Terra Preta Soils
Terra Preta
Terra Preta is on the Agenda at the 18th World Crongress of Soil Science:
The Rescue of an Old Indigenous Practice in the Tropics - Using Charcoal to Improve Soil Quality.
http://crops.confex.com/crops/wc2006/techprogram/P16274.HTM
Erich
July 1, 2006 - 8:37pm
More Support for Terra Preta
Terra Preta is on the Agenda at the 18th World Crongress of Soil Science:
The Rescue of an Old Indigenous Practice in the Tropics - Using Charcoal to Improve Soil Quality.
http://crops.confex.com/crops/wc2006/techprogram/P16274.HTM
Another finding that supports developing These soils on a large scale:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19025575.200&feedId=life_rss20
Erich J. Knight
July 2, 2006 - 10:31pm
Terra Preta is in NATURE!!
The current issue of Nature has two articles: Putting the carbon backBlack is the new green: Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7103/full/442624a.html
Erich J. Knight Religion is Bunk T. A. Edison
September 15, 2006 - 9:54pm
Let us get this Virtuoso Cycle Going
If pre Columbian Indians could produce these soils up to 6 feet deep over 20% of the Amazon basin it seems that our energy and agricultural industries could also product them at scale.
Harnessing the work of this vast number of microbes and fungi changes the whole equation of EROEI for food and Bio fuels. I see this as the only sustainable agricultural strategy if we no longer have cheap fossil fuels for fertilizer.
We need to get this super community of wee beasties working with us by populating them into their proper Soil horizon Carbon Condos.
I feel Terra Preta soil technology is the greatest of Ironies since Tobacco.
That is: an invention of pre-Columbian American culture, destroyed by western disease, may well be the savior of industrial western society. As inversely Tobacco, over time has gotten back at same society by killing more of us than the entire pre-Columbian population.
Erich
Erich J. Knight
"Religion is Bunk" T. A. Edison
September 17, 2006 - 8:02pm
Hi All:
I first read about these soils in " Botany of Desire " but I did not realize their potential. This entire thread on 'Terra Preta' soils I feel has great possibilities to revolutionize sustainable agriculture into a major CO2 sequestration strategy.
http://forums.hypography.com/earth-science/3451-terra-preta-9.html
The Georgia Inst. of Technology page: http://www.energy.gatech.edu/presentations/dday.pdf
There is a soil ecology going on in these soils that is not completely understood, and if replicated and applied at scale would have multiple benefits for farmers and environmentalist.
I've sent it to the researchers at M-Roots, who make Mycorisal fungus inoculations for acceleration of the reestablishment of the symbiotic fungal / root relationship. Here's the M-Roots site: http://www.rootsinc.com/
Erich J. Knight
Erich J. Knight
"Religion is Bunk" T. A. Edison