Douglas

Thank you Erich, Regards, Douglas.

G'day, My spin on terra mulata was (and should be) a system of establishing an area for food production, tree/s were felled into a pre dug trench, sourounding vegetative material added then the lot covered with the pre removed dirt, humidity and bacterial activity would leed to spontainous combustion, the result a low grade charcoal and no terra cotta chards. (This could be used when clear felling or dosing regrowth, buried and fired. Expensive YES but what is the price of good healthy soil)( 1 acre or 1000 acres the cost is the same per unite and we have chippers and trenchers now) Terra pretta comes into the "Law of total return" where a composting sanitation system, activated charcoal and activated silica is returned to the soil. Nothing is complicated in nature, it only becomes murky when academia manufactures these illusions to suck monies out of the society. Regards, Douglas.

G'day, My only suggestion is "Soilandhealth" web site go to ag libary and look for Krasilnikov's Soil microorganisms and higher plants, if of value don't forget to thank Steve. Regards, Douglas.

G'day, Next time use two drums, a 55 gal drum, remove both ends cut 4, 2 x 2 inch air inlets to light fire later, the top needs a cover and a chimney (I cut up a second 55 made a fitted top with 2 inch lip and chimney, cut remainder lengthwise roll compressed and tied and inserted now having a lined fire box) and inside a inverted smaller dimention container/bucket about 2 inches shorter than the 55 (robust construction)(I use a discarded electric hot water cylinder one end removed) tightly packed with material to charcoal stand inverted on the disgarded bottom of the first 55 no airspace required. This internal container/s should take up 1/2 to 2/3 of the 55 gal drum, now place 55 cylinder over the inverted container after putting some paper and deal on the bottom fully pack the drum with good hot burning wood, NOW place a crushed alluminum drink on top of the container, put on top with chimney (for safety you can place a disgarded paint tin over chimney as a spark arrester) and light the fire. I light mine at 7 am, the NEXT day 6 am dismantle, remove top check for aluminum can if melted temp was greater than 660 oC and the charcoal will have a high surface area, remove 55, clean away ash now harvest clean charcoal. I make one a day (slow) but over a year I have sufficient to put below the soil surface as I consider this charcoal as ONLY microbial accomidation. I demonstrate this to farmers, gardeners, landcare groups anybody interested, I call it "The Sunday Roast" system. Trust it may be of interest, Regards, Douglas.

Can anywon offer information the microbial count of terra preta and terra mulata,a teaspoon of good soil has 500+ million microbes,25 thousand + species of bacteria,10 thousand + species of fungi and others. Thanks, Douglas.

G'day Tormad, Aviation is an industry of choice in theory requires no education just sense of self preservation,situational awareness and a big hip pocket,like agriculture you are working within the confines of nature,push the boundaries and you maybe permanently farming in a marble orchard. Aviation offers you the ability to meet people you would normally not have access to and be paid to see the world,on several occasions at night I have sat/camped around a campfire with geologist,archaeologist,village chiefs and other interesting people and this starts to put the richness into life and these people are also interested in you. Night freight brings you in contact with those who work on the other side on the human clock both on the ground and in the air and the view outside the cockpit window is something to be shared.The little extras I picked up in this industry plus other study/research allows me to offer what I refer to as a "soft chemical" approach to agriculture for others to better utilise what nature offers for almost free.(there is no such thing as a free lunch)So I am interested in the views expressed in this forum. Must go for now, Regards, Douglas.

G'day all, I spent some time as a farm labourer's assistant(dad seemed to labour for the bank)so I milked cows more than 10 years therefore should qualify for a PH'd in bovine lactation,dad sold the farm so I tried aviation for 35 years till forced retirement.My wife has a property in the Granite Belt in Queensland Australia which we operate on a soft chemical basis.I am involved with a Landcare Organic group and I talk/demonstrate on biodynamics/microbial brewing/divining/charcoal-dark earth/radionics/broadcast towers/holistic management and practical land use,maybe I do not understand nature but I know it kicks if you do the wrong thing and being a "hasbeen" at least I can share my experiences/observations. Regards, Douglas.