Overview
The Amazon rainforest’s Terra Preta is a charcoal-rich soil that’s been used for agriculture for thousands of years. This dark-colored, nutrient-rich soil is highly fertile and can support crops like papaya and mango.
How it’s made
- Indigenous peoples of the Amazon mixed charcoal with animal bones, organic matter, and broken pottery
- They incorporated the mixture into small plots of land
Benefits
- The charcoal’s pores hold nutrients and improve soil structure
- The charcoal’s compounds help organic matter latch onto the soil, retaining moisture and nutrients
- The soil is less prone to nutrient leaching
- The soil can regenerate itself
Examples of Terra Preta
- Terra Preta soils can be found in patches in the Amazon Basin, including in Brazil
- Even today, cash crops like papaya and mango can grow three times faster on Terra Preta than on surrounding soils
Terra Preta today
Terra Preta is still highly fertile today, even with little or no application of fertilizers.
Related terms
- Biochar: A charcoal-rich soil amendment that can improve soil structure and fertility
- Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs): Soils with high concentrations of microscopic charcoal particles