[Terrapreta] eprida char - organic?

[Frank Teuton]

The organic standards generally accepted globally forbid the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. To the extent that a nitrogenized char soil amendment might be accepted at all, it would need to be charged with nitrogen of natural origin.

Some possible ways of achieving this include:

Char in compost where the composting process is managed to release some ammoniacal N and the char is placed to adsorb it;

Char as part of a biofiltration process where N is scrubbed out of compost gasses into the char

Char in animal manure management where urine and feces are mixed with char and the char adsorbs some of the N

Most likely in all of these circumstances the char would also become charged with substantial microbial populations. 

I think such complexed chars would be very acceptable to organic certification bodies, as long as the char is from noncontaminated origin materials, but not if synthetic N is used.

My tuppence, 

Frank Teuton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sean K. Barry 
  To: Gerald Van Koeverden 
  Cc: Terra Preta 
  Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 9:11 AM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] eprida char - organic?


  Hi Gerrit,

  I think "Nitrogen-oil free grades" refers to high nitrogen fertilizer that is not made with petroleum or natural gas.

  Regards,

  SKB
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Gerald Van Koeverden 
    To: Sean K. Barry 
    Cc: Terra Preta 
    Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 12:51 AM
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] eprida char - organic?


    Sean,


    I did a quick scan of those organic farming regulations: the only relevant applications I could find were on page 16 under the heading "Synthetics allowed."


    1.  The only entry for charcoal is "Activated charcoal (CAS #s 7440–44–0; 64365–11–3)—only from vegetative sources; for use only as a  
    filtering aid."   


    2.  Nitrogen—oil-free grades.  


    Doesn't look like even straight charcoal would be acceptable to them as a soil amendment.  "Terra Preta" is not yet a part of their lexicon.


    I don't know what an "oil-free" grade of nitrogen means.


    gerrit






    On 14-Jan-08, at 1:03 AM, Sean K. Barry wrote:


      <summary-of-us-organic-regulation.pdf>




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