[Terrapreta] Acid Fertilizers?

[Jon C. Frank]

Tom,

As a soil consultant I don't see all that many acid fertilizers used today.
The most commonly use are in fact alkaline while others are more neutral.
Here is a general guideline based on affect in soil.

Alkalizes Soil
Anhydrous Ammonia
potassium chloride
DAP 18-46-0
Limestone

Keeps soil in neutral Range
Urea
Ammonium Nitrate
Potassium Sulfate
Gypsum
Calcium Nitrate
Sodium Nitrate

Acidifies Soil
Super Phosphate - Not in use in the U.S.
Ammonium Sulfate
MAP 11-52-0
Liquid Fish Stabilized with Sulfuric Acid

Most liquids are neutral since that is the least corrosive to equipment.
Conventional Ag relies heavily on the fertilizers that alkalize soil.  What
happens is that soil goes higher in pH but lower in available calcium.
That's when problems show up and the chemical companies respond with a
myriad of "crop protection" products.

The truth is that the acid fertilizers are truly needed to react against the
limestone and other rock powers.  This creates energy in the soil which
plants grow from.  In other words we put the limestone out because the soil
is low in available calcium then we use the acid fertilizers to create
energy in the soil by reacting against the limestone.  Lets take an example;
when we eat food it is somewhat closer to neutral on average.  In digestion
the body brings a strong acid to react against the food and extract energy
and minerals from the food.  People with weak gastric juice have poor
digestion and nutrient assimilation.

As far as using acid fertilizers and its impact on soil biology that is an
interesting point.  The worst for soil biology by far are anhydrous ammonia
and potassium chloride.  These two are so bad  for soil structure, biology,
and the formation of humus they ought to be banned from soil application.

Using 11-52-0 at the rate of 1-200 lbs. per acre or Ammonium Sulfate at the
same rate is not bad for soil.  Very low calcium soils should not have
ammonium sulfate applied without some limestone at the same time.

In my opinion adding biochar to conventionally farmed soils cannot hurt
anything but is benefits will not be realized unless they move into a
biological program.  Anhydrous is just too harsh on any carbons and biology.
I would think the carbons would not be working the way they should without
the biology to work with it.

Jon C. Frank
www.aglabs.com





  -----Original Message-----
  From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of Tom Miles
  Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 7:37 AM
  To: 'David Yarrow'; 'Robert Flanagan'; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] The new "Black Gold" is already on salein
Indonesia!


  David,



  You write, “
even as acid fertilizers and acid rain degrade soil microbe
communities and sterilize the soil food web.”



  I have not seen the impact of acid fertilizers on microorganisms discussed
in relation to terra preta. The focus in literature has been on nutrient
retention by terra preta soils compared with high rates of leaching on poor
quality soils.  ( See, for example, Lehmann, Managing Terra preta nova in
the Central Amazon
http://www.geo.uni-bayreuth.de/bodenkunde/terra_preta/Lehmann_Abstract.html 
).



  For soils that have had steady applications of acid fertilizer on modern
crops and will continue to use acid fertilizer what would you expect the
effect of charcoal addition to be? Would it buffer the acid fertilizer and
improve the habitat for microbes? Or would the impact be short lived?



  I have had limited experience with measuring nutrient through multiyear
foliar analysis but I have seen that to maintain productivity you have to
keep feeding the plants in some form. When we tested soil amendments with
different nutrient contents and demands (sawdust, straw, mushroom compost)
we found that over time they all had about the same nutritional requirements
to maintain plant (blueberry) health. The compost just gives a shot and
looks great the first year then it needs added nutrients. Terra preta
promises to have a more lasting effect. Will we need to buy Robert’s Black
Gold every year? If so then what is the effect of the charcoal?



  Tom Miles






-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/terrapreta_bioenergylists.org/attachments/20070904/e426679f/attachment.html