Comments on: Back to the Future: Terra Preta – Ancient Carbon Farming System for Earth Healing in the 21st Century http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/ Permaculture News, Commentary and Worldwide Projects. Tue, 22 May 2012 14:23:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Øyvind Holmstad http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-50306 Øyvind Holmstad Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:41:49 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-50306 Hei Adam T. I just saw your video, it was grate! It also popped up a lot of new videoes at the end of it, a lot of good stuff here. For those interested in more knowledge, go to the home page of International Biochar Initiative: http://www.biochar-international.org/projects/book Hei Adam T.

I just saw your video, it was grate! It also popped up a lot of new videoes at the end of it, a lot of good stuff here.

For those interested in more knowledge, go to the home page of International Biochar Initiative: http://www.biochar-international.org/projects/book

]]> By: Adam T http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48827 Adam T Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:36:57 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48827 I agree with Øyvind that charcoal must be soaked in any nutrient solution first. Its highly 'absorbent' porous structure means it can trap a lot of chemicals. We use it in medicine to soak up the drugs inside the guts of patients who have overdosed on medications. So if the charcoal isn't saturated with nutrients first, it tends to suck them out of the soil making it less fertile. I've had great success with it in the garden, unbelievable growth rates. I was always knew wood-ash was great fertilizer but after watching this documentary (link attached) i'm quite convinced it may offer hope in feeding our planet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzmpWR6JUZQ I agree with Øyvind that charcoal must be soaked in any nutrient solution first. Its highly ‘absorbent’ porous structure means it can trap a lot of chemicals. We use it in medicine to soak up the drugs inside the guts of patients who have overdosed on medications. So if the charcoal isn’t saturated with nutrients first, it tends to suck them out of the soil making it less fertile. I’ve had great success with it in the garden, unbelievable growth rates.
I was always knew wood-ash was great fertilizer but after watching this documentary (link attached) i’m quite convinced it may offer hope in feeding our planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzmpWR6JUZQ

]]> By: Øyvind Holmstad http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48802 Øyvind Holmstad Sat, 05 Jun 2010 06:25:48 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48802 Here is a book about biochar: http://newsociety.com/bookid/4078 Yesterday it was an article about biochar in Aftenposten: http://www.aftenposten.no/klima/article3673341.ece This project is about making biochar from rice shells. In Indonesia the soil is very acid, the biochar will make the soil more neutral, and then the rice harvest will rise significantly without use of fertilizers. The only but about biochar mentioned in the article, is that they must do some more research about the possibility that PAH-toxins might be absorbed by plants. But probably the PAH'es are so well bound up in the biochar that this is no problem. They just want to do more research about PAH to be sure. Here is a book about biochar: http://newsociety.com/bookid/4078

Yesterday it was an article about biochar in Aftenposten: http://www.aftenposten.no/klima/article3673341.ece

This project is about making biochar from rice shells. In Indonesia the soil is very acid, the biochar will make the soil more neutral, and then the rice harvest will rise significantly without use of fertilizers.

The only but about biochar mentioned in the article, is that they must do some more research about the possibility that PAH-toxins might be absorbed by plants. But probably the PAH’es are so well bound up in the biochar that this is no problem. They just want to do more research about PAH to be sure.

]]> By: Øyvind Holmstad http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48779 Øyvind Holmstad Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:12:43 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48779 Urine has 80 % of the nitrogen, 50 % of the phosphor and 60 % of the potassium from the food we eat. Also I think bio-char held well at these nutrients, so they'll be released over a long time span. Urine has 80 % of the nitrogen, 50 % of the phosphor and 60 % of the potassium from the food we eat. Also I think bio-char held well at these nutrients, so they’ll be released over a long time span.

]]> By: Paul Racko http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48409 Paul Racko Wed, 26 May 2010 22:48:30 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48409 For those of you in Northern California, I'll be doing a talk on this very subject at the next Sierra Permaculture Guild Meeting on June 12, 2010. Details at http://sierrapermaculture.org/?p=92 For those of you in Northern California, I’ll be doing a talk on this very subject at the next Sierra Permaculture Guild Meeting on June 12, 2010. Details at http://sierrapermaculture.org/?p=92

]]> By: Øyvind Holmstad http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48367 Øyvind Holmstad Tue, 25 May 2010 15:49:28 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48367 Hi Lee Hewson and thank you very much for the link to your website, I find it highly interesting! Hi Lee Hewson and thank you very much for the link to your website, I find it highly interesting!

]]> By: Farming For God http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48362 Farming For God Tue, 25 May 2010 14:45:15 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48362 Awesome we have to try this on our farm :) Keep up the great work and posting amazing concepts and work by others! Awesome we have to try this on our farm :) Keep up the great work and posting amazing concepts and work by others!

]]> By: lee hewson http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48360 lee hewson Tue, 25 May 2010 14:05:34 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48360 If biochar is produced by gasification with a machine such as this http://growup.org.uk/?page_id=12 , it is a co-product of electricity generated at the rate of 1kWh per 1.3 kilos of biomass with about 20% of the original weight retained as biochar(85%carbon. Carbon negative electricity!! How can we not do this?? If biochar is produced by gasification with a machine such as this http://growup.org.uk/?page_id=12 , it is a co-product of electricity generated at the rate of 1kWh per 1.3 kilos of biomass with about 20% of the original weight retained as biochar(85%carbon. Carbon negative electricity!! How can we not do this??

]]> By: Øyvind Holmstad http://permaculture.org.au/2010/05/25/back-to-the-future-terra-preta-%e2%80%93-ancient-carbon-farming-system-for-earth-healing-in-the-21st-century/#comment-48353 Øyvind Holmstad Tue, 25 May 2010 10:43:36 +0000 http://permaculture.org.au/?p=3161#comment-48353 I have heard that bio-char drenched in urin is an extremely good fertilizer. See this link to a new bio-char machine: http://www.micro-fuel.eu/ Does anybody have any opinions about this machine? Is microwave pyrolysis the best technic? I have heard that bio-char drenched in urin is an extremely good fertilizer.

See this link to a new bio-char machine:

http://www.micro-fuel.eu/

Does anybody have any opinions about this machine? Is microwave pyrolysis the best technic?

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