[Terrapreta] Initial Photos from Terra Preta Trial

[MFH]

Bear

I have conducted similar trials but in ground plots rather than in pots.
Best results gave pumpkin vines around 300% larger than the untreated soil,
but this was too dramatic to be acceptable - something else may have been
there - perhaps a cow peed first. Or I had a beer too many and added some
nitrogen. I've generally found that beer or wine are considerable aids to
most experiments.

Although I also seemed to get better seed germination from the plots with
char, I also take this with a degree of scepticism. The energy for
germination comes from within the seed - only meaningful addition is
moisture, as demonstrated by germinating seeds on wet tissue paper.

I've got a couple of trials still running, but to my thinking there are at
least three critical factors:

a) the size of the char particles, and
b) the time factor. I suspect that meaningful improvements will be more
evident in terms of years rather than weeks, and
c) both the percentage of char, and the depth in the soil profile

Sincerely
Max Henderson

-----Original Message-----
From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Bear Kaufmann
Sent: Wednesday, 9 April 2008 5:00 PM
To: terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
Subject: [Terrapreta] Initial Photos from Terra Preta Trial

Hi all,

Initial photos from the terra preta trial are posted to 
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/
Thanks Erin and Tom for the upload.

Radish germination was ~one week ago.

Char was mesquite BBQ char (due to availability), crushed and screened 
to 1/8". Presumably high temp. No nutrients were added to the char 
itself. No mycorhizal fungi. Mixtures range from 0-100% sand, soil, and 
char in ~16% increments by volume. 90 pots total. 28 combinations with 3 
pots each + 6 additional pots at 33%/33%/33%. Pots are placed randomly 
in the grid. Radish appears to do much better on pure sand then pure 
char (which is extreme anyway, the middle range will be more 
interesting). Plants will be thinned to the two best (of four) per pot 
this weekend.

The primary data collected will be the final biomass weight. This will 
be collected in a few weeks.

Cheers,
Bear


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