Without healthy soil we stay without air

The international initiative “4 per 1000” (www.4p1000.org), created at the climate Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris (2015), suggests, on a scientific basis, that the increase of 0.4% (4 per thousand) per year of organic carbon in cultivated soils would bind approximately 80% of the worldwide emission of carbon dioxide of one year. The soil, Terra Carbono (TC), which we produce, is characterized by its high carbon content, (11.5%) (usually earth content 1 to 3%) sequestered from atmosphere, its stability in the soil and its prolonged fertility. It will be used as basis for the implantation of agroforestry systems.  It follows out of the 6-10% of carbon content within the “Terra Preta do Ìndio”, Indian Black Earth of the Amazonas, whose fertility has been maintained over 1000 to 2000years. This solution will be an important contribution to turn the Brazil agriculture more ecologic.

The carbon content of earth is directly related to its fertility. How can we transform carbon dioxide, which is toxic in the atmosphere, into healthy soil and maintain it there for a long term? All of nature's biological evolution on earth was and still is a process of generating and increasing oxygen in the atmosphere for the evolution of life and at the same time lowering carbon dioxide by sequestring into biological matter and storage in coal, limestone, oil or natural gas within the earth. Every living organism is composed of 95 to 98% of carbonic bonds deriving from photosynthesis. The indigenous peoples who made the Terra Preta do Índio continued and intensified the evolutionary, biological process of turning carbon into living matter. In the Amazonas these soils mantain themselves over more than 1000 years in an environment where the rate of organic matter decomposition and nutrient leaching is extremely high.

The long-term maintenance depends inthe ecological surface management with permanent supply of organic matter. Just as TC contributes to plant growth due to its high cation exchange capacity, it needs continuous supply of disintegrated organic matter for its maintenance and autopoiesis.

This project develops Terra Carbono from agricultural waste treated by a fermentation process with Effective Microorganisms. This earth, Terra Carbono will be used to plant vetiver to increase the carbon in the subsoil and after one year as a basis for the implementation of agroforestry systems. To produce TC we mixed carbon powder, cow dung, rock powder, thermophosphate, organic material, milled ceramic fragments and Effective Microorganisms (EM) and dug the mixture in anaerobic ditches. The total resulted in 13.5 m3 of compacted Terra Preta (= 13.5 t). After two months of fermentation, the chemical analyzes of eight specimens presented an average 11.5% of carbon (17.2.2019). In the space, where vetiver had been planted and EM applied twice, the carbon content reached 19.97% on 15.1.2020. The supply of organic matter is garanted by the agroforestry systems, which is installed through a consortium and succession of species. Native trees, fruit trees, wood trees, as well as fields and vegetables are planted, which will yield food crops and partial return of
investment, besides creating an environment of long-term species and
biodiversity for forestry recovery. Just as it happens in a recovering forest, in a cooperative environment.

Gregor Kux was Vice President of the Association for the Development of Organic Agriculture in Goiás (ADAO) (2002-2003) and President of Vale-Vivo, Agroecological Association in Teresópolis-GO (2012-2016). Since 2000 he participates of the organic movement in Goiânia, Capital in central Brazil and since 2003 he has been selling organic food of the region and throughout Brazil in his trade. Here I propose to generate Terra Carbono with agroforestry on organic farms to increase their productivity. Agroforestry will also increase biodiversity. We plan to do the first pilot project at the farm Vale do Tamanduá of Elizabeth F. Guimarães, which has been registered in the ASAS project of the Ministry of the Environment as a wild animal release area since 2006, with the purpose of receiving, rehabilitating and returning wild animals from nature trafficking, captivity, ill-treatment.

 The present project will be applicable to smallholder farms and territories of indigenous peoples. From 18 to 24.10.2018 we did an agroforestry workshop in Mbay, Kalipety, a Guarani indigenous village in Sao Paulo (see Photos). Here we made the first few meters of Terra Preta. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYAU5C8WsGo

The carbon content in cultivated soils is the most natural and mos potent link between carbon sequestration by photosynthesis and soil fertility. The technique of making Terra Carbono can be reproduced in all places and farms on small and large scale. The initial investiment corresponds to the per ton CO2 cost paid at the level of compensation markets. If we manage to build market mechanisms to pay the production costs for small producers and indigenous peoples, these will not only increase the soil carbon content
but also the agroforestry potentials for crops, fruits, medicinal herbs,
wood at a high level of biodiversity.

The project started with the study of the “4 per 1000” (www.4per1000) initiative and the research on the Terra Preta do Índio, whose 6 to 10% of carbon content are related to a fertility which maintains itself over 1000 to 2000 years. Normally carbon from organic matter is released by decomposition back into the atmosphere. Through anaerobic fermentation processes inoculated by Effective Microorganisms (EM) the carbon of organic matter in the Terra Carbono stabilizes within the ground (like sauerkraut) and provides fertile soil for organic production and/or agroforestry.

The generation of Terra Carbono differs from the process of composting by the following indicators: it is anaerobic, it does not emit heat and it is more alkaline. The anaerobic environment and the Effective Microorganisms develop fermentation bacteria and prevent the growth of decomposition bacteria. In relation to earthworm humus, Terra Carbono has 30% lower production costs and has shown a 50% higher dry matter productivity for millet in clay soils.

Terra Preta has been a research focus for understanding the biophysical bases of sustainable fertility management of tropical soils, where the organic matter within the soil is of fundamental importance to prevent the decomposition of organic matter and the leaching of nutrients. The solution proposed here will serve as prototype of organic matter treatment in face of unfavorable edaphic and climatic conditions in tropical regions, will show the possible management of soil organic matter in a way to support agroecological productive systems in the tropics.

About Terra Carbono:

The porous charcoal structure provides plenty of surfaces for the development and self-maintenance of Effective Microorganisms (EM). Terra Carbono use this process by inoculating charcoal with fermented water from cassava (manioc), a species that was widespread used in the American tropics at pre-Columbian times. For the EM we put 10 kg of cassava roots in 100 liters of water and let this mixture ferment for some days. Then we inoculated the carbon powder with the fermented cassava water and dug the mixture in anaerobic ditches. So fare we made 15 different variations of the main composition: Inoculated charcoal (33%), cow dung (33%), organic matter (33%), rock powder, Yoorin (thermo phosphate) and milled ceramic fragments. The mixture were discharged into the ditches, flattened to remove air, sealed by a layer of common earth and undergoes an anaerobic fermentation process for two months.

The long-term maintenance relies on ecological management at the surface with permanent supply of organic matter. As much as Terra Carbono enhances plant growth due to its high cation exchange capacity, it needs continuous supply of disintegrated organic matter for its maintenance and autopoiesis.

About Agroforestry Systems:

Biodiversity Agroforestry Systems are known for being inspired by the functioning of natural forests to promote the recovery of degraded soil and grounds, retaining water, increasing biodiversity, feeding and sheltering wildlife, and producing food with the possibility of generating income for those who implement it. It is a matter of reconciling agriculture with environmental recovery of disrupted biodiversity.

The eight soil analyzes of 17.4.2019 gave excellent values for almost all nutrients and minerals (except boron and copper). (See attached)

For carbon, we reached an average of 11.52%.

In the barrel, the carbon content reaches 14.1%. The highest value of 16% was obtained by doubling the amount of biochar. 2.3% is already considered high in common soils.

Among other results, the following mean values were obtained:

- pH: 8.55. The soils here are acidic and the pH of 5.6 to 6.9 is considered suitable; 

 - Phosphorus: 45.25 ppm (more than 20 is considered high); 

 - Potassium: 11.80 cmol/dm3 (above 0.13 is considered high); 

 - Cation exchange capacity: 26.35 cmol/dm3 (above 9 is considered high).

The analysis on January 15, 2020 (Attached file) points in Space 1 a content of 19.97% of carbon in the Terra Carbono.

In January 2020, an experiment on the fertility of the Terra Carbono was realized at the Agronomy School of the Federal University of Goiás. With 40 to 80 t/ha Terra Preta, the productivity of dry organic matter in the millet, exceeded 50 to 60%  the production treated with earthworm humus (in clay soil).

Biochar is a component of Terra Carbono. Madari, B.E. (2017) write an academic paper: Properties of a sandy clay loam Haplic Ferralsol and soybean grain yield in a five-year field trial as affected by biochar amendment, Geoderma 305, 100-112.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ge... 

The specificity of this project is that it binds carbon from the air, thus creating long-term fertile soils on the farms of organic food producers. Most projects against global warming reduce carbon emissions. But even if we don't emit more carbon, we need to remove carbon from the atmosphere to mitigate global warming.

Organic agriculture and agroforestry systems initially need investments that are decreasing as soil fertility increases. Terra Carbono initially requires very high investments that will return only in the long-term. The development of Terra Carbono essentially depends on being recognized as a methodology of carbon sequestration process and being subsidized by voluntary CO2 funds and / or being included in derivative projects of the (international) trading of CO2 certificates.

At the Bayreuth University website can be read the following:

1. Biochar is currently the only harmless and practicable method for long-term storage of carbon dioxide (ditches of carbon) and may therefore represent an aspect for the climate warming solution. The production of biochar is a method of energy generation with little environmental impact and even a "negative carbon" balance. CO2 and other harmful gases (CH4, N2O) are reduced.

2. Biochar also improves soils and provides fertility to degraded soils by water retention capacity and increase productivity. (...)

(see: http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/biochar/de/forschung/gru/html.php?id_obj=79436)

Coal forms the environmental conditions for the formation of humus.

in the next year I want to continue the experiment in Shangrila, observe the long-term carbon content, and look for the possibility of increasing it with other MS, green manure and agroecologic management.

We intend to replicate the experiment over a larger area producing agroforestry with Terra Carbono on an organic, local farm, to measure the economic return, generate basic data and investigate its scalability.

In the long term we plan to plant Guadua Bamboo grown on Terra Carbono to generate carbon powder and organic matter to produce more Terra Carbono.

Jörg Stamm describes in detail the process of Guadua's forests contributing to the historical climate shock (1550–1850), the Little Ice Age (LIA):

"Following the widespread extinction of the native population of South America (...) the tropical "Guadua" bamboo took over the abandoned fields and soon accumulated huge amounts of CO2, possibly resulting in a worldwide temperature drop and a series of exceptionally severe winters in Europe ”(Jörg Stamm, März 2004, Guadua, Als Pionierpflanze im tropischen Sekundärwald mitverantwortlich für den historischen Klimaschock, “LIA”)

We are four people working part time.

Gregor Kux, Austrian, lives in Goiânia since 1999. In his venture "Cerrado Alimentos Orgânicos" he works with 50 suppliers per month and 100 customers per day.

Beata Madari is agronomist (1994) with PhD (1999) in Soil Science from the Szent István University, Gödöllö, Hungary. Since 2005 she had been research scientist at the Embrapa, Brazil and is professor in post-graduate training in Agronomy at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG).

Ataualpa de Souza Borges, Degree in History at Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC GOIÁS).

Walter Cardoso Sobrinho, Graduated in Social Sciences, Federal University (UFG).

Gregor Kux is a founding member of the Goiás Orgânico Cooperative. He was (2014-2017) an advisor in the State Food Safety Commission (CONESAN).

Beata Madari was leader of Embrapas Research Network on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Grains Crop Production Systems (Embrapa Fluxus Network) and is presently member of the Embrapas committee for research management in climate change (Comitê Gestor do Portfólio em Mudanças Climáticas). She has experience in carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly on tropical acid soils under annual crops, but also in integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems on soil carbon sequestration and carbon balance. She has worked with methods of soil carbon determination using wet and dry combustion and infrared spectroscopy. She is reviewer of several international scientific journals. She has also contributed to the IPCC on HWP, Wetlands and Soil N2O and to the UN Global Compact Initiative (unglobalcompactorg). She is member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the 4 per 1000 Initiative - Soil for Food Security and Climate since 2016 and was member of FAOs Livestock Environmental Assessment Partnerships technical advisory group on soil organic carbon stock change (2016-2018). She is author or co-author of more than 60 research articles.

Ataualpa Borges works in the BMV - Brasil Mata Viva Sustainability Credits Program (2010-2018).

Walter Sobrinho works with the production and trade of plants, environmental restoration services, agroforestry and as organic producer. He has been Municipal Secretary of Environment in the City of Goiânia 2001-2004 and Auditor of the Goiânia City Council.

I´m owner of the venture Cerrado Alimentos Orgânicos.

I am associated by the Organic Food Development Association (ADAO), where we have 25 producers.

Dr. Prf. Wilson Mozena of the UFG Agronomy School at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) is conducting fertility tests, which are needed for registration requirements of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA).

Dr. Prf. Paulo Marçal at the UFG Agronomy School is ADAO producer.

Beata Emoke Madari is a researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). She is member of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the 4 per 1000 Initiative - Soil for Food Security and Climate since 2016, was member of FAOs Livestock Environmental Assessment Partnerships technical advisory group on soil organic carbon stock change (2016-2018)