Farming our way to famine

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By Scott Mandrake

Heavy farm equipment compacts the soil making it difficult for soil to absorb water and nutrients.

Terra Preta is found in small areas in the Amazon rain forest.

The carbon content in Terra Preta is what gives it such a dark colour.

Bio-char is produced from renewable materials such as bamboo, hemp and animal waste.

Sustainable soil requires true grit

For some, dirt has and always will be just plain dirt. Some gardeners among us have a deeper understanding of dirt and call it soil. Farmers make their living by it, worms feed from it and plants call it home. Soon however, soil will be making headlines along with our presidents and celebrities. It will share the spotlight with battles and hold us in awe as we come to realise the importance of this life giving substance.

I have long been a composter. My family composts, and have ever since I was a small child. At the time I didn’t think much of it, but I realize now that just like so many other things taken for granted, soil plays an essential role in this world. As it stands, the world food supply is in the most immediate danger. In the effort to feed many, with as little effort, for as much profit possible, we have nearly exhausted the soil.

Soil is comprised of many things, a mixture of dead and dying plant matter, sand, fine rocks and minerals, and most importantly, millions upon millions of micro organisms. These tiny lifeforms work day and night to convert plain soil into an organic buffet for plants. However, these bugs are finding it hard to work in the conditions of our ignorance. Not only do they have to contend with chemical pesticides and herbicides, they need to cope with chemical fertilizers loaded with good and bad ingredients. In addition to chemicals, these amazing micro organisms have trouble getting around in dirt compacted by increasingly heavy machinery.

From what I have read so far, we are killing our soil faster than we can replenish it. For most of us, improving soil quality is as simple as going to the supermarket and buying some nitrogen loaded potting soil. For over two thirds of the world however, things are not so easy.

Though the situation is bad, and getting worse there are several methods for improving soil quality which may help us turn things around. One method really caught my attention due to its self propagating nature and ease of implementation.

Terra Preta is a soil found in areas of the Amazon rain forest, which has shown some rather amazing properties. What amazed me most was the fact that this soil is being used in tropical environments. At first this may seem normal but the loamy rich soil of rain forests is extremely delicate. Rain forests are incredibly complicated ecosystems and the soil suffers greatly after deforestation. Areas of logging turn to barren dessert in a very short time. The difference between regular tropical soil and Terra Preta, is that Terra Preta will remain fertile, even after centuries of sun and rain.

The key component of Terra Preta is charcoal. Charcoal is basically a form of carbon made by smoldering bio-mass such as wood, animal waste,etc, at low temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Charcoal is a very porous material which helps retain water, nutrients and most importantly, provides an excellent home for micro organisms. A large quantity of charcoal in the soil allows crops to thrive in even tropical sun exposure. From what we can gather, many hundreds of years ago, some tribes in the Amazon would mix charcoal as well as broken pottery into the soil. The result was the development of a soil that could very well allow soil restoration around the world.

Modern science has adopted a new term for charcoal for use in soil, called bio-char. This bio-char can be made with new carbon negative technologies out of recycled materials such as recovered timber from house, cotton clothing, and animal waste.

Provided we as a species can put some concerted effort into establishing sustainable soil practices, we very well may avoid a famine of epic proportions. Otherwise, we can expect some very tight belts.

Thanks for reading,

Scott

terra preta

	Bacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry] Price: $4.95 List Price: $4.95
	Biochar for Environmental Management: Science and Technology Price: $62.22 List Price: $79.95
	Amazonian Dark Earths: Origin, Properties, Management Price: $251.09 List Price: $279.00
	Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations Price: $10.13 List Price: $16.95

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glassvisage says:
12 months ago

Ah, shifting cultivation. Thanks for focusing attention on this issue that will soon affect us and how we farm and eat.

Sufidreamer says:
12 months ago

Nice ideas, Scott - I remember watching a programme about the Amazon Indians and charcol. It was a long time ago, but I seem to remember that they knew when the soil was declining in quality and moved, allowing the area to recover.

Intensive methods always destroy the soil eventually, and the bio-char is a very interesting concept. Great Hub!

erichj says:
12 months ago

Please pardon the length, but alot is happening with Biochar.

I thought these updates and endorsements may interest you, Senator / Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm bill,http://www.biochar-international.org/newinformatio Below are my current news & Links to major developments;Cheers,Erich J. Knight 540 289 9750Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY! The IBI Announces Success in Having Biochar Considered as a Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Tool;POZNAN, Poland, December 10, 2008 - The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) announces that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has submitted a proposal to include biochar as a mitigation and adaptation technology to be considered in the post-2012-Copenhagen agenda of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A copy of the proposal is posted on the IBI website at The International Biochar Initiative (IBI).Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too. Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.Charles Mann ("1491") in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage. Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague's ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire.http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/man I also have been corresponding with Michael Pollan ( NYT Food Columnist, Author ) to do a follow up story.Since the NGM cover reads "WHERE FOOD BEGINS" , I thought this would be right down his alley and focus more attention on Mann's work. It's what Mann hasn't covered that I thought should interest any writer as a follow up article; Biochar data base;http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node NASA's Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central technology for carbon negative energy systems.http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.p The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils; Cornell, ISU, U of H, U of GA, Virginia Tech, JMU, New Zealand and Australia.Glomalin's role in soil tilth, fertility & basis for the soil food web in Terra Preta soils. Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?This is a Nano technology for the soil that represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability. Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, The"Farmer & an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture/energy policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn't have written 8000 words. Michael Pollan is well briefed about Biochar technology, but did not include it in his "Farmer & Chief" article to President Obama, (Which he did read & cited in a speech) but I'm sure Biochar will be his 8001th word to him. Erich540 289 9750Total CO2 Equivalence:Once a commercial bagged soil amendment product, every suburban household can do it,The label can tell them of their contribution, a 40# bag = 150# CO2 = 160 bags / year to cover my personal CO2 emissions. ( 20,000 #/yr , 1/2 Average ) http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_cal that is just the Carbon!I have yet to find a total CO2 equivalent number taking consideration against some average field N2O & CH4 emissions. The New Zealand work shows 10X reductions.If biochar proves to be effective at reducing nutrient run-off from agricultural soils, then there will accordingly be a reduction in downstream N2O emissions. This ACS study implicates soil structure as main connection to N2O soil emissions;http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Pa Biochar Studies at ACS Huston meeting; 578-I: http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Se http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Se 665 - III. http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Se http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Se Most all this work corroborates char soil dynamics we have seen so far . The soil GHG emissions work showing increased CO2 , also speculates that this CO2 has to get through the hungry plants above before becoming a GHG. The SOM, MYC& Microbes, N2O (soil structure), CH4 , nutrient holding , Nitrogen shock, humic compound conditioning, absorbing of herbicides all pretty much what we expected to hear.Company News & EU Certification Below is an important hurtle that 3R AGROCARBON has overcome in certification in the EU. Given that their standards are set much higher than even organic certification in the US, this work should smooth any bureaucratic hurtles we may face. EU Permit Authority - 4 years testsSubject: Fwd: [biochar] Re: GOOD NEWS: EU Permit Authority - 4 years tests successfully completedDoses: 400 kg / ha – 1000 kg / ha at different horticultural cultivars Plant height Increase 141 % versus controlPicking yield Increase 630 % versus controlPicking fruit Increase 650 % versus controlTotal yield Increase 202 % versus controlTotal piece of fruit Increase 171 % versus control Fruit weight Increase 118 % versus controlThere is list of the additional beneficial effects of the 3R FORMULATED BIOCHAREU DOSSIER for permit administration and summary of the results from 4 different Authorities who executed different test programme is under construction I suggest these independent and accredited EU relevant Authority permit field tests results will support the further development of the biochar application systems on international level, and providing case evidence, that properly made and formulated (plant and/or animal biomass based) biochars can meet the modern environmental - agricultural - human health inspection standards and norm, while supporting the knowledge based economical development. We work further on to expand not only in the EU but in the USA as well. My Cincinnati large scale carbonization project is progressing, hopefully the first industrial scale 3R clean coal - carbon plant will be ready in 2009. Sincerely yours: Edward Someus (environmental engineer)HOMEPAGE 3R AGROCARBON: http://www.3ragrocarbon.comhttp://www.terrenum.net EMAIL 1: edward@terrenum.netEMAIL 2: edward.someus@gmail.comAlso:Carbon Diversion is planning for many collaborations ; NC State, U. of Leeds, Cardiff U. Rice U. ,JMU, U.of H. and at USDA with Dr.Jeffrey Novak Jeff.Novak@ars.usda.gov who is coordinating ARS Biochar research. This Coordinated effort will speed implementation by avoiding unneeded repetition and building established work in a wide variety of soils and climates.http://www.carbondiversion.com/Hopefully all the