[Terrapreta] Present and Future Benefits of TP

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi all 'terrapreta' list members,

I have noticed something somewhat missing from our discussions - any defined timeframes on application of Terra Preta forming technology.  There is an obvious desire on the part of those on the list who are involved or interested in the agricultural aspects of the Terra Preta phenomenon to want immediate (short timeframe) economic benefits for using charcoal in soil.  I am not sure the immediate realization of significant benefits is possible, though, given what fertile Terra Preta soil is and how it might possibly be formed.  The formation of the fertile characteristics of Terra Preta soils may take quite some time to develop, several years or decades perhaps?

On the other hand, the ability to make and store charcoal-into-soil can be ramped up more quickly.  It may need to be, in order to stabilize the increasing GHG concentrations and the resulting climate problems (GW and GCC).  Making charcoal simply for storage in soil now can occur even before the recipes to build Terra Preta soils and reap the agricultural benefits are realized.  Learning how to make charcoals with differing feed stocks, product characteristics, or processing methods can help when and if charcoal of a specific type is used to make TP soils.

We need to make a lot of charcoal to repair the atmosphere even a little.  It is estimated that we need to remove ~230 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere to reduce CO2 from 383 ppm to 350 ppms.  We need to know the best ways to make this much charcoal and begin to do it soon.  We need to learn how to harvest energy from the biomass also as we make charcoal, and do it so that there are little or no Methane-CH4 and minimal CO2 emissions.  We need to stay at until we are down to 350 ppm.  We will need to stay at if if the world keeps burning fossil fuels (and there is NO REASON TO BELIEVE THIS WILL EVER STOP!).

This will be a huge undertaking!  There may need to be as many "Clean Charcoal Kilns" in the world as there are automobiles now (and instead of).  There may need to be as many huge biomass-to-charcoal plants converting biomass-to-charcoal on the same scale as we now convert coal-to-electricity.  I think we need to be started on this kind of "collier" work already.  

The economic benefits to agriculture will occur later, I think, too.  Right now, the research on just exactly how to make Terra Preta work as an agricultural benefit is only beginning to occur.  The kind of feedstock to use and the pyrolysis processing used to make specific types of charcoal may need to be learned.  The whole process of carbonizing biomass on one site and concentrating the charcoal on other sites might be the secret of TP longevity and fertility.  We may need to learn some things about where and how we manage carbon stores, both in soil as charcoal, and as phyto-chemicals in plant biology.

What they all are and the value of the benefits from "charcoal-in-soil" are to agriculture needs to be researched.  There needs to be farmers and/or agricultural researchers who are willing to do the tests, acquire the charcoal, and measure out the benefits to soil that occur when charcoal, nutrients, microorganisms, and crop cycles are managed differently (with charcoal in the soil).  There needs to be "colliers" to make charcoal for use in soil.

There is nothing wrong with a pronged simultaneous approach, either.  Work in all areas related to Terra Preta formation can and is commencing simultaneously now.  These separate efforts can mature at different times.  The usefulness of charcoal-into-soil as an effective carbon sequestration mechanism can be realized now, while TP agricultural benefits will be realized later.  The impetus for proceeding with Terra Preta formation based solely on agricultural benefits and their economic justifications are NOT entirely evident right now, but the effects of TP soil are real and the potential for benefits of charcoal-for-soil are there (the benefits might just need to be measured out over a longer term than a few years perhaps).

Here is a quote from a very good recent article at (http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/tech/rr_biochar.html<http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2007/aug/tech/rr_biochar.html>) ...

Fulfilling the promise is going to take more research. "We need to get reliable data on the agronomic and carbon sequestration potential of biochar," says Robert Brown, director of the Office of Biorenewables Programs at Iowa State University. "The effects are real, but these are hard to quantify at present."

Regards,

SKB

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Edward Someus<mailto:edward at terrenum.net> 
  To: Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> ; Jon C. Frank<mailto:jon.frank at aglabs.com> 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:12 PM
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Net Present Value and Net Future Value ofTPBenefits


        PLS NOTE: rock phosphate may contain Cadmium, Uranium and Thorium contamination in different levels (depending on origin), which heavy metals have tendency for take up by plant and food crop production lines. 



        Sincerely yours: Edward Someus (environmental engineer)
        TERRA HUMANA Clean Tech Ltd. (ISO 9001/ISO 14001) 
        3R Environmental Technologies Ltd. 
        ADDRESS: H-1222 Budapest, Szechenyi 59, Hungary
        TEL handy:  +(36-20) 201 7557
        TEL / FAX:   +(36-1) 424 0224
        TEL SKYPE phone via computer:  Edward Someus
        3R TERRACARBON:   http://www.terrenum.net 
        3R CLEANCOAL ENERGY:   http://www.vertustechnologies.com    
        http://www.nvirocleantech.com<http://www.nvirocleantech.com/> 
        -------Original Message-------

        From: Jon C. Frank<mailto:jon.frank at aglabs.com>
        Date: 2008.03.25. 18:53:45
        To: Terrapreta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
        Subject: [Terrapreta] Net Present Value and Net Future Value ofTPBenefits

        BJ>The digester effluent is mixed with the
        bio char before it put in the planting holes on the field.  Soil improver,
        energy and soil micro-organism inoculant.

        Hi Bakary and list members,

        This is a most pertinant point.  Just last night I was reviewing a book
        about the utilization of biogas slurry I bought in India and thought I
        should mention to this list that biochar combined with slurry would be a
        great combination.  This combination would actually be closer to the
        original concept of terra preta where fertilizers were combined with
        charcoal to create the dark earths.

        A way to further remineralize the soil is to add finely ground rock powders
        (especially rock phosphates) with the manure to be put into the digester.
        The acid phase we make some of the phosphates water soluble and greatly
        benefit your plants when combined with the biochar.

        I would love to see a picture of your barrel.  I am working with a group in
        Congo that is very remote.  The top soil is very depleted and does not
        produce grains or vegetables very well.

        Most of the people cook over wood fires and do not have electricty.  I have
        developed a method of making compost under a shade tree using worms and have
        included charcoal as an input.  Your method in a barrel looks like a
        superior way to make charcoal.

        Jon C. Frank


        -----Original Message-----
        From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org>
        [mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org>]On Behalf Of bakaryjatta


        _______________________________________________
        Terrapreta mailing list
        Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org<mailto:Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
        http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/>
        http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/>
        http://info.bioenergylists.org<http://info.bioenergylists.org/>

        .
       
               
       
  _______________________________________________
  Terrapreta mailing list
  Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
  http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
  http://info.bioenergylists.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /attachments/20080326/8297ead0/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 1458 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : /attachments/20080326/8297ead0/attachment.jpe