Discussion with Mel Landers (Nicaragua)

Thanks for the comments from Mel and Dan.

The picture (left) is the slow burn stove that the Kenya NGO has. This is a popular design and stove for kitchens that does cooking for larger volumes of food. It is more than 1 meter high and probably a meter wide. The pot (right) is large (see comparative size of water tap that is beside it).

As suggested, if the air hole at the bottom of the stove could be closed and another pot of water put on top, it would produce both boiled water and charred materials.

A good suggestion. THANKS

regards
jacky

---forwarded message----(edited)
from Daniel Nagengast [nagengast@earthlink.net]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 14-Aug-2007 19:12
subject [DES] Re: Bio Char

I would also try to think of useful ways to harvest the heat from your covered coals. Maybe boiling drinking water to sanitize it. I hate wasting energy.

Dan

-----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 14-Aug-2007 19:01
subject [DES] Re: Bio Char

Jacky Foo wrote:
>The source of charcoal will be from the kitchen. The NGO
>in Nairobi has a slow burn stove which is used to cook
>food for 210 children. After each cooking session,
>instead of letting remaining fire wood burn off,
>remaining wood can be showered with water to kill the fire.
>There should be some charred materials there which can
>then be collected and used.

This would be a good source of charred material. But, I would suggest not totally interrupting the oxidation of the wood. The key is to slow down the process and exclude most of the Oxygen from the fuel. It would be best to cover the wood with a pot and let it turn to charcoal. Killing the fire will result in much of the wood remaining intact. That would then need to decompose in the compost pile.

What I am suggesting is similar to a pit composting, but with the exclusion of much of the Oxygen from the decaying biomass by a layer of soil. This is in order to let anaerobic organisms produce the maximum amount of humus possible.

This is what I am trying to impress on everyone; that the humus is every bit as important as the charred material for the success of the dark earth soils. Most of the investigations, so far, are focussing solely on the charred material to the exclusion of the humus.

Humus is probably as important as the bio-charr in the production of dark earth soils.
+++

----forwarded message------(edited)
From: Jacky Foo
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2007 18:55:47 +0200
Local: Tues, Aug 14 2007 6:55 pm
Subject: Re: [DES] Re: Layered materials


On 14/08/07, Mel Landers wrote:
>....The photos are somewhat missleading as there are a
>number of layers not shown. These include two more
>layers of charred material.
>....(cut)....
>I think a base layer of charred material would be beneficial
>however, in order to trap nutrients that are being leached from
>above during heavy rains.

yes, I certainly agree with you. A thicker bottom layer (lining) would certainly be useful (for my pit compost).

thanks for the info

regards
jacky

----forwarded message-----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 14-Aug-2007 18:45
subject [DES] Re: Layered materials

Jacky Foo asked:
>Does one need to have more than one layer of charcoal
>to make the compost ?

I am glad you asked that question! The photos are somewhat missleading as there are a number of layers not shown. These include two more layers of charred materials.

Actually, as I have mentioned in the document, it would be preferable to mix the materials together rather than building layers. This would have required more labor or a piece of equipment that I did not have at the time. So, I opted for the quick method of layering the material.

I think a base layer of charred material would be beneficial however, in order to trap nutrients that are being leached from above during heavy rains.

mel

----forwarded message-----(edited)
from Daniel Nagengast [nagengast@earthlink.net]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 14-Aug-2007 15:21
subject [DES] Bio Char

Mel and all,

This is all very interesting . Thank you for the information and your time.

Q: Do any of you have thoughts about the incorporation of bio char into traditional compost production, rather than in situ on the fields?

The reason I ask is that would allow more mechanization it seems to me. It would upgrade the value of the compost by increasing its longevity as a beneficial soil amendment, (thousands of years!?), but allow one to concentrate activity at the composting site, and then field application and incorporation could take place in one or two passes. It also seems like we've rudimentary composting infrastructure and understanding in place. Adding biochar is a slight tweak.

And that touches off another thought.


Q: Could bio char be added to slurries, like municipal sewage or hog waste and knifed in? Would that be beneficial?

Not that I am interested in either of those for our farm, or the farms I work with, but the thought of slurry application and knifing occurred to me, and I was wondering what you all thought.

If there were to be extensive bio char production via pyrolysis of
switch grass for example, I doubt in the short term, that hand
application and bed building would take place. It might be wise to
return much of the bio char to the switch grass fields, but then how
would you incorporate it, in an established perennial field, other than through knifing.

Just a thought.

Dan N.

++
Dan Nagengast
785-748-0959
785-748-0609 fax
nagengast@earthlink.net
www.kansasruralcenter.org

Hi Mel

At home (Stockholm) I use the pit compost method (dig a pit of about 1/2 meter deep and then fill it up with organic matter from my garden and layer it with soil whenever I put something into it. I will now layer it also with charcoal dust. It makes much sense to do it this way.

Pit compost method works well in Kenya and where I am also associated with a project with an NGO that cares for disadvantaged children. It is more practical than compost piles as it is easier to throw things into a pit (1 meter diameter) than to make a pile that is 2 or 3 meters long.

The pit also enable earthworms to colonise and eat materials whenever they are added. It will also enable the NGO to use dry toilets and contents can be emptied daily into the pit. After the pit is filled, they can grow a papaya tree. It is also easy to locate where the pit is dug depending on what will be grown when it is filled. A pit can also be dug in the middle of a vegetable plot as it will be within arms reach to throw things into.

The only change is to use charcoal dust.

The source of charcoal will be from the kitchen. The NGO in Nairobi has a slow burn stove which is used to cook food for 210 children. After each cooking session, instead of letting remaining fire wood burn off, remaining wood can be showered with water to kill the fire. There should be some charred materials there which can then be collected and used.

Q: In a household in Nicaragua, what would be their source of charred materials for their compost pile ?

-----
Jacky Foo
http://www.iobbnet.org

Mel Landers wrote:
>The dark earth soils of the Amazon River Basin contain
>powdered charcoal.......(cut)....
>There in the Amazon there are earthworms that eat the
>charcoal. They excrete a mix of charcoal powder and soil....

it makes much sense that charcoal powder that has passed through earthworms intestinal tracts would be richer in nutrients and probabably also growth factors that plants respond to.

This would be an interesting research study and to compare it to the use of pieces of charcoal and charcoal powder.

In your background document with photos on how to produce soils high in charred organic material and humus, you start with a layer of "charred organic matter", a layer of fresh manure, a layer of green grass and then a layer dried straw. Then you add rotting fruit, vegetable material, fresh manure until the bed is 60 to 70 cm or higher and a final cover with soil.

Does one need to have more than one layer of charcoal to make the compost ?

regards
jacky

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 05:15
subject [DES] A question for Dan


Hi Dan,

I just wanted to ensure that what I had written answers your questions, especially concerning the use on dry lands. If not please say so.

That goes for anyone else as well. I want to ensure that all questions are answered as thoroughly as possible, within the limits of my understanding that is.

I believe that switching to raised beds, with tied ridges and covering the entire terain with an organic mulch would greatly increase the soil moisture content in the dry parts of the world that are farmed today. The system can be applied rather quickly by most farmers, even using hand labor. Large tracts of land, that are farmed with tractors could be converted using bed making implements.

mel

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 05:07
subject [DES] Farming under desert conditions.


Hello again,

I am attaching a document "Farming in the Desert" I have composed concerning some ideas for farming in dry lands, and in deserts in particular. Although much of the soil spread accross the wheat belts of the world are now severely devoid of soil organic matter, (SOM) it is vital to productivity in all soils, including deserts. So, it would be beneficial to discover how to produce Dark Earth Soils in the desert as well. As fast as the earth is drying up, it will be necesary for the survival of people living in these locations.

mel

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 04:59
subject [DES] Humus in tropical and sub-tropical soils

Good evening,

I am definitely of the opinion that dark earth soils need to be composed of more than just dirt and charcoal. Healthy soil contains many thousands of important microial life forms, crustaceans, worms etc. Their health and survival are dependant on the right environment. That environment must incliude organic matter in various stages of decomposition including stable humus.

Here is my understanding of humus in general and specically in warm climate soils. This is a compilation of information gleened from many sources. Although authoritative in nature, these sources may have their detractors. So, I cannot gaurantee that all experts would agree with all that I have written. But, for what it is worth:

.......Humus in Tropical and Subtropical Soils


Humus in Wet Tropical Environments
Wet land tropical forests appear to be growing on highly fertile soils. The truth is that there is a thin layer of quickly decomposing organic matter on the surface of otherwise low fertility soil. The warm, moist, highly oxygenated environment on the forest floor of tropical forests, provides optimum conditions for the fungi and bacteria which decompose the layer of mulch that accumulates at the base of the trees.

Also present in this decomposing layer of organic matter are beneficial organisms that quickly make the newly released nutrients available to the tree roots. Nutrient cycling in such an environment takes place quickly. The formation and deposition of humus is almost non-existent. This is why newly cleared tropical forest cannot sustain production for more than a few years. There is no humus to maintain fertility.


The Composition of Humus
Humus is an ill defined substance. It is known to be an essential component of healthy soils. It improves the structure of soils, provides appropriate habitats for beneficial micro-organisms and effectively stores energy and nutrients for later use. It clumps sand particles and separates clay particles.

But, humus is so complex and varied, from one environment to another and from one mix of plants to another, that it is impossible to establish an exact description of its composition. Even within the same plant community, the difference in maturity of the plants can alter the composition of humus.

Humus is composed of organic matter derived from plants and animals
through the decomposing actions of microbes. It's molecules come in many forms and it is dark in color. It is also stable in comparison to other organic materials such as manure or compost, which are more prone to decomposition.

Although considered stable over long periods of time, humus is never actually an end product. It continually changes its complex structure over time. This applies more to newly formed humus than to that which has existed for decades or centuries, however. That humus is quite stable.

In general, the longer it persists, the more stable it becomes. But, when disturbed by tillage, broken by other mechanical action, exposed to solar radiation or heat from fire or the sun, even old humus can be altered so much that it can be utilized by the organisms responsible for decomposition.

Formation of Humus
Any given biomass is composed of various carbohydrate molecules. Some, such as sugar, starch and some proteins, provide easily digested energy sources for bacteria. Fungi can use these same substances as well as cellulose and hemi cellulose for the same purpose.

Other organic compounds are not so easily decomposed. Fats, lignins and waxes are much more resistant to decay. A large percentage of the carbohydrate molecules in humus are made up of these components, not in their original form, but altered by the decomposition process. Others are substances produced by the organisms themselves during decomposition.

Bacteria, in general, produce sticky substances that cause carbohydrate molecules to clump together. But, it is mainly during the slow decomposition, brought about by anaerobes, that these glue like substances form the stable bonds that produce large quantities of humus.


The Effects of Farming Methods on Humus
Productive soils should have at least 5% organic matter content. This should be composed of thousands of different bacteria and fungal species, plant and animal tissues in various states of decomposition and stable humus. Undisturbed soils, with plenty of decomposing organic matter on the surface, normally provide a good environment for the maintenance of soil organic matter, but not necessarily of humus.

Conventionally farmed soils are low in all three of these categories of organic matter. Breaking apart the soil damages fungal mycelia, earthworms and humus. Exposure to high concentrations of Oxygen increases the rate of decomposition. Exposure to the heat and radiation of the sun kills micro-organisms and further damages the structure of humus, making it susceptible to decomposition by soil organisms.

Tillage also exposes the soil to erosion from rain and wind. This further decreases the quantity of organisms, decomposing tissues and humus, as it is washed or blown away. With soil erosion, the productive capacity of the land is lost along with the potential wealth of those farming the land.

The use of concentrated fertilizers can further damage the organic matter content of soils by speeding up decomposition, through the introduction of large quantities of Nitrogen into the soil. These fertilizers also acidify the soil and can kill necessary micro-organisms. The use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides can also kill large numbers of soil organisms.


Humus in Tropical Soils
The warm temperatures and moist conditions of disturbed tropical and subtropical soils are not conducive to the production, accumulation or persistence of humus in soils, especially in highly oxygenated sandy soils.

Under warm, humid, high Oxygen conditions, aerobic organisms quickly decompose organic matter. The bacteria and fungi which thrive in these highly oxygenated, warm, humid conditions produce little humus. Fast composting thoroughly decomposes the biomass and releases the mineral components, which are used as food by the decomposers.

Even without tilling the soil, humus does not accumulate in many tropical and sub-tropical environments. At a certain combination of temperature, Nitrogen level, Oxygen level and humidity, humus is not produced. So, it is especially unusual to find high levels of humus that has been stable for over 500 years in the midst of the Amazon Basin. The farmers who produced these soils achieved something modern science has not been able to duplicate.

In order to produce substantial amounts of humus in tropical soils, there must be some control over the temperature and Oxygen level in the soil. This was apparently accomplished by these ancient farmers. They built soils rich in both charcoal and humus. Both are important for conditioning the soil, for storing nutrients and for supporting micro-organisms.


Producing Humus under Warm, Humid Conditions
Shading of the soil with a thick organic mulch or cover crop can significantly lower the temperature. Burying organic matter well below the surface of the soil can limit oxygen. Many bacteria that are classified as anaerobes can also function in the presence of decreased amounts of Oxygen, to produce humus.

It is hard to maintain organic matter content in any cropped soil. Perennial farming systems that require a high concentration of trees, such as shade grown coffee or Cacao production, provide the proper model for maintaining adequate levels of soil organic matter in tropical soils. The key to accomplishing this in other cropping systems is to alter their management to provide a similar environment at and, preferably, below the surface of the soil.

The use of mulched raised beds, built on the level, can prevent erosion and provide a cool, moist, shaded environment with plenty of food for soil organisms. This farming system can significantly increase the amount of organic matter contained in organisms and decomposing plant and animal tissues. But, the highly oxygenated environment restricts the production of stable humus in the soil.

Producing Dark Earth Soils
Thousands of years ago the Native American Farmers of the Lower Amazon River Basin discovered a way of improving the structure of their soils and maintaining fertility, despite the high levels of precipitation in the region. They accomplished this through the incorporation of charred organic matter and through the production of large amounts of humus. They did this in an environment where humus is normally almost non-existent. We need to re-discover their technology.

Burying organic matter below a layer of soil, thus reducing the availability of Oxygen, should significantly increase the amount of humus produced by aerobic organisms. Of course, the amount of Oxygen reaching this layer depends on the nature of the soil itself; varying as a result of the percentages of clay and sand.

A layer of organic matter that includes adequate Nitrogen, Carbon and moisture, for a slow decomposition by anaerobic organisms, should provide an environment in which nutrients are released, but are held in place by organisms and by the humus they produce.

The addition of Charred biomass should significantly increase the ability of the soil to retain nutrients in the root zone. Not all charred materials are the same, however. Those produced from lignins are more persistent than those madefrom hemi-cellulose, for instance. But, both should have the capacity for behaving as Chelating agents. Finer particles should also provide more surface for holding nutrients than would large chunks.

Another potential benefit from such a system is the Carbon sequestration that results from burying charred biomass within the soil. Incorporating charcoal, produced from waste products or from quick growing tree species, could lock away appreciable amounts of atmospheric Carbon, if done on a large scale.

I hope this is helpful.

mel

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 04:44
subject [DES] Bio Char


Hi,
....(cut)....
I will also send a little information concerning the importance of raised bed farming to dry land farming conditions such as are found in the Sahel. A thousand years ago, there were people successfully farming the wadis of the Negev desert. They used raised beds.
---(cut)....

Ingrids question about the value of such a system in a place like the Sahel is important. What has been shown by Dr. Lehmann, Bruno Glaser of Bayreuth in Gernamy and others, is that the low temperature oxidation of materials that are cut during field preparation,(slash and char) are much more efficient at holding nutrients for the seasons production than the high temperature oxidation. (slash and burn)

I personally discourage the burning of materials cut from fields so that it can be used as mulch. A mulch covered field can retain over 90% of the rain that falls compared to the 10% retained on a bare field, etc. But, there is a definite use for charred material. The question that needs to be answered is from where should this material come. Crop residues are a good source, as are plants cut from unused land or from plantations of fast growing tree species grown especially for that purpose.

This is the tactic we will focus on here, using the moringa tree. It has other profitable uses and can be converted through pyrolysis into energy and biochar following extraction of growth hormone and Omega 3 fatty acids.

mel
++

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 04:44
subject [DES] Bio Char


Hi,

I will try to answer most of the the outstanding questions in this letter. But, I cannot find my copy of Suzanne Hecht's article on the life of the Kayapo people at the moment. I will look for it and write a separate letter on that topic.

Jacky is correct concerning the differences in raw materials for the production of charcoal. You can in fact see the pores left in pyrolysed biomass and also the beneficial environment it forms for micro-organisms with electron microscopy. It seems reasonable that biochar from denser materials might have more pores. The main question will be the Cation Exchange Capacity of biochar from various sources. This needs to be known. But, it will be necessary to utilize biochar from as much of the waste stream as possible, whether dense or soft, so hopefully there will not be a significant difference.

The dark earth soils of the Amazon River Basin contain powdered charcoal. It has been proven by Tryon in 1948 and Chan et al. in 1999 that finely divided charcoal can form stable humus which, due to slow oxidation and hydroxylation increases the donor/acceptor charges, thus giving the soil strong exchangeable properties. This is the basis of my hope that soft wood char, produced under low temperatures will have a high enough CEC and a long enough life in the soil.

There in the Amazon there are earthworms that eat the charcoal. They excrete a mix of charcoal powder and soil that when dry, are partly held together by Van der Wals forces that make the mix more stable. Of course in these soils we are dealing with mature humus that has existed for thousands of years, whether or not it had its origins in decomposed matter or biochar. Reproduction of this mix of biochar and humus will require more than just incorporating charcoal into the soil. It will require the slow decomposition of a portion of the available organic matter.

....(cut)....

mel
++

----forwarded message----(edited)
from Mel Landers [agrimel@yahoo.com]
to Dark Earth Soils [iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com]
date 14-Aug-2007 04:44
subject [DES] Bio Char


Hi,

I will try to answer most of the the outstanding questions in this letter. ---(cut)---

Concerning questions that have been raised today:

Dr. Johannes Lehmann of Cornell University is one of the leading dark earth soils researchers. he has done extensive investigation in the use of pyrolysis for the production of charred biomass for its use in the production of dark earth soils. He estimates that the production of one Gigajoul of energy, in the form of biodeisel or Hydrogen for fuel cells, with the pyrolysis process can yield up to 30.6 Kg of biochar. This seems to hold true through the entire range of normal pyrolysis temperatures of 350 to 500 degrees Centigrade. The difference would of course be the feed stock. High lignin biomass would yield more than high cellulose dry matter. He estimates that the world could sequester 9.5 billion tons of Carbon a year with the production of biochar.

Of course this just counts the sequestration of Carbon in biochar. If there is humus production from the decomposition of other organic wastes, this can also increase Carbon sequestration. Then there is the fact that much of the Carbohydrate content in soil is made up of the bodies of living micro-organisms. In a soil that is high in organic matter content, that is moist and that is relatively cool, such as you find under mulch, this can add significantly to the amount of Carbon present in the soil. Of course that would be hard to quantify, but important none the less.

Production of biochar and energy together in the process of pyrolysis is Carbon negative. It sequesters more carbon than it releases back into the environment through the combustion of the resultant fuel. So, this is the most efficient use that can be made of biomass. If materials are limited, pyrolysis is a good option for supplying energy and a valuable soil additive. Biochar not only holds nutrients in the root zone, it also holds water in the root zone. This is beneficial even in arid regions.

....(cut)...

mel

----forwarded message-----(edited)
from Jacky Foo [jacky.foo@gmail.com]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 13-Aug-2007 18:04
subject biochar from pyrolysis


On 13/08/07, nagengast@earthlink.net wrote:
>I'm interested in bio char as a soil amendment and would
>like to understand whether using pyrolysis to create
>biofuels from cellulose would produce substantial
>quantities of bio char.

If charcoal after pyrolysis can be used, then we are looking at two useful products from pyrolysis, energy and the charcoal for improved crop production. I have visited a group that does pyrolysis and crop production but they did not use charcoal in to improve the land.

Mel might be able to comment on this and also on the method of charcoal production.

There seem also to be various types of biochar, e.g. EPRIDA Process biochar which is better than standard charcoal .



regards
jacky

----forwarded message---
from Ingrid Hartmann [ingridethio@yahoo.com]
to iobb-darkearthsoils@googlegroups.com
date 13-Aug-2007 18:55
subject [DES] Re: The Secret of El Dorado


Dear all,

I found the video very impressive.

Nevertheless, although I have no doubt about the positive effects of charcoal in soils and on yields, although I do not deny its contribution to carbon sequestration, I do not understand, how the charcoal should reduce the pressure on slash-and burn systems. Fuel in general is scarce in areas which practice slash-and-burn systems like in the Sahel, especially fuel wood and also charcoal; then, how then could they have additional charcoal for their soils?

Greetings
Ingrid Hartmann

For introduction:
I am a soil scientist and ecological economist from Germany, mainly working in Ethiopia

Mel wrote:
ML>Several universities are working on the collection of
>biochar as a result of pyrolysis. They seem to be encouraged
>by the results and are proposing the use of many types of
>feedstocks for the process.
>
>Of course the more dense materials would produce the
>greatest amount of charred material. But, I don't
>think anyone yet knows whether charred material
>from dense materials will out perform that from
>soft materials.

As early as 1995 I met a Japanese group that was looking into making charred materials from various sources (rice husk, wood chips and wastes, oil palm nut shells, various nut shells, etc). Their market was for golf courses and also the traditional use at the bottom of Japanese houses.

Golf courses need to be well drained and yet need to be green. So the Japanese have been using a layer of charred materials to capture the fertiliser they put on the grass. Slow-release fertilser pellets are available but more expensive. Charred materials are also put between the ground and the elavated floor of traditional Japanese houses. Charcoal absorbs the smell that may develop under their homes.

Japanese wastewater treatment companies were also testing such materials too. They found out that charred oil palm nuts were the best because of the size of the pores in the charred nuts that favoured attachment/habitat for the microorganizms.

I guess is that for soft materials, pores will collapse when the materials are charred. The denser the materials with lignin, the structure of the pores may survive better during the heat process. You should be able to see these pores in charred materials in an electron microscope.

The role of charred materials in the soil is however in their ability to absorb the nutrients. I have little knowledge in this area and will look forward to comments.

-----
Jacky Foo
http://www.iobbnet.org

----forwarded message-----
From: Mel Landers
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:41:48 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Producing Bio-Charr

Hi Dan,

DN>Hi, My name is Dan Nagengast. I live and farm in Kansas.
>I'm involved in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy
>issues. I'm interested in bio char as a soil amendment and
>would like to understand whether using pyrolysis to create
> biofuels from cellulose would produce substantial
>quantities of bio char. Secondly, how crops
>react to dark earth soils created using bio char in a
>relatively low-rainfall region like Kansas.
>And thirdly, the potential for carbon sequestration.


I myself, farmed near you in Missouri.

Of course I cannot tell you how well the dark earth soils might form in the drier parts of Kansas, but I had success here under drought conditions last year. I encourage you to give it a try. I am sure their performance would be to your liking, especially if you take the trouble to develop humus in the soil as well. These two ingredients should greatly increase your water holding capacity.

I will attach a document to this letter which describes the basic Native American technique of "mulched raised bed". This method can allow you to harvest 100% of the rain instead of the 10% that is available on plowed soil.

Several universities are working on the collection of biochar as a result of pyrolysis. They seem to be encouraged by the results and are proposing the use of many types of feedstocks for the process.

Of course the more dense materials would produce the greatest amount of charred material. But, I don't think anyone yet knows whether charred material from dense materials will out perform that from soft materials. I know that investigations are on-going in this regard though. I will check some material sent by a friend, Scott devine, who has been working with this.

I will let you know what I find out.

I am hoping to soon have large amounts of stalks from the Moringa tree; a waste product from the use of the leaves as feed for livestock. The stems are very soft, mostly cellulose, due to the nature of the wood and because the plants are cut every 45 days, before the stems have a chance to harden. I am hoping that this easily powdered charred material will provide a maximum chelating effect.

The potential for Carbon Sequestration is tremendous. One major reason for the project with the Moringa trees is for that specific purpose. We recently ran some numbers and figured that we could sequester over a billion tons of Carbon in Nicaragua alone. That does not include the Carbon sequestered by the stable humus. Charcoal is stable for up to thousands of years. Humus is stable for hundreds and possibly over a thousand years once it is mature.

The challenge will be to sequester atmospheric Carbon in dry regions. It was revealed this week that trees grown on dry soils do not efficiently sequester atmospheric Carbon. So, it is doubly important that people wanting to form dark earth soils harvest the maximum amount of rainfall possible. With much of the Northern hemisphere drying up rapidly, there would need to be a major revolution against the plow. It seems that Faulkners "The Plowmans folly" is applicable to our day.

Many people could seek out processing wastes for the production of charred material. In Kansas you may need to try straw!? Or maybe you should try growing a fast-growing weedy tree on raised beds.

mel

++

-----Forwarded message------(edited)

From: Mel Landers
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:02:20 -0700 (PDT)

Hi,

I apologise for my lack of know how on the internet. I am much more comfortable with a shovel than with a mouse and keyboard. Since it would appear my responses are going on to the seminar page, I will use this letter to give an idea of who I am, in response to Jacky's request.

The introduction I submitted gives the major details of who I am and what I am doing concerning production techniques.

I am not a soil scientist or agronomist. Most of what I know about soils, I have learned from studying the writings of people such as Dr. Ingham of the soilfoodweb and others. I dropped out of Colorado University in my Junior year to buy a farm and experiment with Native American farming methods. I had learned how to study and how to do science. Most of my experimentation, however has dealt with adaptive investigations of techniques and crops.

I studied environmental biology and still tend to view plant growth from an environmental perspective. I was a small scale organic producer for twenty years and that gives me an understanding of the challenges and frustrations experienced by people who are trying to make a living with little more than their hands.

I have also kept a close eye on temperature, precipitation and severe weather changes that have been taking place over the last several decades. When I began farming in 1981, we had long periods of drizzle each spring and fall; the result of weak, slow moving low pressure systems. By the time I left the farm at the beginning of this century, that was a thing of the past. Now, only strong low pressure systems can push their way through the strong high pressure systems that move off of the Pacific Ocean. They dump the same amount of rain, but it all comes in heavy downpours that don't soak into the soil.

This sort of thing is happening over much of the world and most producers are in need of a way to harvest and use more of the rain that falls on their land. That is mainly what I am offering. But, I am also aware of the great need for improving the soils itself. That is why I was interested in this seminar. I believe that the Dark Earth Soils will be the major key to improving the quality of the worlds soils.

I found out about these soils by accident one evening while waiting for some friends. I picked up a copy of a periodical that had an article about it. I immediately started asking questions of friends who could answer the questions I had about the technology. Within a week, I had built my first trial bed at the ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) demonstration farm in Ft. Meyers Florida. When I returned their a half year later, the site had been graded to make way for tree crops.

I had not been in one place long enough since then to repeat the trial until this last year. A friend found me a generous supply of waste from crude charcoal production and I built a six meter long bed with a half ton of charcoal inside. That is where I got the photos for the document "Dark Earth Trial (June, 2006 to December 2006)" that I submitted to begin the seminar. Within six months, the majority of the biomass had decomposed, despite severe El Niño induced drought conditions.

The man in control of that site has just recently started a comparison trial between that bed and a normal "mulched raised bed". We should have the results within a few months. I consented to the seminar at this time in hopes of encouraging others to begin trials of their own; with their own ideas and under their own conditions.

I hope the participants will be interested enough to try this on their own.

mel

There is an interesting video clip on the benefits of dark soil on crop yield ... please take a look
"http://www.biochar.org/joomla/images/stories/BBCmyPart.WMV"
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Jacky Foo
http://www.iobbnet.org

Hi Everyone

I found the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_preta to contain interetsing info.

>Terra preta (which means "dark soil" in Portuguese) refers
>to expanses of very dark soils found in the Amazon Basin.
>It is also known as "Amazonian dark earth"
>
>Origin of terra preta
>
>...the origins of the Amazonian dark earths were not
>immediately clear and several theories were considered.
>One idea was that they resulted from ashfall from volcanoes
>in the Andes, since they occur more frequently on the brows
>of higher terraces. Another theory considered formation as
>a result of sedimentation in Tertiary lakes or in recent
>ponds.

Since "Terra Preta consists of low temperature charcoal, pottery shards, plant residues, animal faeces, fish bones,...." I think it is from the waste dump of the Kayapo village or homes. My grandmother had such a dump where ashes and charred waste from the cooking wood stove and everything else is thrown. She had a pig style and all the pig manure goes there too as well as food wastes that she cant give to the pigs (e.g. chicken bones, fish bones).

I welcome comments ?

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Jacky Foo
http://www.iobbnet.org

Mel Landers wrote:
>Observations by Suzanne Hecht, of UCLA, of the way of
>life of the Koyapo tribe; indicate that these soils were
> intentionally produced as part of the everyday life of
> the people. They still have similar practices in their
> production mehods.

I googled "Kayapo soil" and found lots of hits but none provided details as in Mel Landers' paper at http://www.iobbnet.org/pub/ML-DarkEarthSoil.doc .

ML>The following photos show a way to produce soils high
>in charred organic material and humus. The source of the
>Charred material is the waste from primitively produced
> charcoal.

Q: why do the Kayapo people make charcoal ?

Q: Do the Kayapo people use charcoal traditionally as their cooking fuel or they use wood directly ?

In http://www.metafro.be/leisa/1991/7-4-3.pdf,
>The Kayapo have dozens of types of plant ash, each
>said to have certain qualities preferred by specific
>cultivars. The ash is usually prepared from
>the vines, shucks, stalks, and leaves of plants
>that have been cut or uprooted during harvesting
>or weeding. Sometimes piles of organic matter are
>made, with the different varieties carefully
>separated and allowed to dry in the sun until they
>will give a complete burn. The ashes are
>then distributed to the appropriate part of the field.

Is there any differences in the effects with the use of "ashes" and "charred material"

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Jacky Foo
http://www.iobbnet.org