[Terrapreta] indigenous practices

[Richard Haard]

Robert - i have been puzzled by this statement outlined below in red.  
Reading Christoph Steiners dissertation, Slash and Char as Alternative  
to Slash and Burn, –
soil charcoal amendments maintain soil fertility and establish a  
carbon sink

I have indication that indigenous practices are intentional knowledge  
based soil fertility management. Whether you or Nikolaus I am curious  
what is basis of this assumption, as my Inuit friends still to this  
day rescue stranded 'expeditions' using their traditional knowledge in  
the far north and perhaps we need to give credit where it is due for  
the soil management skills of these indigenous people of the Amazon.

 From Chapter 1, page 35, 'Indigenous Knowledge of Terra Preta formation

clip from abstract

quote

  In order to gather
more information about the creation of Terra
Preta (TP) we describe indigenous soil fertility
management; analyzed managed and unmanaged
soil and compare soil chemical and micro-
biological parameters with those of prehistoric TP
(TPp); and, discuss the formation of TP under
indigenous soil fertility management. Fire and
organic matter (OM) are the main components of
indigenous soil fertility management. Small fires
are used to create burned soil (Terra Queimada),
and burned organic materials (ash and charred
residues) are used to increase the fertility in
patches for special plants like medicinal plants
and vegetables. After a burn (Terra Queimada)
the soil had a strong scent of pyroligneous acid
(Terra Cheirosa) which is stimulating soil micro-
organisms

unquote

Yet this is present day - how can you presume to know the motive of  
people who are long gone other that what their heirs are doing today?


>
>> Dear Nikolaus,
>>
>> Once again, you give them all, and this is the only response!!!
>>
>> Boys and Girls, when someone of higher leaning speaks, "listen" and  
>> "learn" and don't just comment because you want to add without  
>> substance!
>>
>> Nikolaus in your own words during our correspondents, "Terra Preta  
>> was formed as a waste management practice, not a soil management  
>> practice" So any who claim different, then find fund and send  
>> students to South America and prove this otherwise!
>>
>> Biochar is a start, biochar enhancement is a next step but agri  
>> engineering is the real solution!!!
>>
>> Rob.
>>
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