Improving wheat production with deep banded Oil Mallee Charcoal in Western Australia

Improving wheat production with deep banded Oil Mallee Charcoal in Western Australia (2.7 MB pdf)
Paul Blackwell, Syd Shea, Paul Storer, Zakaria Solaiman, Mike Kerkmans, and Ian Stanley, IAI April 2007

Deep Banded Mallee Charcoal

Presentation to the International Agrichar Initiative, Terrigal NSW, April 2007

Location - Western Australia
Mostly Winter rain from May to October
Mostly sandy soils with organic matter <1%
Usually grows >50% Australia wheat

CHARCOAL improves the MICRO-HABITAT of beneficial soil microbes

Some new fertiliser suppliers are using beneficial soil microbes and mineral fertilisers.
Is charcoal a better source of microporosity than zeolite?

Research questions
• Will charcoal improve crop yields from poor soil in a dry Mediterranean environment?
– (50% increase in Sumatra; Yamato et al.,
220% increase in Brazil; Lehmann & Rondon)
• How much soluble fertiliser
• Will mineral fertiliser and inoculated soil microbes enable more yield with charcoal?

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p>Soil Biological Nutrition Model with Charcoal
See presentation.