Post on 31-Aug-2014
description
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Biochar
Keith Mikkelsonmik@mozcom.com
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Terra Preta Dark Earth
Amazonian Dark Earths "Terra Preta de Indio"Indian Black Earth is the local name for certain dark earths in the Brazilian Amazon region.
These dark earths occur in several countries in South America and Europe and Eastern USA. In the Amazon it was created by pre-Columbian Indians from 500 to 2500 years B.P. and abandoned after the invasion of Europeans.
Terra Preta1. Typically, the ability of soils to retain cations
in an exchangeable and thus plant-available form (cation exchange capacity [CEC]) increases in proportion to the amount of soil organic matter• Biochar has an even greater ability
than other soil organic matter to adsorb cations per unit carbon due to its greater surface area,
• greater negative surface charge• greater charge density
2. Biochar appears to be able to strongly adsorb phosphate, even though it is an anion, although the mechanism for this process is not fully understood.
3. These properties make biochar a unique substance, retaining exchangeable and therefore plant-available nutrients in the soil, and offering the possibility of improving crop yields while decreasing environmental pollution by nutrients considerably
Radically transforms soils
I.R.R.I.PhilRice
Terra Preta sites in Brazil
Industrial Biochar
SiteRice Hull Open Area Not too windy Access for truck deliveries Exhaust won’t disturb people or livestock
4 Low Tech Methods to Making Biochar4 Low Tech Methods to Making Biochar1.1. Open Rice Hull (Ipa) PilesOpen Rice Hull (Ipa) Piles2.2. StovesStoves3.3. Furnace ovensFurnace ovens4.4. DrumDrum
Cooking charcoalCooking charcoalas a by-productas a by-product
CRH Production• Start core fire with
wood
This starting wood will also turn to charcoal if you do not use a metal vent device
CRH Production• Start core fire with
wood• Add rice hull to
smother
Vent
Vent optional:Accelerates pyrolysis
Not required
CRH Production• Start core fire with
wood• Add rice hull to
smother• Watch for venting
Check every hour or two…
Smother vents
Smother vents
CRH Production• Start core fire with
wood• Add rice hull to
smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened
hulls
CRH Production• Start core fire with
wood• Add rice hull to
smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened
hulls
Go as long as you want, just remember you need water to harvest!
Extinguish
HARVESTING• Start core fire with
wood• Add rice hull to
smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened
hulls• Harvest by spraying
water through pile
Completely extinguish or it burns to ash.We want charcoal not ash!
USES• Potting soil• Bokashi• Soil amendment• Livestock bedding• Livestock feed• Bokashi Bombs(Mud Balls)• Vermiculture
Feedstock(They produce a
natural pelletized Terra Preta)
Universal MixUniversal Mix1/4 Soil1/4 Soil1/4 Sand1/4 Sand1/4 Vermicast1/4 Vermicast1/4 Uling na ipa1/4 Uling na ipa
Inoculation Comparison
• Takes advanced management and time
• No guarantee of results• Cultures can have
contamination• P 60/ backpack sprayer
• Simple management • Little time• Guaranteed results• Cultures will be pure• P 1/ backpack sprayer
Wasted Space
Soil Blocks•Save space•Minimize transplant shock
Soil amendment
Builds rich soil
• Bokashi
CRH best carbon source for Bokashi!
BOKASHI: Fermented Rice Hull Charcoal(CRH, EM, molasses, rice bran or copra meal or manure)
CRH best carbon source for Bokashi!