Biochar

Keith Mikkelsonmik@mozcom.com

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Terra Preta Dark Earth

Amazonian Dark Earths "Terra Preta de Indio"Indian Black Earth is the local name for certain dark earths in the Brazilian Amazon region.

These dark earths occur in several countries in South America and Europe and Eastern USA. In the Amazon it was created by pre-Columbian Indians from 500 to 2500 years B.P. and abandoned after the invasion of Europeans.

Terra Preta1. Typically, the ability of soils to retain cations

in an exchangeable and thus plant-available form (cation exchange capacity [CEC]) increases in proportion to the amount of soil organic matter• Biochar has an even greater ability

than other soil organic matter to adsorb cations per unit carbon due to its greater surface area,

• greater negative surface charge• greater charge density

2. Biochar appears to be able to strongly adsorb phosphate, even though it is an anion, although the mechanism for this process is not fully understood.

3. These properties make biochar a unique substance, retaining exchangeable and therefore plant-available nutrients in the soil, and offering the possibility of improving crop yields while decreasing environmental pollution by nutrients considerably

Radically transforms soils

I.R.R.I.PhilRice

Terra Preta sites in Brazil

Industrial Biochar

SiteRice Hull Open Area Not too windy Access for truck deliveries Exhaust won’t disturb people or livestock

4 Low Tech Methods to Making Biochar4 Low Tech Methods to Making Biochar1.1. Open Rice Hull (Ipa) PilesOpen Rice Hull (Ipa) Piles2.2. StovesStoves3.3. Furnace ovensFurnace ovens4.4. DrumDrum

Cooking charcoalCooking charcoalas a by-productas a by-product

CRH Production• Start core fire with

wood

This starting wood will also turn to charcoal if you do not use a metal vent device

CRH Production• Start core fire with

wood• Add rice hull to

smother

Vent

Vent optional:Accelerates pyrolysis

Not required

CRH Production• Start core fire with

wood• Add rice hull to

smother• Watch for venting

Check every hour or two…

Smother vents

Smother vents

CRH Production• Start core fire with

wood• Add rice hull to

smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened

hulls

CRH Production• Start core fire with

wood• Add rice hull to

smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened

hulls

Go as long as you want, just remember you need water to harvest!

Extinguish

HARVESTING• Start core fire with

wood• Add rice hull to

smother• Watch for venting• Smother blackened

hulls• Harvest by spraying

water through pile

Completely extinguish or it burns to ash.We want charcoal not ash!

USES• Potting soil• Bokashi• Soil amendment• Livestock bedding• Livestock feed• Bokashi Bombs(Mud Balls)• Vermiculture

Feedstock(They produce a

natural pelletized Terra Preta)

Universal MixUniversal Mix1/4 Soil1/4 Soil1/4 Sand1/4 Sand1/4 Vermicast1/4 Vermicast1/4 Uling na ipa1/4 Uling na ipa

Inoculation Comparison

• Takes advanced management and time

• No guarantee of results• Cultures can have

contamination• P 60/ backpack sprayer

• Simple management • Little time• Guaranteed results• Cultures will be pure• P 1/ backpack sprayer

Wasted Space

Soil Blocks•Save space•Minimize transplant shock

Soil amendment

Builds rich soil

• Bokashi

CRH best carbon source for Bokashi!

BOKASHI: Fermented Rice Hull Charcoal(CRH, EM, molasses, rice bran or copra meal or manure)

CRH best carbon source for Bokashi!