[Stoves] Terra preta. was Re: [Fwd: Re: Stoves in China]

[Paul S. Anderson]

Quoting frank <frank at compostlab.com>:

> Stovers
> I suggest there may be much better use for charcoal than returning it to
> the forest. It does contain some nutrients like potassium, phosphorus,
> calcium etc but there are better ways to add these (compost) and it may
> help improve the structure of a poor soil. I don't see the carbon being
> available to the plants as I have found it in thousand year old
> archeology sites.

Frank, the carbon (char) in terra preta old soils is not to go into the 
plants,
but to help the soil be better for the plants.  Carbon in compost with 
be lost,
but the char is a nearly permanent improvement.  Especially in the humid
tropics, the compost (incl leaf litter) is rapidly decomposed and/or leached.

I suspect that the nutrients (P, K, Ca, etc) in the ash do become available to
the plants.

This is especially for tropical soils.  And maybe mid-latitude sandy 
soils??  Nothing against composting.  But char into the weak soils is 
ANOTHER way of
improving soils, especially in the tropics.

Paul



I would think mixing it in with small fuel that is
> densified may be a better use.
> Frank
>
> Jeff Davis wrote:
>
>> Crispin wrote:
>>
>>
>>> As is obvious, if a person goes back into the forest to cut more wood,
>>> then there is a problem.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> If I have a gasifier that requires 2 kg of wood each day, making 1 kg of
>>> charcoal is not helping the forest re-grow.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> The theory is that one would return the charcoal back to the forest.
>>
>> As a side note; truckers have a term for finding something to haul on the
>> empty leg of their trip but the term escapes me at present.
>>
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> Frank Shields
> Soil Control Lab
> 42 Hangar way
> Watsonville, CA  95076
> (831) 724-5422 tel
> (831) 724-3188 fax
> frank at compostlab.com
> www.compostlab.com
>
>
>
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