Can BioChar control pests?...

Last summer, we conducted a test with BioChar using black-eyed peas.  The results were pretty amazing.  The BioChar grown black-eyed peas produced almost two times as many black-eyed peas as the non Bio-Char group. During this study, the plants with BioChar actually started producing flowers about 2 weeks sooner, on plants that were 1.5 times bigger.  I was quite impressed.

This spring, we planted turnips in the square crates and rectangle crates.  The square crates had BioChar added from last years tests and rectangle crates grew green beans the summer before with no BioChar.  The rectangle crates had everything else the square crates had (a compost blend, worm castings, the same amount of organic fertilizer, etc..) otherwise.

Square crate with 2" layer of BioChar. Notice no pest problems!

The four square crates and and six rectangle crates in the background. 

More pest problems with the rectangle crates.

What I have noticed so far is about 30% to 50% more growth, and pest resistance. The interesting thing is they are all very close to each other, so pest should have no problem getting to the square crates from the rectangle ones.

The obvious -  turnips are getting more nutrition and are healthier, thus, less appealing to pests looking for a midnight snack.  That in it self is enough to appease my skeptical mind. I hope to have a follow up article after harvesting these beautiful turnips and taking some brix readings...

First Planting Season With BioChar...

Dan Barber, who is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant at Stone Barns, was lecturing to a group of Harvard University students about the correlation between flavor of foods and good soil.  What intrigued me about this was his attention to detail in explaining a series of topics related to farming and cooking.  One of the topics of his lecture was BioChar. 

BioChar?  Yes I’d heard of it.  I’d read an article or two on it.  I was intrigued.  However, he was using it at Stone Barns farm.   He said “it’s like adding a vitamin pack to the soil”. Now that's exciting to a geek like me! Not only was he using it in the soil, but cooking with it too!  (It's around the 45 min mark on the video above)

Well, my curiosity grew.  I wanted this stuff.  In fact, I tried to make it.  Big fat fail!  Didn’t get the temperature right and the ph was crazy high (very alkaline).  Killed the plants in the test pots we put it in.  Needless to say, I was very frustrated, so I put this project on the back burner.

In February at the Georgia Organics Conference, Nicole and I discovered a new company that actually makes Biochar, BioChar Central.  I was rejuvenated with hope.  I got my first order from them in May, so we decided to do a test plot of corn, using the IBI Biochar Standards and Testing Guidelines.  To my frustration, we had seed failure.  Maybe half of the corn planted actually germinated.  But all was not lost.

I decided to do a non-standard test using BioChar in crates with Black Eyed peas vs  Black Eyed peas in the field with no char, using the same soil for both.   




These are the crates with Biochar.  These plants already have pods and are extremely green and healthy.



 



BioChar mix in with the soil.




Field with no BioChar.  Although still healthy, these plants are behind those in the crates.

  The result thus far; much faster growth and healthier plants in the crates vs field.  The plants in the crates have numerous pods while the field plants are just now producing flowers.  Although this test was not part of the IBI Biochar Standards and Testing Guidelines, it's still relevant and demonstrates the benefits of using BioChar for better plant and soil productivity.