permaculture

[Steve Diver <steved@ipa.net>]

-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: Steve Diver <steved@IPA.NET>
>Sent: May 18, 2007 6:57 PM
>To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
>Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Agrichar
>
>In my view, working in soil biology and humus farming, terra 
>preta and the related biochar experience is one of the most 
>fascinating and exciting things to come along.   
>
>Charcoal combines with organic matter... through
>microbial action... to create a humic form of recalcitrant 
>organic matter that increases nutrient holding capacity,
>microbial habitat, bioavailable nutrients, and related 
>benefits to soils, plants, and microbes.  That sounds to 
>me like plain good old fashioned organic agriculture.  
>
>An amazing thing to most Westerners is coming to realize
>that Amazonian Indians figured this out a couple thousand 
>years ago.  Terra preta opens a whole new door of learning 
>to explore the history of the Amazon, its peoples and its 
>ecology. 
>
>While commercial interests will explore commercialization
>of agrichar, farmers will continue to employ local methods.
>There are web manuals on making bamboo charcoal, carbonized
>rice hulls, and related charcoal-based materials. 
>
>Meanwhile, amidst a growing interest in carbon sequestration,
>I'd like people to keep in mind that we already have several
>decades of data and experience that shows how to increase 
>soil organic matter through biological farming methods.
>
>The Carbon Catcher Program, a project of the non-profit
>Water Foundation in Minnesota, was a program in the early
>to mid 1990s that emphasized humus building in biological
>farming systems for the purpose of capturing carbon. 
>
>See:
>
>The Carbon Catcher Program
>http://www.sfa-cm.org/WaterFoundation.pdf
>
>More recently, at the Acres USA conference in 2006, 
>Pat Herbert had soil test reports that showed how
>humified compost, aka Luebke compost, helped increase 
>the percent soil organic matter on his soil test from 
>0.9% to 4.1% over a ten year period on his broadscale 
>organic vegetable farm in Hollister, CA.  This is 
>a tremendous increase on soil OM.  Humified compost 
>is a clay-amended compost that forms clay-humus 
>structure.  
>
>See:
>
>Controlled Microbial Composting and Humus Management:
>Luebke Compost
>by Steve Diver 
>http://www.ibiblio.org/steved/Luebke/Luebke-compost2.html
>
>In addition, Dr. Paul Hepperly spoke at the Acres USA 
>conference about the Rodale Research Institute's 
>research on clay-, calcium- and humic-acid amended 
>composts.  Rodale found that this type of amended-compost 
>helps accelerate soil aggregation, reduces N losses, 
>reduces odors, reduce pathogens, etc... as the 
>NewFarm.org article below nicely summarizes.    
>
>See:
>
>Good compost made better: The Rodale Institute takes “black gold” 
>one step further.
>By Christine Ziegler Ulsh with Paul Hepperly, PhD 
>http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/2006/0413/compost.shtml
>
>Dr. Selman Waksman the famous microbiologist at Rutgers 
>University wrote about the critical importance of 
>clay-humus in soils, and how to promote this through 
>clay amendments to compost.
>
>Paul Hepperly credits Dr. Frank Stevenson, soil scientist 
>at University of Illinois, for concepts on soil 
>organic matter stabilization and clay-humus formation.
>
>And now we're just becoming familiar with the methods of
>Amazonian Indian, masters of terra preta.  
>
>So there are new ways and old ways, and really old ways, 
>to achieve similar goals.   
>
>Keep on digging,
>
>Steve Diver