[Terrapreta] eprida char - organic?

[Allan Balliett]

Tom - My comments are inserted below:

At 9:24 AM -0800 1/15/08, Tom Miles wrote:
(quoting me, here:)
>  > But I vote for "pure char or pure charcoal' for incorporating in our
>>  soil and not for amended products.
>
>Alan,
>
>In these discussion we have considered char as the principle distinguishing
>component of terra preta. Clearly there are components and combinations
>suitable to different crops, soils and applications - char, processed char
>(containing nutrients e.g. EPRIDA) amended char (added components such as
>organic matter or fungal inoculums), composted char (or char enhanced
>compost). Growers will pick and chose depending on their own judgment, their
>neighbors' experience, or the effectiveness of marketing. Hopefully this
>fluid exchange of experiences will increase the number of experiments that
>people make with char and terra preta.

Tom - From what I know about terra preta, which may be out of date 
already, we really do not have any studies that substantiate your 
expectations. I myself, and I imagine more commercial organic 
farmers, will want the char as basic as possible so that the 'terra 
preta' augments the fertility programs we have evolved (already) for 
our own microclimates. I don't think very many commercial organic 
growers would want a charcoal that limited its flexibility by 
containing a 'nutrient charge.' That just aint right. The need for 
amendment is unique for particular farms and purchasing char should 
not be a complicated math problem ("if I get xtons of N with my 
bio-char, and we traditionally amend with x-tons of N via compost, 
then I need...")

Sorry, I don't follow the product differentiation when, as far as I 
know, we have yet to reallly deduce what 'the Basics' are.

>
>As I mentioned previously there is at least one OMRI approved amendment that
>is substantially a char product.

Did you give us a name for this product? A name and a source w.b. 
appreciated! Thanks!!

>There may be others. The availability of
>products like this should encourage people to char in a variety of
>combinations. But they are costly. So for the time being it is DIY or pay a
>high price.

I have no idea of why we would need formulated char. Just basic char 
that was created at whatever temperature(s) it takes to make that 
char as soil enhancing as the original terra preta char inputs were.

Like I said: I may be behind the times. If so, please bringme up to date.

Thanks

-Allan Balliett
Biodynamic Farmer
Shepherdstown, WV