Getting Char Into the Soil

erich · #1 (**permalink**) 08-28-2007

The Rotocult Horizontal Cultivator ....WOW!!......18 inches with one Pass!

The Rotocult Horizontal Cultivator is being hailed in all sectors of the agricultural industry as a revolution that has now provided farmers with an 'alternative' to using the "traditional" methods of cultivation. It's a Horizontal orbital action which slices the earth, incorporates trash without cultivating the inner space resulting in less soil disturbance, greater moisture retention, significant fuel and time savings and less maintenance. Now with one double row cultivator it is possible for one man and a single machine to cultivate up to 1 hectare per hour with a single pass and follow up with a planter almost immediately.

Rotocult

Here is a reply I just received from the inventor;

"Thank you for your email Erich. It was very interesting reading.

Rotocult can cultivate to a depth of 18” while incorporating organic matter in one pass.

Should you require detailed information or a movie CD please contact us.

Regards,

John Wilkinson

C.E.O.

Natascha Wilkinson

WILKINSON’S BLACKSMITH’S

1 Gill Street

Atherton Qld 4883

Ph: 07 4091 1833

Fax: 07 4091 1653

Email: tash@wilkinsons.com.au

Web: Rotocult

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Wilkinsons Blacksmiths [mailto:hse@wilkinsons.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 28 August 2007 9:02 AM
To: tash@wilkinsons.com.au
Subject: FW: Terra Preta Soil Technology

From: Shengar@aol.com [mailto:Shengar@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, 25 August 2007 2:54 PM
To: johnwilkinson@rotocult.com
Subject: Terra Preta Soil Technology

Dear Mr. Wilkinson,

I have a soil engineering challenge, in short it involves incorporation of Bio-Char, at the least cost to a depth of 3 feet.

I've talked to design engineers at Deer, Catapillar and New Holland about sub-soilers, rippers and large scale roto-tillers. We also kicked around ideas about injectors and modified vibratory plows feeding charcoal instead of cable.

Your RotoCult looks interesting for initial surface mixing before sub-soiling or ripping.

I thought the current news and links on Terra Preta soils and closed-loop pyrolysis would interest you.

Thanks, Erich

Michaelangelica · #2 (**permalink**) 11-04-2007

Please post one to. . .

palmtreepathos · #3 (**permalink**) 11-23-2007

It would be great if there was a video of that contraption online, hard to imagine it not doing damage to soil stucture... Does it mean that the layers of soil and organisms stay in the same relative position after a pass. It looks amazing! It may be worth it for someone to buy one and lease themselves out to the farmers who are too small to own one.
Meanwhile I am plugging away on a small scale. Last year I mixed the char into the soil thoroughly, now I am layering it in lasagna style, at least until spring when I loosen the soil with a pitch fork. This is a section of the garden that was previously a walkway between raised beds. With our droughty weather I have decided to fill it in to retain a bit more moisture by lowering the top bed and also experiment with layering the char with common garden refuse. I will add another layer of char, compost and soil as the season progresses.

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