Terra Preta- GOLD OF THE AMAZON

 

The ingenious interplay of the erosion of the Andes, which feed nutrients into the rivers of the Amazon basin, created this green lung over thousands of years. The indigenous people of the Amazon basin had to face the challenge that agriculture was not successful on that soil. The way they finally achieved it leaves us in the modern world in awe. Today, 10% of the Amazon basin area is characterized by the most fertile soils in the world. These soils are called Terra Preta soils and were created over centuries by the indigenous people.

Terra Preta soils have a humus layer of up to 2 meters. It does not bake in extreme heat and its water retention capacity exceeds that of all known soils many times over.
The soil flora and fauna are so diverse and active that their fertility is largely determined by them.
The so-called anthropogenic soil. Topsoil created by humans. For a long time, this soil was removed and sold in Brazil. Its fertility is legendary there. In the 1990s, the removal of this soil was banned and research into the formation of this terra preta soil began. On the one hand, there was an understanding of how this terra preta is composed and what makes it so fertile. On the other hand, the realization came that it is not only the soil, but also the cultivation methods and the climate that are responsible for the extreme yields.

Use of pyrolytic coal

The indigenous people had understood that the introduction of pyrolytic coal and compost, as well as manure, triggered a whole new level of soil activity. The yellow clay soil changes in a short time to an extremely fertile soil, which even multiplies slowly. The input of vegetable pyrolytic carbon forms the basis. This input massively loosens the soil structure, which is very compact due to the clay, and also binds water. The essential property is that completely new strains of bacteria can colonize, which convert the minerals in the soil and make nutrients available to the plants. The introduction of compost and manure accelerates the establishment of the new soil flora. The result is a completely new soil fauna. Anyone who deals with humus-rich soils knows that the input of slowly decomposing organic substances is the key to maintaining the soil. Pyrolytic coal does not decompose, it can be seen as a neutral supporting structure. The porosity of the coal is decisive for the activity of the soil flora.

Disillusionment set in when Terra Preta from Brazil began to be used in agriculture in colder climate zones. The soil flora collapsed. It soon became clear that a flora adapted to the climate was the decisive factor. Success returned when climate-adapted soil flora was used. However, it did not have the same quality as the Terra Preta from Brazil. The input of organic material was lacking.