Another short article.
This time they are trying to replicate Terra preta.
This is from an abstract of a paper presented at the
World Congress of Soil Science on
Thursday, 13 July 2006. The full paper does not seem to be available
http://crops.confex.com/crops/wc2006...ram/P16274.HTM
Terra Preta de Índio (TPI)
The high levels of soil organic matter and black carbon strongly darken the color, change the structure, and the hydraulic properties of the soils.
The texture is lighter and the workability of TPI is easier, especially when TPI is wet.
Because of their easy workability and longer lasting fertility in relation to surrounding soils, local populations intensively cultivate these sites.
TPI seem to be a very resilient soil type that keeps their good soil physical qualities even when submitted to intensive soil management.
Frequent findings of charcoal and highly aromatic humic substances suggest that residues of incomplete combustion of organic material are important.
In Manaus, Brazil we are studying the effect of charcoal amendments to the dystrofic and acric soils in an attempt to recreate some soil qualities showed by the TPI.
