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  • From: "Shoemaker, William H" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Biochar
  • Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:59:31 +0000

I've suspected for a while that the role played by biochar is similar to that
of certain clays and organic matter. They have charged molecular sites that
attract fertility ions and hold them in equilibrium with free moisture,
making them available as plants (or other sources) remove them from the soil
moisture. That would explain why highly fertile soils are less likely to show
a response to additions of biochar. Ancient sources of biochar may well exist
already in some soils, like prairie soils, as the article suggests.

So the research seems worthwhile and helps us understand when and why to use
it or not.

Bill
William H. Shoemaker
University of Illinois, Crop Sciences
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254, wshoemak AT illinois.edu

________________________________________
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of Steve Diver
[steved AT ipa.net]
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 10:01 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Biochar

Here's the article in quick-access HTML:

Carefully Unraveling the Intricacies of Biochar
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/nov11/biochar1111.htm

I attended the biochar symposiums at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA science
meetings in 2009 and 2011. Like the article states, results are
all over the map. A positive outcome is that scientists have high-end lab
equipment, budgets, and staff to generate results and findings to sift
through, good and poor results both tell a story.

So far, results indicate the following factors effect biochar's
influence: feedstock source (hardwood vs softwood vs poultry litter),
pyrolysis temperature (low vs high), post-processing storage conditions,
and designer treatments of biochar.

My take is that it depends on your soils to start with. The tropical soils
where terra preta generated interest in biochars are highly oxidized
with very low levels of soil phosphorus. In temperate climates with
pretty good soils, biochar hasn't shown as much response. It has better
potential on low CEC, low fertility, sandy soils.

Then again, research plots using biochar application rates of 25 to 50
tons/ac
don't speak to farmers.

What can you do with 500-1,000 lbs/ac banded with fertilizer, or just
25-50 lbs/ac of powdered charcoal applied as a soil spray with
biological teas, or just 5-10 lbs/ac by amending to a potting mix?

Steve Diver


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