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Originally Posted by davidgmills
Erich:
Question about the bacteria in terra preta.
I presume that the bacteria is anaerobic due to the fact it is underground and
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I don't know whether you can assume this.
There is a lot of air in most soils except perhaps the heaviest of compacted clays.
Worms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, green manures termites etc all help aerate soil.
The clay potshards would also help .
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Sir Albert noticed an effect near Jais in Oudh which led to an explanation of the aerating effects of using potsherds or brick to dress the land
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That this organic matter produces such excellent results is, in all probability, a consequence of the copious aeration of the soil produced by the great number of potsherds present.
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The potsherd enables us permanently to aerate the soil; and thus make the best use of organic matter including green-manures. The potsherd by itself has only a limited value, but with the help of small quantities of organic matter extraordinary results are possible
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But if lack of aeration is the real cause of the degeneration of soils into the alkali condition, then not the washing out of the salts, which in any case is usually impossible in practice, but the opening up of the surface and the subsoil to the air by any and every means will be the only efficient remedy.
Thus in a curious and unexpected way drainage, irrigation, alkali lands, were found to be nothing but illustrations of the aeration problem. The results of surface drainage alone at Pusa had been staggering.
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Sir Albert Howard in India - Chapter 3
Charcoal would probably also help aeration, especially bigger bits?
