The argument for encouraging biochar use as a ubiquitous household practice is compelling: Improved garden soil will increase food production where it has the most impact on energy demand. Implementing charcoal manufacture at a household level draws in a supply of yard prunings and workbench scraps that otherwise would be lost to non-charcoal alternatives. Unfortunately, finding even the most basic information on how to implement biochar use as a personal sustainability practice is discouragingly time consuming. In response I have started up a FAQ

Plant disease is a huge and complex subject. This section deals with the principles of disease control, the many different kinds of plant and soil diseases, the characteristics and symptoms of disease, the various ways of preventing and/or treating plant disease and soil disease, the characteristics of the various fungicides and bactericides, the problems with the use of these materials plus an assortment of related issues.

Gardening based on ecological knowledge has a returning theme: 'feed the soil'. Once you have a soil that is rich in organic matter, contains a lot of micro- and macro-organisms, and is neither too wet nor too dry, nursing plants becomes easy. This document deals with improving and maintaining the soil quality of the home garden. Having read this information, you might start associating the concept of an ecosystem with a hand full of soil.

One-page primer on soil texture and soil microorganisms for the gardener. One of several soil articles from ibiblio.org.

"Teaming with Microbes", by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. Foreword by Elaine Ingham. Strong soil science orientation. Well organized. Extensive index. Valuable guide to labs and suppliers. Looking forward to actually reading it.

Peak Energy has a long post on Terra Preta that brings together what has been established on the subject. As of yet, there is no direct mention of the role of glomalin , just a minor mention of the mutualistic fungi that produce it. Glomalin is an unvalidated factor in Terra Preta formation that several of us sense will be demonstrated by soil research as fundamentally important. Spurred on by back40, I am fascinated with bio-char, Terra Preta's key soil amendment. Last summer I constructed a small charcoal retort out of a cracker tin. I used it to produce small pilot batches of low temperature charcoal. Hoping to transform my simple charcoal into a reasonably bio-char-like material, I am currently composting my bits.