull char I'm getting a very
positive response. Dr Zhong's student will collect all data from this trial
and when he processes it I'll pass it on. We need a more practical guide for
people to follow "Biochar manual" and at this point I don't think it has to
be based on strictly published data. Note a technician never looks for the
name of the guy that wrote the training manual, so at this point even if you
just set up a few pots with and with out char and show us the results you'll
be doing your part for the "Biochar training manual" 

 

 

Robert Flanagan
Chairman & President
Hangzhou Sustainable Agricultural Food & Fuel Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Skype "saffechina"
Tel:   86-571-881-850-67 
Cell:  86-130-189-959-57 

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