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  • From: Steve Diver <steved AT ipa.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Biochar
  • Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:01:02 -0600

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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