[Terrapreta] Fossil fueled based fertilizers

[Gerald Van Koeverden]

Nikolaus,

Several months ago, you described a more efficient way to utilize  
nitrogen by polymerizing it with formalin (see below).  Have you ever  
considered ways to achieve the same goal by using charcoal to absorb  
the nitrogen - as well as other chemical fertilizers - especially  
phosphorous and potash?

If it can be shown that charcoal significantly increases the % of  
chemical fertilizers that are actually utilized by the plant, then  
this would open up a whole new window of commercial possibilities for  
charcoal/char as a nutrient carrier/storage.

I enjoyed reading this little science project from a grade 10 student  
using charcoal...."The third procedure was the creation of a  
fertilizer slow-release compound. Commonly, 40% of anthropogenic
fertilizer leaches into the atmosphere or the ocean, causing mineral  
salt levels and water contamination to rise
(Samson et al.,1999). Applying the fact that activated charcoal is a  
strong absorbent of organic materials (Kosson  et
al. 1999), I compounded each fertilizer at a ratio of 1 part charcoal  
to 1 part nitrogen (C:N), in the presence and
absence of heat, over time."    http://www.physics.uwo.ca/teamcana/ 
2004/hughes_report.pdf

Gerrit

On 15-Sep-07, at 12:43 PM, Nikolaus Foidl wrote:

> Dear Sean!
>
> Its Haber-Bosch not Haber Bauch. To avoid toxicity of Ammonia and  
> Urea you
> can Polymerize the stuff using 1 :1 Formalin. You get water insoluble
> crystals which are then broken up by bacteria which use unease as a  
> enzyme.
> Like this you have a retarded nitrogen fertilizer with very high  
> efficiency
> and the plants get the nitrogen in little doses time after time. As  
> you will
> apply the polymer below the seeds the rhizobia are not affected  
> because they
> react only to direct water soluble nitrogen next to the seeds.The  
> efficiency
> is so high that you can lower total nitrogen by more then 50% without
> affecting effective uptake quantity. Add a little Molasse and the  
> bacteria
> will love to brake up the polymer. As an additional source of  
> carbon you
> might as well add some methanol to your mixture.DCPTA enhanced  
> plant growth
> loves additional CO2.
> Thanks Nikolaus
>
>
>
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