Using pistachio shells to fight drought

A CSU research station project looks at how soil supplements could reduce water and fertilizer use in agriculture by improving soil health.

#science #climate #colorado #drought #agriculture

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[go-eksg]

I need a 1 hour version of this story instead of 3 min.

[more__plz]

Bio char is something I’ve used to amend soil in my gardens in Colorado for many many years, I’m glad he is getting the data and benefits info to farmers

[michaelfoort]

The potential for soil innovation has barely been scratched

[Isaacmantx]

My grandparents shelled pecans for a few decades. Looking back, those shells would have made an excellent biochar similar to this.

[christopherleblanc]

i like the use of nut shells as bio-char, in that they take so long to break down naturally, this makes them available as soon as it applied, added that bio-char can be inoculated to form a living soil amendment . it seems a great end use for what was a waste material or simply burned in incinerators and buried in land fills

[jillionairess]

i bought Wakefield Biochar Compost from Walmart this spring. i had idea what biochar was but i got more tomatoes, chiles and cucumbers from my garden this year than ever before. i will never not use it again!

[maryperry]

I love pistachios. I have made a “pistachio path” in my yard of pistachio shells. Glad to see this.

[ngana]

1:49 min: biochar treated soil has 23% more moisture than soil that has not been treated with biochar.

[levmoses]

I’ve always wondered and imagine it takes years to break down those shells. Love it! Love reuse! ♻️

[theck]

Love this… thank you for covering this important issue.

[guest]

Of all nuts, those are said to be the angriest. They're pist'.

[TasteTheRambo]

"40, 000 years of agricultural science and we've barely tapped the vastness of soil retention potential." -The Green Thumb Goblin

[RandyZimmerman-ppwj]

I love your calm trying to save the farm and the world by accident

[thatguychris]

As a colliar of 25+ years, I will tell you:
Biochar is NOT the fancy name for charcoal!
- Charcoal is raw carbon nuggets.
- Biochar is charcoal that absorbed nutrients, water and microbiology to create a living sponge that benefits root systems, soil biology, and anti compaction.

It's like saying a Ferrari is a fancy name for a Toyota lol

Now go a step further, create terra preta by adding terracotta pieces and manure in a pit. The fertility will outlast our lifetime (search Amazonian terra preta).

[colleenpeterson]

Very interesting, clearly explained. Thanks!

[DoItYourselfGardening]

I focus in the worm poo side of this and feel it also is a great way to do the same process.. I have a lot of work to do but the ability of worm castings whether they’re dry or even wet already to absorb water and retain it even under stress is amazing to me and these along with fruit peels and bio polymer type stuff is very cool.. can’t wait to see how much better it all gets day by day!!!

[yolo_burrito]

There was a company making a product that was biochar put under chicken coops then sold as natural turf fertilizer. It was fantastic

[etx]

Ive been doing this with my trees for years. I was called crazy but now look 😅 i must still be crazy 😂

[suzyq]

Very interesting, there is so much more to discover out there.

[skygh]

I assumed someone had already come up with that machine. I had clay soil brought in with no organic material I had aerated which I followed by raking in sawdust to replace the plugs all the while imagining a machine that would fill the holes with something organic and again I am late to the party. Bio char seems to be a game changer