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Biochar: Its the Soil, Stupid

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Submitted by PSmall on Mon, 01/25/2010 - 12:44

Gary Jones geeks on grass-fed beef, soil, and biochar at garyjones.org. He writes much worth repeating, and I especially appreciate his unwavering perspective on biochar: environment and food are nonessential sideshows, biochar is about the soil.

 First off, for any soil steward having a long term relationship with a patch of dirt, it will always be about working first with what you have on site.

To truly increase organic matter in soils it is necessary to produce it on site, not haul it in from somewhere else.

If you have studied your "Urban Soils" by Phillip Craul, you know that onsite production is not always an option when it comes to improving soil.  But it should always be the first option considered.

Biochar is about accepting reality.

To increase soil organic matter in already exhausted soils, which includes most soils that have been in agronomic production for a while, you need to face reality. It's a slow process that requires a "bootstrap". To get it started you need manufactured fertilizer and a system to retain the increased production it brings. Slowly, over time, soil organic matter will build up. Using some of that production to make biochar retards that process at first since it repurposes some of the organic matter, depriving soil microorganisms of groceries. They can't eat charcoal, that's the whole idea. Over time the charcoal can have beneficial effects that make a better environment for microorganisms so they will make up for earlier losses so long as they have a continuing and increased supply of new organic matter to eat.

Obviously you don't absolutely need manufactured fertilizer, but for most of us, it is an essential option.

Ultimately biochar is about land - its stewardship and its capacity to function in the ways we rely on land to function.  Political achievements, bioregionalism, beneficial reuse, and reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide, are collateral effects. We could add in national security and improved balance in trade and local tax revenues and saving the small farm.  None of these should be ignored as associated benefits of biochar.  Neither should they be allowed to commandeer the soil-based promise that, without which, biochar is just silly.

The reason to do this [add biochar to soil] isn't that some bureaucrat with only the most cursory knowledge of agronomic systems bribes you to do it, it is to increase the value of your primary asset - your land - and increase your production of food and fiber. The reason to do it is that it is a superior agronomic system with increasing returns over time. The more growers that do this the more productive the whole system. The secondary effect that the atmosphere is being mined of its carbon is largely irrelevant.

Gary's post tells us that the trend of biochar being promoted and popularized only as an accessory to other agendas does no favors to the effort to advance biochar.  These agendas bring weaknesses to the partnership.  Those weaknesses distract us from the real promise of biochar. Its the soil, stupid.

Update 01/26/2010: A sharp post-back from Gary: Do too need manufactured fertilizer - the alternative is destabilization of our global agricultural system.

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I have a dream

Submitted by Erich J. Knight (not verified) on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 22:25.

Do Too , Do Not, Do too, ....You two crack me up
Where are we ?.......In the dirt box in elementary school?

I agree, but ......It's The Soil CARBON Stupid.....

I have a dream that one day we live in a nation where progress will not be judged by the production yields of our fields, but by the color of their soils and by the Carbon content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, a suite of earth sensing satellites will level the playing field, giving every farmer a full account of carbon he sequesters. That Soil Carbon is given as the final arbiter, the common currency, accountant and Judge of Stuartship on our lands.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made forest, the rough soils will be made fertile, and the crooked Carbon Marketeers will be made straight, and the glory of Soil Sequestration shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see a Mutually assured Sustainability.

This is our hope.

(My apologies to Dr. King, but I think he would understand my passion)
Erich

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Soil Carbon Commandments:

Submitted by Erich J. Knight (not verified) on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 22:35.

While I'm at it, paraphrasing great writings to my own ends, I offer more blasphemy;

Soil Carbon Commandments:

1) Thou shalt not have any other Molecule before Me

2) Thou shall not make wrongful use of the name of Biochar, It will not acquit anyone who mis-charactorizes it's name

3) Observe the Fallow days and keep them, as Sustainability commands thou

4) Honor your Micro Flora & Fauna , as the Soil Carbon commands you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that High Soil Carbon has given you.

5) Thou shall not murder the Soil Food Web

6) Neither shall thou adulterate the Soils with Toxicity

7) Neither shall thou steal Biomass from the Soil Food Web

8) Neither shall thou bear false witness against your neighbors Biochar, or about Thy own

9) Neither shall thou covet your neighbor's Fertility

10) Neither shall thou desire your neighbor's house, or field, or Pyrolysis Reactor, or farm implements, or anything that belongs to your neighbor, as thou may Create thy Own

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