12 18 October 2016

Biochar Production, Application and Benefits – Part Two: Karry Fisher-Watts

Introduction

In Part One of our interview, Karry Fisher-Watts described what biochar is and its economic

value. Karry also discussed the benefits of using biochar and the effect it has on soil. She

also described Wood Vinegar, a product of biochar, its uses and how biochar is applied to

soil.

In this interview, Karry describes the role biochar plays in dealing with dryland salinity and

the concept of “Natural Farming.”

Key Points

Biochar, used in combination with other soil-enhancing additives, can be

very beneficial in remediating the fertility of degraded and saline soils.

Biochar has the effect of reducing the leaching of nutrients through the

soil.

Prior to applying the biochar, compacted and otherwise degraded soils

need to be prepared through the addition of enhancements, such as

gypsum and trace elements.

Good quality composts and mulches, derived from garden waste,

household food and kitchen waste, restaurants, caterers and retail

premises, as well as agricultural waste (wool, mill grinds and straw),

contribute to enhanced soil quality and resource self-sufficiency.

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Commentary

FDI: How did you become aware of biochar and what role did you see it playing with regard

to your saline soils?

KF-W: When we started buying Biochar from Simcoa, it was acknowledged that this would

be just one strategy in managing the overall effects of dryland salinity, compacted clay soils

and periods of drought and their impacts on our property. From the beginning we

acknowledged that biochar was meant only as an enhancement.

From what we had read about biochar improving soil health, namely breaking up the

compaction, improving infiltration by water and enabling better root development, we

decided to space the holes where the biochar would be introduced near the trees. We called

these carbon holes (CharWells©).

It was during this period that Pyro-Ag, a subsidiary of Wood Vinegar Australia, were seeking

farmers interested in carrying out field trials using wood vinegar (WV) in an agricultural

setting. We took up the offer and soon the product arrived.

We had read that it was important to activate these CharWells© with a range of organic

materials to help reduce raw biochar impact of adsorbing surrounding beneficial nutrients to

its surface that were already present in the soil - biochar acts like a sponge when it is first

produced and only becomes active when you add various ferments and composted

materials. Activated Charwells© have provided a source of moisture and nutrient to various

plantation groupings. WV has had the effect of a growth hormone and as also as a soil

fungicide.

Figure 1: Piles of un-activated biochar. Note CharWells©

ready for organic matter. Source: Karry

Fisher-Watts

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After considering the activation process and the known benefits, we decided to include WV

when we began activating over 3,000 Charwells©. Over a period of time and getting our

measurements down with a range of organic materials produced onsite and these included

the combinations of WV we were trialling. We also included applying our own naturally-

farmed Indigenous Micro Organisms to the soil treated with WV.

Over time, we noticed salt around the Charwells©. One of the first observations was less salt

crystals present around many trees. We had read that the salt would be drawn to the

biochar which, in turn, acts as a filter to the plants. A little while later, we took some

samples on the new biochar and noticed an increase in soil biological activity around these

trees.

As time passed we found we needed to begin reducing the excessive leaf and branches on

the trees to reduce the chance of breakage and uplift by heavy winds. We began to mulch

all this material. Our mulching programme included applying our all-purpose fertiliser to 3 x

3 cubic metre piles of compost. One pile had biochar and WV only, layered through the

mulch at about 600mm intervals with 150mm depth of biochar and a drenching of WV. The

second pile was the control pile with no additions and the third pile had biochar only added.

Figure 2: Composting bins at Treōwstede for creating mulch. Source: Karry Fisher-Watts.

Results:

Pile 1: Mulch, straw, layered biochar and wood vinegar with molasses water. This had

composted down to smaller twigs and spongy leaf material, and the straw was hardly

noticeable. The heap had good aromatics and was light and fluffy in texture. Earthworms

were present.

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Pile 2: Mulch and straw, the control pile. Mulch showed signs of composting, but leaves

were still relatively intact and twits were hard still but with some mycelium present on their

outer surface areas. Straw was composting and had nice aromatics. Earthworms were

present.

Pile 3: Mulch, straw and layered biochar. The material had broken down considerably but

leaf definition was still present, twigs were still firm, though brittle and heavy mycelium

present on the outer surfaces. This compost was not fluffy, but was light in weight compared

to the control pile. Aromatics were pleasant and earthworms were present.

We began our new project in April 2016 and called it the Permeable Biomass Walls Project.

This project involved excavating trenches to build a huglekultur (hill mound) setup at various

locations along the natural contours of the properties’ outer regions. In researching our

project we discovered a myriad of positive possible outcomes which included reducing the

impact of climate change and the benefit of sequestering carbon from the atmosphere

directly into the soil. This project became the primary project for 2016 as part of our ongoing

strategy in managing our water table, dry land salinity and reading how biochar can be used

to reduce the impact of pesticides and herbicides. We currently have several researchers

working on our property who are doing a range of experiments that should be published

within the next year or two on this project alone. The processes used will be revealed in

those papers.

FDI: Do you use other soil additives in combination with the biochar e.g. fertilisers, organic

nutrients?

KF-W: For the first two years we have decided to use a product sold as K-humate S90. This

soil conditioning product is 90% soluble humic acid with the known benefit of assisting to

reduce soil salt. As time has gone by, we have discovered additional benefits which range

from water retention, improved soil microbial activity, its ability to help promote uptake of

essential nutrients and improved penetration and retention of calcium for plant growth.

Initially, when we commenced our project and planted our tube-stock, we used a

commercial soil probiotic for its ability to make small amounts of phosphorus (P) available to

plants. A blessing when we bought the property was that tests indicated that it was poor in

available P, an advantage for growing some Australian natives.

We also spent a great deal of time in preparing the soil by adding gypsum. This not only

helped to break up soil compaction but also reduced dryland salinity by raising its pH

(measure of acid in the soil) from 4.3 to 6.0. Finally, we acquired basalt fines (dust and fine

particles that are produced from crushed rock) rich in trace minerals and 20 tonnes of aged

wood mulch. We added a few other bits and pieces which are our secret, but are all natural

and beneficial for creating healthy soils.

FDI: What is your take on Natural Farming?

KF-W: Our take on natural farming is based on the principle of “repurposing with a

purpose”. Whilst traditional farming has its place and its followers, there is a growing trend

amongst food consumers for a greater degree of accountability in food production,

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especially the way it’s grown. This group don’t want their food grown using chemicals. Our

challenge was to find a source of fertilisers and other inputs that could meet the challenge of

growing our range of bushfoods and plantation stock. Whilst researching natural farming

techniques we discovered “the unconventional farmer”, another eureka moment.

‘Repurpose with a purpose.’

With regard to bio-waste, two issues dominated our thinking:

1. Firstly, our challenge was to find a simple solution to “repurpose” bio-waste which

was largely waste organic matter which would otherwise be discharged into a refuge

site, burnt to ash, or left to decompose.

2. Secondly, our aim was to have fertiliser and trace element values in this product that

could continue to nourish and nurture both plants and soil on our bushfoods’ farm

long after its “best by date had expired”.

Over time and trial and error, we learned to identify the basic nutrient values in the bio-

waste we’ve collected and how best to extract those key nutrients for long-term sustainable

plant health, growth and soil building properties. The methods we use include fermentation,

tincturing, chop-n-drop and cool composting for a period up to 12 months. Nothing is

wasted, not even the remaining fermented and tinctured materials. The final result is a

range of plant specific soluble fertilisers, plant growth hormones, and tinctures, combined

with aged composted materials, wood vinegar all of which are used to activate our Biochar

for different purposes across the property. Some is placed around trees, some is buried in

the soil in our Charwells© and also in our new Permeable Biomass Walls.

Figure 3: Sandalwood (Santalum sp.) on previously de-graded soil. Source: Karry Fisher-Watts

In total, we have used 8 tonnes of Biochar on Treōwstede. The product is in itself a waste

product from Simcoa that has little commercial value because the charcoals we buy are the

materials remaining after processing in heavy industry furnaces. In our quest for

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sustainability, the time will come when we can convert some of our tree and shrub waste

into a biochar, which can be applied to the soils. This is the ultimate in onsite carbon capture

and storage repurposing with a purpose!

In most traditional farming operations, weeds and insects are often considered a curse. As

natural farmers, however, it is very important that we understand the beneficial aspects that

weeds and insects play, in particular their impact on the growth of plants and soil life. Ants

are fantastic pollinators, a role often overlooked in the traditional farming world. Ants

pollenate our citrus Glauca, Sandalwood, Quandong and some eucalyptus species; they help

to aerate the soil, move fine fragments of biochar and carbon materials and are an integral

part in the soil food web. Natural farming aims to improve the natural eco-system and

create habitats which promote sustainable development.

We have learned how to use the new soil to grow and multiply our own indigenous

microbiomes (IMOs). IMOs are a collection of the ‘naturally occurring’ microbes and fungi

that inhabit an environment, creating a sort of “mini-ecosystem” and have been the

cornerstone of Mother Nature’s garden for hundreds of millions of years. All we’re doing is

giving Mother Nature a little helping hand by identifying spots that have the best growth and

attempting to replicate the IMOs present and applying the results to areas affected by

dryland salinity, and subject to other environmental stresses. Therefore, their importance

cannot be understated; hence the ongoing nature of our IMO project.

We are often asked what our secrets are. These really aren’t secrets but more understanding

what happens in nature and giving a little helping hand to make things happen a little

quicker. Here are some of what we do and use.

1. We create IMO by using locally sourced, partly steamed wheat, barley and oats.

2. We make our own Lactic Acid Bacteria or Lactobacillus Serum (LAB) from the same

sources with the addition of a litre of milk. This will make LAB we can use as a spray

to help promote healthy soil biota.

3. Our Fish Amino Acids is made from simple fish trash from the local fishmonger with

a little LAB and some IMO and molasses to feed those microbes.

4. We use our own trees to ferment or tincture plant growth hormones for specific

purposes.

We use wool for its nitrogen and because it is able to store moisture, waste grain, aged

straw that is rich in mycelium fungal activity, spent coffee grounds, home grown aged

compost made on site, worm juice, sheep and horse dung which are freely available to us to

repurpose into teas, compost and other products.

The secret is to look at what you’re putting in your food scrap bin, or the bio-waste you are

discarding. The answer is right in front of you; just learn to repurpose with a defined

purpose. The more you learn about your soil, the more you naturally want to discover what

is in it. This is truly what natural farming is to us.

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Finally, our project is powered onsite by 99 per cent solar, water is harvested from the roof,

vehicles – apart from our mulcher, use unleaded petrol. Offsite materials i.e. molasses and

coffee grounds, are all collected during our daily travelling patterns. We do not go out of our

way to source these materials. Even bio-waste from nearby farms is delivered by farmers on

their way to do other business, and in exchange, we supply them with honey.

*****

About the Interviewee:

Treōwstede is a retirement strategy for Barry and Karry. Both agreed it was important to

have a lifestyle that kept both physically fit, lowered the health their risk associated with

illness associated with ageing. Buying a small rural property within close proximity to Perth

would enable them to manage their retirement years enjoy a simple semi-rural lifestyle,

importantly, providing an opportunity to supplement their income. In addition, the legacy

they will leave will be long lasting.

After 2½ years of textbook, internet searches, joining groups and developing networks of

like-minded people in the Natural Farming Community and, users and produces of Biochar,

they are well on their way with their Bushfood Farm and Apiary Project.

As Karry puts it, there are so many opportunities to value add with their naturally farmed

produce, with a focus on ‘single source’ where ever possible, the opportunities are only

limited by ones imagination. The key to the project is simple, ‘limit your lines, be unique, and

keep it boutique!’

Both Karry and Barry continuously enjoy learning about the benefits Natural Farming on the

environment, and the ability to repurpose waste materials for use as farming amendments.

Note:

Treōwstede is located in Brookton, approximately 1.5 hours’ drive south-east from Perth,

Western Australia. Karry and Barry would welcome visitors to view their techniques in

natural farming and, can be contacted by email at bushfood@mail.com

Geoffrey Craggs, JP

Research Analyst, Northern Australia and Landcare Research Programme

Any opinions or views expressed in this paper are those of the individual author, unless stated to be those of Future

Directions International.

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