Some more information fromhttp://www.eprida.com/hydro/
8. Utilization of Indigenous AMF by the Application of Charcoal
(selected paragraph) The idea that the application of charcoal stimulates indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil and thus promotes plant growth is relatively well-known in Japan, although the actual application of charcoal is limited due to its high cost. The concept originated in the work of M. Ogawa, a former soil microbiologist in the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Tsukuba. He and his colleagues applied charcoal around the roots of pine trees growing by the seashore, and found that Japanese truffles became plentiful. He also tested the application of charcoal to soybean with a small quantity of applied fertilizer, and demonstrated the stimulation of plant growth and nodule formation (Ogawa 1983). His findings with regard to legumes were taken up for further study by the National Grassland Research Institute (Nishio and Okano 1991).
Stimulation of Nutrient Uptake by Charcoal Application
The amount of nutrients (N, P, K) absorbed by the shoots showed a trend similar to that of the shoot fresh weight (Table 1). The amount of N fixed by the nodules and transported to the shoots was calculated by subtracting the N content of the shoots of the plants not inoculated with rhizobia from the N content of the inoculated plants ([F+R]-[F], [F+R+C] - [F+C]). The addition of charcoal increased this amount of N 2.8-4.0 times, and the ARA by 6.2 times (Table 2). Added charcoal also increased the nodule weight by 2.3 times.
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Michinori Nishio, (1999) National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences - Japan
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Shell breaks barrier. Worldwide effect on hydrogen, fertilizer and sequestered carbon.
August 31, 2002 - Researchers using biomass from peanut shell ended a successful 100-hour experiment to demonstrate hydrogen production. They announced a method to sequester vast amounts of carbon while making fertilizer. This is one of the largest biomass to hydrogen projects in the U.S.
The hydrogen research team broke through the 100-hour mark and ended their demonstration of producing hydrogen from 50kg per hour of biomass on August 30, 2002. The team comprised of researchers from Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Institute of Technology, DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Scientific Carbons, Inc. and Enviro-tech, Inc. began the experiment on August 25, 2002 producing hydrogen from biomass (peanut shells) as the culmination of a two-year field research project. The project has focused on expanding the demonstration of hydrogen production while producing valuable co-products from farm and forestry sources of biomass. In this case the co-product also serves as a long-term sequestered carbon. The need for co-products is essential to developing a profitable and sustainable hydrogen economy.
On August 22, 2002, NREL and Scientific Carbons, Inc.(SCI), a technology development company, filed for patent protection on a new slow release fertilizer made while producing biomass based hydrogen and a sequestered carbon. This product offers a chance for the fertilizer and farm industry to become a significant carbon sink while increasing farm income and crop yields. The use of the sequestered carbon as a carrier for nitrogen and as a soil amendment, which can prevent harmful runoff of farm chemicals is a win-win for farmers. Farmers and fertilizer manufacturers can become a major force in the battle against global warming while facilitating a renewable production of hydrogen. This work combines efforts currently underway in both the USDA and DOE and provide a way to reduce greenhouse gas buildup while producing the zero emissions fuel hydrogen. Danny Day, President of Scientific Carbons said, “The preliminary numbers look promising. Only a small percentage of the global unused agriculture and forestry waste would be required to sequester the amount of carbon building up in our atmosphere and deliver nitrogen to plants that can sequester even more. Using this technique, farmers could be the most successful and economically profitable method of sequestering all the excess atmospheric carbon generated. Economic development can lead to innovative sequestration techniques and we want to help demonstrate sustainable ways to serve mankind.”
FROM
http://www.eprida.com/hydro/
I'm not sure I undersatand how Hydrogen gets into the equasion?
