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In this Talking After Hours podcast Kate chats to Professor Stephen Joseph about biochar and its applications in renewable energy and agriculture.
Biochar is the result of thermal decomposition of biomass in an oxygen-starved environment. It can be made from various feedstocks, including grasses, manures, and wood. Different biochars have different effects on soil and plant growth, and their application rates need to be optimized. Biochar can increase yields, improve water holding capacity, and enhance soil health. Biochar has the potential to improve soil health and agricultural productivity. It can be made from various biomass sources, including woody weeds and crop residues. Biochar can be produced in a trench or using a portable pyrolyzer. It can be mixed with manure or compost to enhance its effectiveness. Biochar can improve water holding capacity, nutrient retention, and microbial activity in sandy soils. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leaching of nutrients like phosphorus. Farmers can purchase biochar from suppliers or make their own using DIY methods like the kontiki technique.
Key Takeaways
Biochar is the result of thermal decomposition of biomass in an oxygen-starved environment. Different biochars have different effects on soil and plant growth, and their application rates need to be optimized. Biochar can increase yields, improve water holding capacity, and enhance soil health. Biochar can be made from various feedstocks, including grasses, manures, and wood, woody weeds and crop residues. It can be produced in a trench or using a portable pyrolyzer. Mixing biochar with manure or compost can enhance its effectiveness. Biochar improves water holding capacity, nutrient retention, and microbial activity in sandy soils. It can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leaching of nutrients like phosphorus. Farmers can purchase biochar from suppliers or make their own using DIY methods like the kontiki technique.Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Professor Stephen Joseph and his expertise in renewable energy and biochar
02:31 The journey from working as an engineer to becoming a biochar expert
10:21 Understanding what biochar is and its various applications
14:08 The historical use of biochar by Indigenous peoples and its potential benefits in modern agriculture
17:08 Exploring the use of biochar in combination with solar panels to improve farmland
21:37 The different types of biochar and their effects on soil and plant growth
23:50 Optimizing biochar application rates for maximum benefits
29:53 Introduction to Biochar and its Benefits
34:39 Making Biochar: DIY Options and Considerations
40:31 Impact of Biochar on Soil and Plants
42:38 Biochar in Pasture Scenarios
48:22 Biochar and its Relationship to Humic and Fulvic Acids
50:53 Advantages of Biochar in Sandy Soils
53:24 Purchasing Biochar and Determining Quality
57:45 Conclusion and Resources -
In this episode of Talkin' After Hours we chat to Sam & Steph Hondema of Rosas Ridge based near Margaret River in the South West of Western Australia.
These first generation farmers have been building a successful pasture raised chicken enterprise since 2019, with a vision to supply superior meats, both in nutritional density and rich flavour to their customers table whilst at the same time improving the health of their soils & pasture through regenerative practices
Like all start ups their journey has not been without challenges, particularly when you want to do it differently from the conventional approach - our conversation is a warts and all dive into how they have managed to become the leading suppliers of pasture raised chicken.
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In this month's episode Jo & Kate chat to two southwest WA landcarers who have been very active in working with livestock farmers to get some very handy ecosystem engineers working on their farms. We are talking about Dung Beetles and our local experts are Kathy Dawson from Southern Forests Community Landcare based in Manjimup and Kylie Cook from Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, based in Denmark.
Show notes available via Talkin' After Hours, our online community & information hub.
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In this Talkin After Hours Episode Jo & Kate chat to Fred Provenza, Professor Emeritus, Dept. Wildland Resources, Utah State University.
For the past 30 years, Fred and his team have produced ground-breaking research that has laid the foundation for what is now known as behavior-based management of livestock, wildlife and landscapes. This research led to the creation in 2001 of a consortium of scientists and land managers from five continents called BEHAVE (Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation and Ecosystem management). Fred has authored 3 books Foraging Behavior: Managing to Survive in a World of Change, The Science of Shepherding: Tapping the Wisdom of French Herder, and most recently published a book on his research titled Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom.
Our conversation delves into this fascinating research with a particular focus on the impact of plant diversity on livestock health.
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In this months podcast Jo & Kate chat with Mark Tupman from Productive Ecology on a topic that is absolutely fundamental to agriculture – that of soil function & fertility.
In our conversation we delve into what is actually meant by soil function, why and how it is so critical to soil fertility, and what are the most effective strategies we can implement to build soil fertility.
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In this episode of Talkin’ After Hours Jo & Kate chat to Joel Williams on the hot topic of Nitrogen – how it works in the nutrient cycle and how can we best optimise its use – particularly in grazing systems.
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In this months podcast we chat to agroecologist & partner in rural change management company Soil Land Food, David Hardwick on the hot topic of making your own biofertilisers .David learned the skills of making bugs and brews from the masters at Mas humas and has been passing on that information ever since. In the podcast David shares tips, tricks & recipes to make starter cultures, inoculants, bioferments and biofertilisers.
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Feral Pigs are a major pest across a Australia and are in fact wreaking havoc right here in our backyard in the Lower Blackwood Catchment. Here at the LCDC we’ve been working with the Lower Blackwood Vertebrate Pest Management group for a number of years on controlling the local pig population and are coming into our third year of our State NRM funded project ‘Feral Pig Focus – Protecting the Scott Coastal Plain’.
In this month's Talkin' Podcast we chat to Dr Heather Channon, the National Feral Pig Management Coordinator for the National Feral Pig Action Plan about the plan and how projects like ours fit in with her work on a National Scale.
This podcast is supported by the Western Australian Government's State NRM Program.
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In this episode Jo & Kate talk to Agroecologist Mark Tupman on all things composting for farms - what the options are, how to make them, and how to best utilise the compost on your farm.
This podcast is supported though funding from Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
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In this Talkin’ After Hours Podcast Jo & Kate chat once again to Victorian cropper, seed grower & beef farmer Grant Sims.
Grant has driven farm health and productivity gains on his farm through adhering to a set of principles that have included the use of multi species cover crops, eliminating the use of 'icides' and largely replacing high input synthetic fertilisers with foliar fed biofertilisers.
This is our second podcast with Grant, last time we focused on multispecies cover cropping, this time around we decided to pick his brains on his other passion – and that is driving plant health through nutrition. Listen in, we know you'll enjoy it!
This podcast is supported though funding from Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
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In this Talkin' podcast Jo & Kate chat to Jade Killoran, Victorian independent multispecies cover crop advisor, researcher and founder of Healthy Farming Systems.
Although the Victorian climate is slightly different to ours, it is similar enough that so much of what Jade has researched is very applicable in our environment. In this episode we explore with Jade her research and trial findings and what strategies land managers can use to get diverse & perennial plants established in their annual grazing systems.
This podcast is delivered in partnership with the Lower South West Growers Group and is supported though funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the Augusta Margaret River Shire Environmental Management Fund, and Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
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In this podcast episode Jo & Kate talk with South West farmer Blythe Calnan about her regenerative journey with her partner Greg Hooper - their motivations, the challenges and the opportunities in running 'Runnymede', a commercial regenerative farm.
This podcast is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as part of a collaboration bringing Dr Christine Jones to Western Australia in February 2023.
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In this episode Jo & Kate talk with South West equine agronomist Belinda Taylor on horses, pastures & soil - including how to get more diversity into equine systems and what that means for management of your horse or horses.
This podcast is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as part of a collaboration bringing Dr Christine Jones to Western Australia in February 2023.
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In this Talkin' episode Jo & Kate talk with internationally renowned soils ecologist Dr Christine on the secrets that make healthy soils tick and the soil as a living system - including a dive into the ‘liquid carbon pathway’ – what it is, why we need it, how to help it and how to avoid hindering it.
This podcast is supported by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as part of a collaboration bringing Dr Christine Jones to Western Australia in February 2023.
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In this Talkin' episode we talk to Holistic Grazing expert Dr Judi Earl on the principles of grazing management and how grazing livestock can be used to regenerate their land. This is our second podcast with Judi, we chatted to her last year all about Grass – in fact that podcast is a ‘must listen to’ as a good understanding of how grasses grow and respond to being grazed is key to understanding how livestock can be used to enhance soil health and pasture production.
This podcast is supported by Soil Wise. Soil Wise is funded by the National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants – an Australian Government initiative. It is supported by Healthy Estuaries WA – a State Government program.
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In this Talkin' episode we delve into ‘warts & all’ exploration on the planning, preparation & implementation of a ‘Do it yourself’ Soil Carbon project. Our guests are Jennifer West from Carbon West, founder of Carbon West, an independent carbon services consultancy specialising in soil carbon project research, assessment, and development, and Brett Hazelden, a Lower Blackwood sheep farmer who is undertaking an independent soil carbon project on his Warner Glen property.
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In this podcast episode we chat with New Zealand agroecologist, author & educator, & the perennially effervescent Nicole Masters, on the topic of weeds & their management - not in the conventional way, but through the lens of ecosystem health. In this perspective weeds are not seen as the ‘foe’, nor is there a need to 'wage war’ on them, instead an ecosystems approach seeks to understand what their role is in the system, with the ' why' providing the key to their management in your overall system.
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In this month’s podcast episode we talk to South Australian viticulturist, natural systems thinker, scientist & educator, Dr Mary Retallack.
In 2012 Mary undertook a PhD research study which really challenged the conventions of viticulture by harnessing the power of native insectary plants as a key to managing vineyard pests naturally. Her research, and passion for the topic has culminated in an exciting new project that Mary is spearheading, the National EcoVineyards Program funded by Wine Australia & supported by the Wine Grape Council of South Australia.
Tune in as we take a dive into Mary’s research, the world of native insectaries and why growers are sitting up and listening...
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In this episode of Talkin' After Hours we talk to south west farmer and grass fed beef producer Warren Pensini. Warren is a a 4th generation cattle farmer &, together with his wife Lori, manages ‘Paraway’, a 664 ha property in Boyup Brook.
Warren & Lori’s philosophy is to produce quality food ethically in a manner that has minimal impact and stress on their animals, community and environment, while creating a positive financial outcome for their family. Up until 2018 the Pensini’s sold their beef direct to customer via their beef brand, Blackwood Valley Beef, now they do so in partnership with Wide Open Agriculture and Dirty Clean Food.
Jo & Kate chat to Warren about his most recent venture - a landscape rehydration project he has started in partnership with the Mulloon Institute and Commonland. Warren’s farm is the first of four demonstration sites for Mulloon’s landscape rehydration model in WA and aims to showcase a method to reverse salinity and restore unproductive &/ or degraded land through restoring natural ecosystem function.
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