A-maize-ing

This week we planted our third biochar field trial - 1/2 hectare of yellow corn. The corn will be ready for harvest in 4 months providing us with relatively rapid results, in comparison with pineapple and plantain.

The sustainable agriculture staff teaching me how to plant corn. 

The biochar was ground to particles no larger than 1cm and the biochar-compost mixtures were pre-mixed and applied to the field in parcels, using the same methods as the pineapple field.

Cart Upgrades, Wood Waste Biochar, and Signs

Before

After

The biochar carts were in need of some repairs. The wire meshing intended to keep the biochar in each cart has deteriorated over time - which is no surprise considering we've completed over 100 burns at temperatures around 800C! The new design does not include wire meshing but rather metal posts that we hope will be able to resist the heat. 

We recently completed our first burn using waste wood. This biochar isn't ideal for planting crops for consumption, however we are sure we can find other uses for it. As seen in the bottom of the two photos, nails and other bits of metal remain even after burning.

Volunteers at Villa Carmen helped out the sustainable agriculture and biochar programs by making signs to identify biochar treatments in the field. These signs will hold up through the rainy season and make periodic measurements and harvest a breeze.