VitaSoil is comprised of two carbon components: 1. Fungal sawdust and 2. Biochar (terra-preta).
Fungal sawdust is derived from pine sawdust that been left to decompose naturally for 6-25 years. It is high in natural humic and fulvic acids, soil benevolent bacteria and fungi such as polysaccharides and bacillus. It is high in active (labile) carbon (39%) and has a pH of 6.
Biochar (Activated Carbon) is sterile and stable. It cannot be digested by micro-organisms and remains in the soil for generations. It is also high in C and has a high ash component, allowing for micro-organisms to seek refuge within its micro-pores. It’s porous nature allows for it to have incredible absorption and adsorption capabilities de-toxifying many harmful toxins present in all substrates.
For the purpose of this application I will be discussing Biochar and its relevance to your situation.
Before we go into the agricultural benefits of this product, lets take a look at how it effects animal health.
Biochar has widespread benefits for animal health mainly through its adsorption capabilities. Toxins that exist within the gut of livestock can produce many intestinal issues. Biochar has the ability to absorb these harmful toxins allowing for better digestion, blood values, feed use efficiency and livestock weight gain, meat quality and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
An immediate, obvious use is to reduce, even eliminate, gases and odors from manure and urine, especially ammonia. Biochar has a strong appetite to adsorp gases, liquids and ions, and ammonia (NH4+). Ammonia’s strong positive electric charge makes it corrosive, toxic to breathe, electron thief, thus a serious health stress. This gagging gas emitted by bird droppings, makes air unhealthy, toxic to birds and humans. Ammonia irritates skin on contact, and degrades even hard tissue, such as hooves. It also attracts insects, such as flies. Even a modest farmyard coop is afflicted by irritation, dust, disease encouraged by toxic bedding and air.
Poultry crowded in coops, barns and cages means constant contact with excrement. Nutrient-rich, moist, porous conditions are ideal to multiply pathogenic microbes. Microbial decay emits significant ammonia, that irritates mucous membranes, attacks lungs, weakens immunity, accumulates in blood, ties up trace elements, depletes liver detox enzymes. Animal health degrades, productivity also declines.
Ammonia also does environmental harm, deposited as nitrogen in rain. Ammonia and nitrous oxides are highly climate-disturbing, increase soil acidification and water body eutrophy.
Being extremely porous, Biochar has a robust appetite for ammonia, ions, and nutrients – more than any other organic material. Research shows activated carbon captures up to 63% of ammonia emitted from poultry poop. Char also curbs methane, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, urea, organic acids, ketones, volatile vapours, and noxious liquids.
Reduced ammonia is a major health improvement for environment, birds and farmworkers. Lower moisture content and ammonia levels curtail risk of footpad diseases, skin lesions and respiratory afflictions. Infections heal as animals’ resistance improves, to benefit vitality, egg production and final weight.
Because biochar also absorbs liquids, it changes the physical quality of poultry poop. Floor droppings are far less sticky, almost dry, lighter in weight, easier to handle. Litter and bedding can be handled with greater safety and sanitation.
Biochar keeps these toxic chemicals and valuable nutrients safely in litter, renders them non-toxic and immobile, converts them to precious plant food. Biochar doesn’t do all this on its own, but supports the minerals and microbes needed to digest, breakdown and convert wastes.
When litter or bedding are spread on land, significant nutrients normally outgas and leach, and some are lost. Biochar bestows significant extra capacity to adsorb and hold nutrients in compost materials, thus minimize losses and possible pollution. Properly deployed, biochar sharply improves retention of ammonia, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and other valuable nutrients. Char has a rare ability to adsorb and conserve anions, beginning with nitrates and phosphates.
During composting, biochar continues to absorb liquids, capture gases, adsorb nutrient ions, and keep them in compost. Biochar retains water in its micropores to keep moisture stable in composting biomass. Biochar micropores have a remarkable ability to change the state of water in compost and soil, while sharply increasing soil’s water holding capacity. Water and carbon are ancient and intimate allies in Nature’s recipe to cook up life. They interact to create the fundamental matrix for life to organize and operate.
Biochar is derived from plant biomass, and creates an environment that benefits cell biology. Providing air, water and nutrients favours healthy, beneficial microbes that improve composting rate and digestive efficiency. Biochar micropores are ideal refuges for bacteria and fungi, so adding this uniquely inert biocarbon stabilizes, strengthens and sustains compost’s teeming populations of digestive organisms.
Compost resulting from adding 3 to 5% biochar will likely be a higher quality, premium fertilizer, with more nutrients, better physical properties, and more vigorous, healthy microbial communities. Biochar’s benefits, especially its enhancement of microbial diversity and activity, can improve the overall efficiency of the composting process and drastically advance soil fertility.
