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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: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:07:29 +0000

I'll probably reveal more ignorance than light, but I might as well share my perspective.

 

Humates are, as Marty said, long-lived organic compounds derived from slow decomposition of organic matter. They are important sources of organic matter in mature soils, like our prairies, because they are essentially end-products that are stable and resist breakdown. They are not permanent, but they last decades and centuries under the right conditions. Unfortunately, oxygen can accelerate their breakdown, so tillage can actually incrementally reduce O.M. by speeding up the aging of the old humates.

 

Most market farmers and organic growers practice adding organic matter to their soils in many creative ways. Phil and Marty just shared a couple of ways they practice this. Raw organic matter will break down rapidly because soil micro-organisms use it as food (energy source). As they feed they break it down, further and further. So when Phil adds large volumes of raw organic matter, the worms and micro-organisms quickly reduce them and their volume decreases rapidly as they convert to smaller particles, water and gases. Eventually the soil community will reduce the O.M. to lignins, which are long-chain starches that are difficult to break down (but will burn!). Essentially they are woody fibers. The lignins, as they slowly break down, will eventually contribute to the humate content of the soil. So tillage can decrease O.M. but if O.M. contributions are made simultaneously, they conceiveably balance each other out.

 

Biochar changes organic matter, stabilizing it and creating carbon substances that have charged ionic sites. As they are added to soil, they serve a similar purpose as other mature O.M., including humates. But they are long-lived like humates because the burning reduces their value as a food source in the soil community. The energy value has been burned out. But, they can serve a great purpose as binding sites for soil nutrients. The USDA article suggested this is natural, as prairie fires are a natural part of the prairie ecosystem and ancient biochar can be found microscopically.

 

I don't think it makes much sense to try to assign great value to one process over the other. They probably both have their roles to play and their value to the soil community. Both have their contributions and should be studied and practiced logically.

 

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 Marty Kraft [martyk AT allspecies.org]
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 1:19 PM
To: pureprairiefarm AT gmail.com; Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Biochar

Bill

Humates as i understand them are complex and varied organic structures that can last a long time in the soil. I believe that humates are bought and brought in from somewhere else to use in our gardens. Through composting you eventually end up with humates but it takes a long time.

When you make charcoal you are pyrolyzing wood or other organic material in a much shorter time and in greater volume than you would through composting.

My strategy is to make as much charcoal as i can while using the excess energy to heat my house or do something else useful with it. I will also compost like crazy as well. Each strategy needs to be looked at in terms of the health of the Earth, its inhabitants and my own needs.

Others may be more knowledgable than i on the humate creation question. Don't have time to research further.

Marty
On Nov 15, 2011, at 11:56 AM, pureprairiefarm AT gmail.com wrote:


Thanks Marty,

How is this different than applying humates?

Bill Scheffler

Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone

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

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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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