[Terrapreta] manure biochar N-P-K question

[Jon C. Frank]

Hi Gerrit,

I don't think the government was involved at all.  The only thing he spread
was charcoal that had syrup filtered through it.  It was spread with a
regular manure spreader.

I agree with your thoughts on nitrogen.  Additionally the carbon could
provide room and board to N-fixing bacteria and could possibly reduce the
need even further.  But on corn I would be very careful reducing the N too
far or it could lead to poor yield.

Jon
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Gerald Van Koeverden [mailto:vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca]
  Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 3:00 PM
  To: Jon C. Frank
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] manure biochar N-P-K question


  Jon,


  I'm curious how your client was able to spread this industrial waste on
his soil.  Did he have to get some kind of governmental clearance first?  Or
has this material been classified as safe for farmland?  I want to know just
in case I can find similar waste here.  I would love to spread it on my
land.


  Gerrit




  On 11-Sep-07, at 3:19 PM, Jon C. Frank wrote:


    One additional point.  We have a customer who has access to large
quantities of charcoal powder that was used by industry as a filtration
product for syrup.  This product has pyrogenic characteristics so is
difficult to market.

    To prove a point at how effective it is in soil restoration he bought an
extremely sandy field on the river bottom of the Mississippi River.  He
applied 15-20 tons of this product per acre and plowed it into the soil.  He
saw tremendous visual difference in the plants and in the root growth as
compared to his neighbor with whom he shared part of the pivot for
irrigation.  When looking at roots that encountered chunks of this charcoal
powder the roots would explode with massive growth inside the chunk of
charcoal powder.

    The conclusion of this farmer was that adding large quantities of
charcoal powder increased the need for nitrogen on corn.  I suspect this
might also be the case with biochar, at least in the first year after
application.  I wonder if biochar made from manure would significantly slow
the release of NPK as compared to using the manure fresh.  I believe so but
have no data to back up my beliefs.  Kind of hard to get bio charred manure
around our area. :)

    Jon C. Frank
    www.aglabs.com

      -----Original Message-----
      From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org]On Behalf Of Adriana Downie
      Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 5:55 PM
      To: 'James Oliver'; terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
      Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] manure biochar N-P-K question


      Hi James,



      It very much depends on the temperature and processing conditions.
Generally the P and K will stay with the char, you will loose some nitrogen
but if you keep the temperature below 400C you will keep a significant
amount of it. The availability of the NPK in the char also changes
significantly with process conditions.



      Regards,



      Adriana Downie

      BEST Energies Australia



      -----Original Message-----
      From: James Oliver [mailto:jwogdn at yahoo.com]
      Sent: Monday, 10 September 2007 11:16 PM
      To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
      Subject: [Terrapreta] manure biochar N-P-K question



      I have seen discussion of turning manure into biochar.  Is the N-P-K
retained in the biochar if manure is used as feed stock?



      JW




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