[Michaelangelica]

Interesting (irrelevant?) facts about charcoal?
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Making Charcoal
From Steve Nix,
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Introduction

Charcoal is a formless mass of carbon and can be made from most carbonaceous materials. It is one of the oldest of man-made fuels and has been prepared under the ground for a thousand years. Charcoal is still a major source of energy throughout the world.

Much like the old process, the modern commercial process is to heat wood with little or no air present which takes special but simple equipment.
In the United States, wood is the primary material used for charcoal and is generally procured in the form of residue like sawmill slabs and edgings. Sawmills love to find users of this material because of environment problems with burning and disposal. Where there are sawmills, there is available raw product.

It has been estimated that there are nearly 2,000 charcoal-producing units in the United States, including brick kilns, concrete and masonry block kilns, sheet steel, kiln, and retorts (a steel metal building).
The state of Missouri produces a lot of this national charcoal product (they have until recently had less stringent environmental regulations) and 98 percent of all charcoal is produced in the eastern United States. Here is a list of bulk charcoal processors listed by the Missouri Forest Products Association.

While charcoal can be made from any number of natural materials, hardwoods such as hickory, mesquite , oak, maple, and fruitwoods are favored.
They have unique aromas and tend to produce a better grade of charcoal. Better grades of charcoal come from raw materials with low sulfur content.

Uses of charcoal may surprise you. Besides being the fuel that cooks steaks, hotdogs, and hamburgers on a Sunday picnic ( see BBQ Forum ), charcoal is used in many other processes. It is used in certain metallurgical "purifying" treatments and as a filter to remove organic compounds such as chlorine, gasoline, pesticides, and other toxic chemicals from water and air.

Activated charcoal, which has a super adsorptive surface, is growing in use. It is used in purifying and refining metals and in the gas masks that were used during the Gulf War.
NutraSweet (tm) uses activated charcoal to transform the product into a powder.
Activated charcoal is used as an antidote for many types of poisons and is touted as an effective anti-flatulent.

Most charcoal manufacturers sell their product as a briquette. This market has been dominated by several companies to include Kingsford and Royal Oak. They do not make "lump" charcoal which is an alternate product that has advantages and has potential as a startup business.

[gost]

Terra Preta

Amazonian Dark Earth is a combination of bio-char, compost and manures. The main property of terra preta is it's high fertility which, while much higher than the surrounding soils, is bonded to the finely ground charcoal (< 50 micrometers) and not readily available to the plants. This bonding process is what makes terra preta so stable over time. Rather than being leeched away as would normally happen in most soils, nutrients are held by the terra preta until they are made available to plants by a community of microorganisms.

Characteristics of Amazonian Dark Earths as compared to surrounding soils include: higher pH, coarser soil texture, higher SOM (soil organic matter) and altered SOM. The higher pH seems to regulate the availability of phosphorous (P). Coarser soil texture allows rapid water percolation, while the high SOM aids in the retention of nutrients, and thus, the low amount of leeching. It's interesting to note that when inorganic fertilizers are added to Dark Earths, leeching is quite high due to the rapid percolation. Despite the rapid percolation of water, the coarse texture and high SOM actually increase available water content of the soil. The overall effect is that Terra Preta does not become waterlogged during heavy rainfall, yet is able to provide adequate moisture to plants during times of drought.

Surveys of various Terra Preta soils have shown that different types of Dark Earth were apparently manufactured for different purposes, presumably to meet the specific nutrient needs of certain crops. This variability was not random, as the sites showed distinct spacial patterns. Many of the sites also contain pottery artifacts, while others do not. The addition of pottery to certain plots also seems to be intentional, although it's purpose seems to be uncertain.

I have not found any information in the scientific literature to support the idea that Terra Preta is able to regenerate itself after a period of time as was reported by local Amazonians. Nor was there support for the idea that nutrients were replenished by rainwater. In fact, it was reported that Dark Earth soils do become depleted over time with continued harvesting, but the rate of depletion is much slower than conventional soils due to the slower nutrient leeching.

The percentage of bio-char in Terra Preta varies from 20-40% and comes in two types: black charcoal and brown. The two types are apparently the result of producing the charcoal at relatively low temps. The brown charcoal is much higher in plant resins and these are thought to be used by the microorganism community in binding nutrients.

[Michaelangelica]

Nice summary thanks

Can anyone get a copy of the book "Amazonian Dark Earths" By Lehman et al Then we could check some of these facts that pop up in some web sites.
I saw the book on Amazon at about $200. they had asecond hand copy for sale too. (Lehman probably makes his students buy it)
Not the sort of thing my local council library will have

I was interested in the rainwater thing too.
The website I read said terra preta collected minerals from the rain.
Rain does dissolve some nitrogen from the atmosphere as it falls (I was told).
That is why your lawn greens up after rain.
--
Michael

[erich]

Michael:
I found a sales office in Australia for M-Roots:

http://www.rootsinc.com/images/SALESMap.pdf

Erich J. Knight

[gost]

I was able to find "Amazonian Dark Earths, by Lehmann et al. available at a1books.com for $74.50, but that's still pretty pricey. Some of the papers published in the book are available online, however. Do a google search on Amazonian Dark Earths Lehman and look for the PDF files.

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/fishweir/a...ricksonADE.pdf

Nobody seems to be doing much research on developing this process outside of the tropics yet, but there are some hints that the addition of bio-char to any soils increases fertility and may aid in the prevention of nutrient leaching. Lehmann, for instance, sited two studies: 1) Soil fertility increases have been observed in North American Appalachian sites around remnants of charcoal hearths. 2) Higher nutrient availability has also been shown in clayey and sandy soils in the Western United States after the addition of charcoal produced from conifer and hardwood.

A note about the pottery fragments: Most of the fragments were of undecorated kitchen pots and bowls of daily use that had been fired at low temperatures. Clay materials were often mixed with sand, crushed older pottery, and/or plant material. The fragments seem to be high in phosphates, which has been attributed to the process of cooking foods such as grains, meat and fish, and roots. I don't know how this pottery compares to terra cota, but the unglazed rough texture and low firing temps would suggest that it might be similar. I have yet to find any reference as to what effect the fragments may have had on plant growth.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by gost

the book are available online, however. Do a google search on Amazonian Dark Earths Lehman and look for the PDF files.

A note about the pottery fragments: Most of the fragments were of undecorated kitchen pots and bowls of daily use that had been fired at low temperatures. Clay materials were often mixed with sand, crushed older pottery, and/or plant material.
I have yet to find any reference as to what effect the fragments may have had on plant growth.

Bentonise and/or Attaputite are clays (activated?) used in cat litter.
I am not sure what the word activated means when applied to clay but I think these are "activated"
They are very absorbent, so may help hold water in the soil or help lighten or aerate it
Has anyone used these in soil or in potting mix?

Some links on Compost/Microbial? Teas:-
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp
http://www.permaculture.org.au/files...ivingProof.pdf
The marjiuana web site was still the best. I sent them an email asking why I could't re-vist the article but got no reply.

[Michaelangelica]

Last night I drempt that my compost tea disolved my plants!

I really need to get out more.

This is a picture of the charchol I am buying from Malaysia

http://www.diytrade.com/directory/gl..._Charcoal.html

It is probably Coconut Shell Charcoal, so would it have all the goodies that tree charchol would have? Guess no one really knows?

I have summerised some salient points from the above web site posted by gost:

"" ADE to massive accumulation of fish waste. ?

Most authors note that broken pottery (potsherds, sherds) and fired clay probably from dismantled fire hearths and burned wattle and daub structures are a major component of terra preta type ADE
Could fired clay in its various forms have contributed to the creation and maintenance of ADE?
High frequencies of potsherds in the soil profile could affect drainage, texture, chemical and biological activity.
Organic tempering materials (ash, shell, sponges, and Spanish moss) used in Amazonian pottery (identified by Costa et al., 2003) may also contribute to the formation of ADE.

I learned that pottery is systematically removed from soils during processing for soil analysis (e.g. Teixeira and Coimbra, 2003). I suggest that sherds should be included in soil samples and analyzed to determine their potential contribution to ADE.
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/fishweir/a...ricksonADE.pdf

Is ADE a sustainable resource management system?
The fact that
(1) ADE are well preserved, stable, and resistant to leaching, erosion, and mineralization (possibly even "growing" as suggested by some scholars) after 400 to 500 years of neglect and/or use, and
(2) archaeological dating demonstrates that many ADE were occupied for 900 years or more (Smith, 1980; Denevan, 2002; Kern et al., 2003; Lehmann et al., 2003a; Mora, 2003; Neves et al., 2003) are indications that ADE are sustainable (or at least the human lifeway that produced them was sustainable).

Two questions must be asked: "How did they do it?" and "Can we replicate the process?"

ADE is an excellent example of the capture, processing, composting, and recycling of organic and inorganic soil nutrients on a huge scale in pre-Columbian urban contexts.
What can be learned from the past and what of this knowledge can be applied today?

Well-designed experiments to reproduce ADE based on insights from archaeology, geography, ethnography, history, agronomy, soil science and other disciplines as discussed in this volume are critical.
Long-term experimental ADE plots and controls should to be established in native communities and agricultural stations.
Comparative Research on ADE: Is ADE a unique Amazonian phenomenon or is it similar to black earths reported in other parts of the world? C

A less tangible, but important "value" of ADE for contemporary society is as a record of an indigenous knowledge system, an ethnoscience, or appropriate technology, in this case a possibly sustainable landuse strategy that has become lost over time.

Other potential "values" of ADE research are the protection, promotion and regeneration of the native culture of the descendants of the people who made ADE. Documentation of indigenous resource management (Ka'apor; Kayapó examples) increases the appreciation of indigenous knowledge, countering the idea that native practices are backward, primitive holdovers from the past. On the other hand, over-promotion can result in creating new Myths of the Noble Savage. ""

[Michaelangelica]

Here is a new excellent article
http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0514-amazon.html

Amazon Stonehenge suggests advanced ancient rainforest culture
By Rhett Butler, mongabay.com
May 14, 2006 (modified from an earlier article)


The discovery of an ancient astrological observatory in Brazil lends support to the theory that the Amazon rainforest was once home to advanced cultures and large sedentary populations of people. Besides the well-known empires of the Inca and their predecessors, millions of people once lived in the forests and shaped the environment to suit their own needs.


Because the Amazon's most skilled agriculturalists were killed off by European diseases, much of what was known about cultivating the rainforest ecosystem has been lost. Undoubtedly, these forest farmers relied on a far different agricultural philosophy than that used today -- one, says Clark Erickson from the University of Pennsylvania, that sustained significant populations without destroying biodiversity. Their techniques, if uncovered, could prove useful and possibly essential in creating areas of high agricultural productivity without utter destruction. Instead of clearing large areas for crops with small yields and short life-spans and pastureland for low-density cattle grazing, perhaps the employment of ancient and apparently profoundly effective methods could revolutionize modern cultivation with minimal environmental impact.

[gost]

Great article Michaelangelica. The idea that ancient Amazonians terraformed vast areas using a sustainable agricultural model shows a possible degree of sophistication and stewardship that is sadly lacking today. The big question is whether this system is reproducible, as well as exportable, and can be adapted by modern farmers. My guess is that it can, that there is nothing about the Terra Preta process that is unique to the tropics. Some of the literature seems to support this too.

The process I'm working on is to replace most or all of the "browns" in one of my compost piles with low-heat charcoal. I've decided to stick with woody material (fruit tree prunings, alder and maple branches) with the idea that most of the ADE charcoals were probably made from the hardwoods originally cleared to make the sites. I'm running this material through a chipper to make it easier to fit into a stovepipe for cooking.

The literature suggests that additional N will need to be added to the system until an equilibrium is reached. This makes sense in terms of normal composting, as wood chips used as browns tend to tie up N until decomposition is complete, then release it back to the soil. To accomplish this, I am adding more clover than usual to my compost mix. This past weekend I got a pile started that's 42 by 42 by 36 inches, but have only just started adding the charcoal.

As for making the charcoal itself, so far I have only been using material I've gleaned from a couple of old brush burning piles, but have plans under way to build an eight foot wide solar trough. In the mean time, I thought I'd try making a batch in a 4 inch stovepipe by laying it in the side of my wood-fired steel barrel barbecue when we cook diner tonight. )

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by gost

Great article Michaelangelica.
The process I'm working on is to replace most or all of the "browns" in one of my compost piles with low-heat charcoal.
The literature suggests that additional N will need to be added

As for making the charcoal itself, have plans under way to build an eight foot wide solar trough. In the mean time, I thought I'd try making a batch in a 4 inch stovepipe by laying it in the side of my wood-fired steel barrel barbecue when we cook diner tonight. )

Glad you liked it.
I thought it was one of the best I've read.
Ancient stonehedge Wow!

Can you take photos of your experiments and let us all know waht happens?
tar