[permaculture] biochar and Humus, Flip-flop Flannery etc.

Keith Johnson keithdj at mindspring.com
Fri Feb 6 11:51:59 EST 2009


Mollison has said that humus can last 1000s of years in stable forms IN 
UNDISTURBED SOILS (i.e. uncut forests, under the surface of lakes and 
ponds, in permanent prairies, and in mulched or non-tillage systems). 
Tillage, of course, speeds the breakdown and 1000 years of humus 
development can be destroyed in a few short years. I think the 
distinction between organic materials and humus needs to be emphasized 
in this consideration.

Biochar can support and enhance the natural functions of humus. There 
are still the problem of the terpenes and creosotes formed by burning, 
however, that I have not seen addressed by its proponents. I may have 
missed this as my investigation has not been exhaustive. Despite its 
value I am leery of its application as a silver bullet solution.

If biochar is used as a substitute for good farming practices it's 
likely to do more ultimate harm than good, in my humble opinion, and 
it's best application _may_ be in tropical and VERY damaged soils (the 
effects of acid rain, however, on soils greatly expands the definition 
of "damage") One of the best examples of carbon sequestration by 
non-tillage methods is that of Joel Salatin who's soils went from almost 
no humus to 8%, primarily by rotational grazing. See also Carbon Farmers 
of America.

If anyone knows of studies comparing humus and biochar, both together 
and separate, I'd appreciate some links.
Thanks,
Keith

http://remineralize.org/joomla/
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/yarrowccchallenge

Terra Preta History 1 
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/2_Terra%20Preta%20History%201%20pps97.pps> 
- 5 slides -- 3.4mb

Terra Preta Research 1 
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/3_Terra%20Preta%20Research%2021%20pps97.pps> 
- 3 slides -- 3.5mb

Terra Preta Research 2 
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/3_Terra%20Preta%20Research%2022%20pps97.pps> 
- 6 slides -- 3.2mb

Biochar 1 - How NOT to make Biochar 
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/4_Biochar%201%20NOT%20pps97.pps> 
-2 slides -- 1.8mb

Biochar 2 Backyard 
<http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/4_Biochar%202%20Backyard%20pps97.pps> 
-5 slides -- 2.8mb


http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/files/WorldClassSoils_JTodd.pdf
"It’s possible these four approaches to soil building—remineralization, 
compost, compost tea, and a modern version of
dark earth—when combined, can transform the soils of Appalachia, all of 
the Americas, and the rest of the world."

"Humus, the final product of the decomposition, is important for soil 
structure and health. It enhances the biological,
physical, and chemical properties of the soil. It helps the soil retain 
moisture and encourages good soil structure,
keeping the soil porous. Humus holds up to nine hundred times more water 
than does sand, giving it an important
role in reducing water use. "

"One essential difference between humus and compost is the length of its 
polymer chain. A polymer is a chain
of molecules that repeats structurally. How polymers work in humus and 
compost is not entirely understood,
but there are some key differences and effects. Humus and compost 
polymers are primarily made of carbon containing
molecules called amino acids. In compost these polymers are short, and 
in humus the polymer chains are long. These long chain polymers exist 
only in stable humus. When conditions are right, microbes attach these 
long-chain humic compounds to bits of clay, resulting in clay-humus 
crumbs. These clay-humus crumbs provide porosity to the soil, allowing 
for increased water retention and respiration by aerobic microbes. The 
clay-humus crumbs also provide ample area for microbes to live, 
increasing the soil ecosystem’s diversity and capacity. The result is 
more microbes that work to build soil nutrients, facilitate 
photosynthesis, and encourage root growth." 
http://midwestbiosystems.com/PDF/newsletters/Newsletter_2008-03.pdf

Ryan Hottle wrote:
> Lawrence,
> I think you are certainly right about the necessity of regenerative
> agriculture and producing biochar need not be mutually exclusive with
> regenerative practices.  In fact, I think using manure, cover crops, dynamic
> accumulators, microbial innnoculants, rock dusts, composts teas, humanure
> and biochar in a synergistic fashion could lead to drastic soil
> improvement.
>
> Producing biochar need not require us to harvest every last bit of organic
> matter to be turned into charcoal.
>
> It has been demonstrated however that biochar can last on the order of
> 1,000+ years (as demonstrated by the Terra Preta soils of the Amazonians)
> whereas the organic matter left as mulch or even, as you suggested, plowed
> (though I tend to try to stay away from tillage as much as possible myself)
> ~90% will generally mineralize out and become CO2 within 5 to 10 years.
>
> In short, biochar, like Harry said, is an incredibly stable amendment that
> brings to the soil a host of beneficial properties including improved soil
> tilth, aeration, increased micohhrizal fungi interactions, increased CEC,
> and water retention.  It may not work for every soil, but it is very
> promising.
>
> Again, instead of attack Flannery, Lovelock, or me, if we want to have a
> conversation about biochar we should stick to the subject.
>
> Peace and thanks,
> Ryan
>
> On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 2:46 AM, harry byrne wykman <harrybw at iinet.net.au>wrote:
>
>   
>> Forgive me if this represents a similar ignorance to that which you
>> ridicule. I understanding that the primary importance of biochar as
>> opposed to organic matter is that biochar is STABLE.  That is, it does
>> not release carbon into the atmosphere.  For this reason it is
>> effective as a carbon lockup strategy.
>>
>> Harry
>>
>> On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:12:12 -0500
>> "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj at intrex.net> wrote:
>>
>>     
>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/private/permaculture/2009-February/032700.html
>>     
>>> [permaculture] 3 . Flip-flop Flannery is a climate changeopportunist
>>> Ryan Hottle ry.hottle at gmail.com
>>> Thu Feb 5 23:40:59 EST 2009
>>>
>>> I'm a supporter and practitioner of Permaculture and think biochar
>>> is among the most promising solutions to global climate change.  I'd
>>> like to note that Clive Hamilton made no mention of any substance or
>>> scientific relevance about the benefits and risks of using biochar
>>> as a solution to climate change.
>>>
>>> Biochar is not exclusive in terms of being able to "cure" climate
>>> change--silver bullet solutions don't exist at this point--but it
>>> does seem to offer a promising and multi-faceted approach to
>>> producing energy, improving soils, and sequestering carbon in a
>>> single process. "Never do just one thing" right?
>>>
>>> It can be highly decentralized from small scale pyrolysis cookstoves
>>> to community scale combined heat and power carbon negative power
>>> plants.  It can be combined with coppicing/pollarding and forest
>>> garden systems. 
>>> The soil improving qualities are dramatic particularly in areas with
>>> extremely low soil organic carbon (SOM) such as places at risk of
>>> desertification, sub-Saharan Africa, and denuded landscapes in
>>> Tropical landscapes which tend to have highly leached and low
>>> nutrient soils.
>>>
>>> Are you a farmer? Have you ever farmed? Or gardened? Do you know
>>> _anything_ about biological, biointensive, regenerative, natural
>>> agriculture? Using massive amounts of rock dusts, manures, cover
>>> crops and mulch in agriculture?
>>>
>>> Why does harvesting all or part of a crop just to turn it into
>>> charcoal only to bury it in the ground make any sense at all?
>>>
>>> Gaia Lovelock says that farmers are the logical group to participate
>>> in carbon sequestration by harvesting crop stubble, converting it to
>>> charcoal and returning it to the filds INSTEAD OF SIMPLY PLOWING THE
>>> STUBBLE UNDER TO INCREASE SOIL OM, thereby increasing tilth,
>>> friability, life in the soil and fertility.
>>>
>>> He doesn't know beans about agriculture and though I buy into his
>>> Gaia theory completely he seems to have sold out on the biochar thing
>>> without even looking at the long term benefits of traditional
>>> regenerative farming, and local food production.
>>>
>>> LL
>>
>>     
>
>
>   

-- 

Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47407
(812) 335-0383
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