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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] biochar and Humus, Flip-flop Flannery etc.
  • Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:51:59 -0500

Mollison has said that humus can last 1000s of years in stable forms IN UNDISTURBED SOILS (i.e. uncut forests, under the surface of lakes and ponds, in permanent prairies, and in mulched or non-tillage systems). Tillage, of course, speeds the breakdown and 1000 years of humus development can be destroyed in a few short years. I think the distinction between organic materials and humus needs to be emphasized in this consideration.

Biochar can support and enhance the natural functions of humus. There are still the problem of the terpenes and creosotes formed by burning, however, that I have not seen addressed by its proponents. I may have missed this as my investigation has not been exhaustive. Despite its value I am leery of its application as a silver bullet solution.

If biochar is used as a substitute for good farming practices it's likely to do more ultimate harm than good, in my humble opinion, and it's best application _may_ be in tropical and VERY damaged soils (the effects of acid rain, however, on soils greatly expands the definition of "damage") One of the best examples of carbon sequestration by non-tillage methods is that of Joel Salatin who's soils went from almost no humus to 8%, primarily by rotational grazing. See also Carbon Farmers of America.

If anyone knows of studies comparing humus and biochar, both together and separate, I'd appreciate some links.
Thanks,
Keith

http://remineralize.org/joomla/
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/yarrowccchallenge

Terra Preta History 1 <http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/2_Terra%20Preta%20History%201%20pps97.pps> - 5 slides -- 3.4mb

Terra Preta Research 1 <http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/3_Terra%20Preta%20Research%2021%20pps97.pps> - 3 slides -- 3.5mb

Terra Preta Research 2 <http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/3_Terra%20Preta%20Research%2022%20pps97.pps> - 6 slides -- 3.2mb

Biochar 1 - How NOT to make Biochar <http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/4_Biochar%201%20NOT%20pps97.pps> -2 slides -- 1.8mb

Biochar 2 Backyard <http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/tpdoc/yarrow/4_Biochar%202%20Backyard%20pps97.pps> -5 slides -- 2.8mb


http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/files/WorldClassSoils_JTodd.pdf
"It’s possible these four approaches to soil building—remineralization, compost, compost tea, and a modern version of
dark earth—when combined, can transform the soils of Appalachia, all of the Americas, and the rest of the world."

"Humus, the final product of the decomposition, is important for soil structure and health. It enhances the biological,
physical, and chemical properties of the soil. It helps the soil retain moisture and encourages good soil structure,
keeping the soil porous. Humus holds up to nine hundred times more water than does sand, giving it an important
role in reducing water use. "

"One essential difference between humus and compost is the length of its polymer chain. A polymer is a chain
of molecules that repeats structurally. How polymers work in humus and compost is not entirely understood,
but there are some key differences and effects. Humus and compost polymers are primarily made of carbon containing
molecules called amino acids. In compost these polymers are short, and in humus the polymer chains are long. These long chain polymers exist only in stable humus. When conditions are right, microbes attach these long-chain humic compounds to bits of clay, resulting in clay-humus crumbs. These clay-humus crumbs provide porosity to the soil, allowing for increased water retention and respiration by aerobic microbes. The clay-humus crumbs also provide ample area for microbes to live, increasing the soil ecosystem’s diversity and capacity. The result is more microbes that work to build soil nutrients, facilitate photosynthesis, and encourage root growth." http://midwestbiosystems.com/PDF/newsletters/Newsletter_2008-03.pdf

Ryan Hottle wrote:
Lawrence,
I think you are certainly right about the necessity of regenerative
agriculture and producing biochar need not be mutually exclusive with
regenerative practices. In fact, I think using manure, cover crops, dynamic
accumulators, microbial innnoculants, rock dusts, composts teas, humanure
and biochar in a synergistic fashion could lead to drastic soil
improvement.

Producing biochar need not require us to harvest every last bit of organic
matter to be turned into charcoal.

It has been demonstrated however that biochar can last on the order of
1,000+ years (as demonstrated by the Terra Preta soils of the Amazonians)
whereas the organic matter left as mulch or even, as you suggested, plowed
(though I tend to try to stay away from tillage as much as possible myself)
~90% will generally mineralize out and become CO2 within 5 to 10 years.

In short, biochar, like Harry said, is an incredibly stable amendment that
brings to the soil a host of beneficial properties including improved soil
tilth, aeration, increased micohhrizal fungi interactions, increased CEC,
and water retention. It may not work for every soil, but it is very
promising.

Again, instead of attack Flannery, Lovelock, or me, if we want to have a
conversation about biochar we should stick to the subject.

Peace and thanks,
Ryan

On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 2:46 AM, harry byrne wykman
<harrybw@iinet.net.au>wrote:

Forgive me if this represents a similar ignorance to that which you
ridicule. I understanding that the primary importance of biochar as
opposed to organic matter is that biochar is STABLE. That is, it does
not release carbon into the atmosphere. For this reason it is
effective as a carbon lockup strategy.

Harry

On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:12:12 -0500
"Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net> wrote:

https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/2009-February/032700.html
[permaculture] 3 . Flip-flop Flannery is a climate changeopportunist
Ryan Hottle ry.hottle at gmail.com
Thu Feb 5 23:40:59 EST 2009

I'm a supporter and practitioner of Permaculture and think biochar
is among the most promising solutions to global climate change. I'd
like to note that Clive Hamilton made no mention of any substance or
scientific relevance about the benefits and risks of using biochar
as a solution to climate change.

Biochar is not exclusive in terms of being able to "cure" climate
change--silver bullet solutions don't exist at this point--but it
does seem to offer a promising and multi-faceted approach to
producing energy, improving soils, and sequestering carbon in a
single process. "Never do just one thing" right?

It can be highly decentralized from small scale pyrolysis cookstoves
to community scale combined heat and power carbon negative power
plants. It can be combined with coppicing/pollarding and forest
garden systems. The soil improving qualities are dramatic particularly in areas with
extremely low soil organic carbon (SOM) such as places at risk of
desertification, sub-Saharan Africa, and denuded landscapes in
Tropical landscapes which tend to have highly leached and low
nutrient soils.

Are you a farmer? Have you ever farmed? Or gardened? Do you know
_anything_ about biological, biointensive, regenerative, natural
agriculture? Using massive amounts of rock dusts, manures, cover
crops and mulch in agriculture?

Why does harvesting all or part of a crop just to turn it into
charcoal only to bury it in the ground make any sense at all?

Gaia Lovelock says that farmers are the logical group to participate
in carbon sequestration by harvesting crop stubble, converting it to
charcoal and returning it to the filds INSTEAD OF SIMPLY PLOWING THE
STUBBLE UNDER TO INCREASE SOIL OM, thereby increasing tilth,
friability, life in the soil and fertility.

He doesn't know beans about agriculture and though I buy into his
Gaia theory completely he seems to have sold out on the biochar thing
without even looking at the long term benefits of traditional
regenerative farming, and local food production.

LL




--

Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47407
(812) 335-0383
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- APPLE (Alliance for Post-Petroleum Local Economics) It's a small world after oil. <http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington>

- Transition Indiana <http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/> - Blog <http://transitionindiana.blogspot.com/>

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- The Gardeners' World Blog <http://theecosystem.blogspot.com/>
- Renaissance Farm and Permaculture Center <http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/growers/show/212>
- Bloomington Permaculture Growers Cooperative <http://bloomingtongrowers.locallygrown.net/>
- Bloomington Permaculture Guild Blog <http://bloomingtonpermacultureguild.blogspot.com/> - Calendar <http://my.calendars.net/bloomingtonpccal/>
- Continental Bioregional Congress Blog <http://bioregional-congress.blogspot.com/>
- Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way <http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower>






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