Activating Biochar Activate your Biochar by using BiotaMax tm, a soil probiotic. BiotaMax tm contains beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi.
The Use of BiotaMax tm, by Custom Biologicals, to Activate Biochar. What is Biochar? Biochar is simply the carbonization of biomass, essentially charcoal. Heating biomass from vegetable and animal waste with little or no oxygen at a suitable temperature produces Biochar. When used as a soil amendment, Biochar improves soil function by holding carbon, making soils more fertile, and providing a permanent habitat for soil microorganisms. The use of Biochar will increase crop yields and improve soil fertility for the long run not just for one season. Biochar remains in the soil and a single application can provide benefits for years. Many years of research has shown that Biochar stimulates a wide variety of beneficial soil microorganisms. The pores in the Biochar provide a habitat for the microorganisms by protecting them from drying and providing them with a long-term carbon source. A carbon source is essential for bacteria and fungi to thrive and multiply. What is BiotaMax tm? BiotaMax tm is an all natural, soil probiotic. BiotaMax contains beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi found in healthy, productive soil that helps you grow bigger and healthier plants. BiotaMax contains six species of beneficial bacteria and four species of beneficial fungi. Combined these beneficial soil microorganisms will help you grow bigger, healthier plants while using less traditional fertilizers. The use of BiotaMax will: Increase Root Mass Increase Plant Hormones Replace Beneficial Microorganisms lost to chemicals, flood, frost, drought, or soil erosion. Restores Biota Balance Degrade Organic material and make those nutrients available for the plant. Reverse Root Oxidation 2
Why Biochar Needs to be Activated? To get the most benefit from Biochar it needs to be activated or charged with microorganisms and nutrients. Biochar has unique qualities that provide an ideal habitat for beneficial soil microorganisms. Specifically, Biochar s high porosity, cation exchange capacity, and chemical composition quickly provide a permanent microhabitat for the essential, beneficial, soil microorganisms. When raw Biochar is added to the soil without activation, a flow of microorganisms and nutrients will take place from the soil to the Biochar. This process has the immediate effect of robbing the soil of these critical components at least temporarily. The charging of Biochar from soil microorganisms may take anywhere from 3 months to one year (or longer) depending on the presence and concentrations of the indigenous microorganisms. During this activation period, soils will be deficient of the beneficial soil microorganisms and crop yields will be reduced. On the other hand, when Biochar is activated with BiotaMax before being added to the soil, the beneficial microorganisms are transmitted immediately from Biochar to the soil. The beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi in Biotamax immediately start to improve the soil, resulting in bigger, healthier roots and more productive crops. 3
Why Can t I Activate with Compost? It s true that Biochar is generally charged with compost but this process has several distinct disadvantages: The compost may not be of good quality or be well balanced bad compost may do more harm than good! Some composts do not contain all the necessary microorganisms. Manure used to charge Biochar may contain antibiotics, insecticides, fungicides, or worse manure may contain pathogenic (disease causing) microorganisms. It takes 2-4 weeks before the microorganisms in the compost colonize the Biochar. This results in unnecessary delays in applying your Biochar. Biochar quality will vary with each application depending on the type and quality of compost. The best way to avoid the disadvantages of activating your BIochar with compost and improve its activation is to use BiotaMax. BiotaMax has been specifically formulated to activate your BIochar with essential soil bacteria and soil fungi needed to make Biochar effective from the beginning day one! BiotaMax contains specifically selected, highly concentrated microorganisms that are found in healthy soils worldwide. BiotaMax contains only safe, naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. BiotaMax is also composting friendly. Composting experts will find that the use of BiotaMax will degrade organic matter more rapidly, reducing composting time and insuring that the final result is well balanced and contains all the necessary soil microorganisms. Biotamax contains: Bacterial Species: Bacillus subtilis Bacillus laterosporus Bacillus licheniformus Bacillus megaterium Bacillus pumilus Paenibacillus polymyxa Fungal Species: Trichoderma harzianum Trichoderma viride Trichoderma koningii Trichoderma polysporum BiotaMax comes in an easy to use, effervescent tablet that quickly dissolves in water. One small Biotamax tablet (about the size of a US quarter) can activate enough Biochar to cover 1000 square meters. The use of BiotaMax can eliminate the need to activate Biochar by compost thereby speeding up the use of your Biochar. 4
The Advantages of Activating Biochar with BiotaMax tm. Activating Biochar with BiotaMax has a number of advantages: BiotaMax contains beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi needed by plants to grow healthier root systems. Biochar activated with BiotaMax goes to work IMMEDIATELY improving the condition of the soil. To be most effective, Biochar needs to be activated. Compost is too slow and produces very inconsistent results. BiotaMax can be applied, safely and easily, to Biochar in a matter of minutes there is no need to wait for compost to mature. BiotaMax comes in a highly concentrated, easy to handle, effervescent tablet. One BiotaMax tablet can charge enough Biochar to treat 1000 square meters or ¼ acre. 5
Instructions for Activating Biochar with BiotaMax First let a tablet of BiotaMax dissolved in, at least, six litres of water. The tablet will dissolve itself in 3 minutes. Stir the contents to mix evenly. After Biochar has been ground to its proper size spray evenly the pile of biochar with BiotaMax dissolved in the required volume of water; Then let it soak for a few minutes. Turn the pile of Biochar with a shovel, spray again and let it soak. Repeat operations until the whole pile of Biochar has been in contact with BiotaMax. Custom BIologicals, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL, USA (561) 797-3008 Bill@CustomBio.biz www.living-soils.com