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Biochar and natural farming

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Comments

  • #272
    Waffletraktor
    Registered Users Posts: 2,424 ✭✭✭Waffletraktor


    Say my name wrote: »
    Can you flesh that out a bit more?

    An = Ammonium Nitrate.
    N = Nitrogen.
    C = Carbon.

    And context. In soil? From applying fertiliser? Pleeease. Thank you.

    Applied artificial Nitrogen source working on stored carbon and it's other constituents in OM.
    Forget if it was raw N volume applied or going on Ammonium Nitrate(used as an easy ref) raw 34% N value. Chemistry talk makes my head hurty :pac:
    From soil so in reference to how much OM needed to be put into storage forms to stand still content wise or increasing in arable soils


  • #273
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Ganmo you were asking about a burner recently. Your pm box is full so ..

    Here's one that's just turned up on the net.

    https://twitter.com/OrganiLock/status/1150587408574013441?s=20


  • #274
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    This poped up on my Facebook feed from New Zealand.

    https://climateagriculturalsupport.com/presentations/

    There's a link to a biochar feeding trial on a large milking herd in NZ amongst other things on that site.

    I don't think it's on that one but Doug Pow the pioneer in modern times of feeding biochar reckons wormers can be done away with when it's fed.

    Edit : I'd highly recommend reading all in that link. It explains all about the carbon : nitrogen ratio, free forming soil nitrogen fixation, nitrogen mineralization and more.
    It's gold.


  • #275
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,674 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Basically there were 20 million people living in the amazon rainforest before smallpox from Europeans wiped them all out. The people living there created their own soil using biochar as the soil there is very poor. It's totally unsuitable for growing soya, by the way.

    (I watch a lot of these Joe Rogan podcasts.)

    'The Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Galway, As they sailed beneath the Swastika to Spain'



  • #276
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Say my name wrote: »
    It will be left stew.
    From what I've read and even just by entering "seaweed" on boards here people get on well with it this way.

    Hopefully if I get it made, the plan down the road will be to use it for quenching biochar in a kon-tiki kiln.
    But for now it'll do this way.

    I contacted a company about how they processed their commercial seaweed foliar spray (which I used before) and they never came back to me. So that had a major influence on this development.

    There's a poster on thefarmingforum using seaweed this way and mixing with biochar before feeding to sheep. So it's nothing that hasn't been done before.

    It's something to pass the time anyway! :)

    How have you gotten on with the seaweed?


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  • #277
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Genevieve Screeching Below wrote: »
    How have you gotten on with the seaweed?

    Maybe I should be deleting past posts?? :pac:

    Ah well I only went with the one round with my homemade stuff.
    I've a batch from a refill that I'll let into the slurry tank for the holding yard and spread that way at this time of year.

    I'm beginning to think it might be better if I apply it to the soil instead of a straight foliar and use those drip nozzles that are used for liquid urea. Molasses mixed when spraying is a benefit to it as well.
    I'm kind of banking on it putting minerals into the grass and minerals into the silage.
    Anecdotal observation by me is that the stock are looking better than other years and no worming yet. I'll do the calves with their first dose tomorrow though.


  • #278
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    News dump.

    https://twitter.com/AgriChar_RG/status/1182183425693945856?s=20

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-49970863


    https://twitter.com/eosfuturedesign/status/1181513351479939072?s=20


    https://twitter.com/JeisaneAccioly/status/1181141915510566912?s=20


  • #279
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Seemingly this is coming up on Countryfile on Sunday.

    https://twitter.com/ireland_direct/status/1192797865262882817?s=20


    I know it was mentioned at the Biofarm conference but wouldn't it be something else if there was an Innovative farmers led innovative set up in this country like the U.K.?


  • #280
    PoorFarmer
    Registered Users Posts: 523 ✭✭✭PoorFarmer


    Say my name wrote:
    Seemingly this is coming up on Countryfile on Sunday.


    The research being carried out on the farm would be interesting reading to see the benefits if any of feeding the biochar to cattle.

    That guy has a serious setup for making it though


  • #281
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    PoorFarmer wrote: »
    The research being carried out on the farm would be interesting reading to see the benefits if any of feeding the biochar to cattle.

    That guy has a serious setup for making it though

    Be interesting alright..
    The only thing that struck me was he left it a bit gritty. It's easier if ground to a powder.

    Believe it or not the open top cone or pyramid kiln would give as good or not better char for feeding. Especially if there's water coming up from underneath it would give a food grade activated carbon.
    Hell of a lot of variables in biochar production. You just need one for people to say biochar good or biochar bad.

    Edit: also the potential is there to inoculate the char with a whole host of things from lactic acid bacteria's to seaweed minerals to any enzyme prior to feeding.


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  • #282
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    PoorFarmer wrote: »
    The research being carried out on the farm would be interesting reading to see the benefits if any of feeding the biochar to cattle.

    That guy has a serious setup for making it though

    They're way ahead out in Europe.
    There's animal grade products approved and commercially made and available out there.

    https://biochar-international.org/study-tour-austria/


  • #283
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TooOldBoots


    How is Biochar in anyway natural? If anything the burning of fossil fuels to create charcoal is one of the most environmentally destructive things you can do.
    This is a pure madness thread


  • #284
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    How is Biochar in anyway natural? If anything the burning of fossil fuels to create charcoal is one of the most environmentally destructive things you can do.
    This is a pure madness thread

    Explain how fossil fuels are burnt to produce charcoal please?


  • #285
    timfromtang
    Registered Users Posts: 557 ✭✭✭timfromtang


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    How is Biochar in anyway natural? If anything the burning of fossil fuels to create charcoal is one of the most environmentally destructive things you can do.
    This is a pure madness thread


    Charcoal is produced from Wood, Biochar can be produced from any organic matter (i.e. something that grows).


    NO FOSSIL FUELS ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS excepting perhaps used in the cutting of timber or transport of the biochar/charcoal.


    Perhaps you have been misinformed.....


    All the best
    tim

    www.youtube.com/c/timfromtang

    Fuinseog abú



  • #286
    toleratethis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭toleratethis


    Watching some YouTube on biochar this evening. I will reread the thread but in the meantime can I get a quick and dirty reply as to what kind of things can be "loaded" to biochar to say build soil, aid microbes, fungi, soil fertility that someone can make themselves? In the vid they mentioned urine, that may take me a wee while to cover the farm 😄


  • #287
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    toleratethis wrote: »
    Watching some YouTube on biochar this evening. I will reread the thread but in the meantime can I get a quick and dirty reply as to what kind of things can be "loaded" to biochar to say build soil, aid microbes, fungi, soil fertility that someone can make themselves? In the vid they mentioned urine, that may take me a wee while to cover the farm 😄

    What can and should be "loaded"?

    Basically those microbes and fungi.
    The preparations of IMO3 and IMO4 from natural farming would be ideal otherwise your dungheap or your slurrytank.

    https://youtu.be/UtjTgD1otMs

    https://youtu.be/EuByBHHHaGM


  • #288
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,468 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    I was looking at videos relating to “beam compost” where the principle is more inoculation of ground with fungi rather than spreading sufficient compost to improve the soil.

    They are talking about repeated treatments of small amounts of the “compost” and results seem very impressive indeed both from a production volume perspective and carbon sequestration, they are claiming they are measuring at least ten tones the volume of sequestered carbon compared to any other method.

    https://regenerationinternational.org/bioreactor/


  • #289
    toleratethis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭toleratethis


    _Brian wrote: »
    I was looking at videos relating to “beam compost” where the principle is more inoculation of ground with fungi rather than spreading sufficient compost to improve the soil.

    They are talking about repeated treatments of small amounts of the “compost” and results seem very impressive indeed both from a production volume perspective and carbon sequestration, they are claiming they are measuring at least ten tones the volume of sequestered carbon compared to any other method.

    https://regenerationinternational.org/bioreactor/

    I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was the Farmerama podcast that I heard Johnson on. Was aware of the bioreactor previously, but first time to hear an interview.


  • #290
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,468 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    toleratethis wrote: »
    I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was the Farmerama podcast that I heard Johnson on. Was aware of the bioreactor previously, but first time to hear an interview.

    Yep.
    Then I just googled some of his research.

    There are some videos on YouTube of talks he gave in I think Australia.

    When it’s raining at lunchtime and I can’t walk I often nerd out on this stuff 🤓


  • #291
    toleratethis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭toleratethis


    _Brian wrote: »
    Yep.
    Then I just googled some of his research.

    There are some videos on YouTube of talks he gave in I think Australia.

    When it’s raining at lunchtime and I can’t walk I often nerd out on this stuff 🀓

    I find myself looking for reasons to drive places just to listen to good podcasts. Learn so much and added bonus of escaping the utter sh1t on all radio stations here.


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  • #292
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,468 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    toleratethis wrote: »
    I find myself looking for reasons to drive places just to listen to good podcasts. Learn so much and added bonus of escaping the utter sh1t on all radio stations here.

    I either listen to these or audiobooks, rarely the radio.


  • #293
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,675 ✭✭✭endainoz


    On that subject, could ye recommend any good podcasts on this or related subjects like sustainability etc?


  • #294
    toleratethis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 147 ✭✭toleratethis


    endainoz wrote: »
    On that subject, could ye recommend any good podcasts on this or related subjects like sustainability etc?

    The working cows podcast is great, very American centered.
    Farmerama is another.

    Not sure after that, just started into podcasts lately.


  • #295
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    Just came across this, not that much in it but said I'd link it on here anyhow.


  • #296
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    A pdf presentation from Wilson's of Oregon from one of their workshops.

    Note the ppm of nitrogen in the fym when the char is added with the bedding as opposed to heaped up and composted.

    * Could be important when/if Brussels cuts nitrogen limits or for organic farmers.


  • #297
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Say my name wrote: »
    A pdf presentation from Wilson's of Oregan from one of their workshops.

    Note the ppm of nitrogen in the fym when the char is added with the bedding as opposed to heaped up and composted.

    * Could be important when/if Brussels cuts nitrogen limits or for organic farmers.

    Added pdf.


  • #298
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    https://drecolonomics.lpages.co/soil-food-web/

    This is free once registered this evening at 18.00, if I've my time zones right.


  • #299
    Upstream
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Upstream


    _Brian wrote: »
    I was looking at videos relating to “beam compost” where the principle is more inoculation of ground with fungi rather than spreading sufficient compost to improve the soil.

    They are talking about repeated treatments of small amounts of the “compost” and results seem very impressive indeed both from a production volume perspective and carbon sequestration, they are claiming they are measuring at least ten tones the volume of sequestered carbon compared to any other method.

    https://regenerationinternational.org/bioreactor/

    I've made a few of these Johnson-Su bioreactors, except instead of mesh sides and garden fabric I used a bulk fertilizer bag on a pallet with four wavin pipes in a cross shape. They worked fairly well and I've got some nice looking compost from them.
    I've spread a bit on our lawn to see if it will help with a compaction layer half an inch down.
    I reckon if it can work there it can work anywhere :)


  • #300
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,024 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Upstream wrote: »
    I've made a few of these Johnson-Su bioreactors, except instead of mesh sides and garden fabric I used a bulk fertilizer bag on a pallet with four wavin pipes in a cross shape. They worked fairly well and I've got some nice looking compost from them.
    I've spread a bit on our lawn to see if it will help with a compaction layer half an inch down.
    I reckon if it can work there it can work anywhere :)

    What's the story with them?
    Do you have to use special ingredients and special ratios for the compost?


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  • #301
    Upstream
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Upstream


    Say my name wrote: »
    What's the story with them?
    Do you have to use special ingredients and special ratios for the compost?

    Not much different to normal compost really, just have your material mixed and a C:N ratio in the right range.
    Dr Johnson originally started making them with as a way to deal with waste cow manure from dairies mixed with other inputs. He switched to mostly leaf litter as it was easier to deal with and less messy. I used quite a bit of waste silage in the first few I made and they didn't heat very much, it's probably not an ideal material, but otherwise they seem to be not too fussy.

    I asked Christine Jones about them at Biofarm and she said they were quite labour intensive and I'd agree, although not as much work as regular turned compost piles. She has a recipe for no turn compost that I think she will pass on to the group at some stage so I'd be interested to see that.


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