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  • From: Marty Kraft <martyk AT allspecies.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Biochar
  • Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:32:27 -0600

For me the difference is in the length of time it takes for the carbon cycle to be completed. With food wastes, leaves, straw, brush or any composted vegetation, manure or animal bodies the cycle is a matter of years. With charcoal the carbon cycle seems to be in melenia. When we put charcoal in the soil there is a chance that it will stay there for up to several thousand years instead of 10 to 20 years. That means that by putting charcoal in the soil i am sequestering it and keeping it out of the atmosphere where it adds to global warming. This should make it better for gardeners and farmers all over the globe.

For my own garden charcoal has a high cation exchange capacity. It holds nitrogen. It generally makes the soil fertile. I'm not sure the fertility will be better than really good composting methods. I am making charcoal and adding it to the soil because it is for the good of all, not just me and my own garden.

I am trying to document my efforts on my organotill youtube channel.

Here are some of our efforts in this regard. I haven't read any new material on the subject. Not that the growing season is over i will get back to it.

Marty

BIOCHAR EFFORTS

• Making Charcoal for Garden Bedssaving charcoal from a wood stove and preparing it for use on garden beds.

• Making Charcoal Grinder, part 1Constructing a mill to grind charcoal. Plans found at appropedia.org, corn cob charcoal.

• Making Charcoal Grinder, part 2Constructing a mill to grind charcoal.

• Making Charcoal Grinder, An AnalysisConstructing a mill to grind charcoal.

• Adding Biochar and Winterizing Beds

• Biochar Making Chamber

• Firing the Biochar Chamber in My Stove

On Nov 15, 2011, at 9:27 AM, SaladG AT aol.com wrote:

My question is what is the difference between biochar system and permaculture system.  We switched our growing methods after we started picking up vegetable waste from grocery stores.  Me make beds using nothing but waste (no animal manure) to build our beds we grow in.  Is the break down different or what is really the basic difference. We Use tons of wood products, grocery store waste, ground hay, stove ashes, kitchen waste, paper, cardboard, tree bark,and etc. These beds really will grow lots of worm after the heat process is over and planting directly in the beds are really a great place to grow.
 
Phil from Iowa
 
In a message dated 11/14/2011 11:59:47 A.M. Central Standard Time, wshoemak AT illinois.edu writes:
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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Marty Kraft
Please respond to climate change in your own way. Let care of nature become second nature.







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