[Terrapreta] Terrapreta Digest, Vol 13, Issue 6

[Nikolaus Foidl]

Dear All¨!

As more as I see and learn about charcoal in soil as more I have certain
assurance that's just micro and macronutrients added to poor soil. The
charcoal could not prove itself so far to enhance productivity, in contrary
in extreme cases where nitrogen was nearly absent results are worse then
without charcoal. In trials adding water soluble potassium and a mix of the
micronutrients you add with charcoal to the same soil, until now bring the
same results then charcoal adding. Now if there is no CO2 credit I doubt
that the charcoal to soil has any future, because adding the amount of micro
and macronutrients to the soil( in the amount you bring into the soil by
adding 40 tons of charcoal/ha ) is much cheaper with a boom application on
the soil or foliar. The application costs even can be saved adding the
liquid fertilizer to a pesticide or fungicide you have to spray anyway. So a
once a year application of liquid fertilizer mix would cost some 3 to 5 US$
versus 40 tons of Charcoal with lets say 50 US$ per ton ( 2000 US$ per ha).
I still keep trying to get to some clear and prove able data that charcoal
without soluble or extractable micro and macro nutrients has any effect on
soil. Not found prove until today. Science is about proving, evaluating and
repeatability of data and not about believing and illusions.
Its clear to everybody that the amazon people had no way to apply a micro
and macro fertilizer mix to there soils to improve the inert sand for crop
production, or phrased different the adding of household waste, trash,
garden waste and charred wood and ash from the cooking fires was the
precursor of modern fertilization.The romans and the greeks had some very
simple and rudimentary piston pumps for pumping water but this does not mean
that today we through away the several times more efficient modern pumps
just because the ancient people knew it better.Maybe we should focus on
stripping a bit the esoteric amazon- ancient-wise guy crab and get to real
data instead of continued guessing and believing with out conclusive data.
Sorry for being a bit un polite but since month there are few , very few
real works like those from Rob on the net or in the forum, most is just pure
bull... and guessing. If somebody wants to see our results please drop me a
mail so i can get you access to our webpage.( to many photos for this forum,
not finished the trials, so no conclusions yet)

Again sorry for being a bit crabby today best regards Nikolaus