Terra Preta do Indio means "Indian Black Earth" in Portuguese (in Brazil Indian is a term frequently used where in the US we would say Native American) and is a remnant of indigenous agricultural practices of the Amazon region. They are often also referred to as Amazonian Dark Earths(ADE). It is generally a highly fertile and dark soil that is prized by Amazonian farmers whereas most native upland soils of the Amazon are highly weathered, nutrient poor red or yellow clays and easily exhausted by even brief bouts of agriculture.
ADE are a somewhat magical combination of charred vegetable remains, bones and pottery shards. I say magical b/c nobody has been able to figure EXACTLY what made them this way or how to reproduce them effectively.
Follow me over the jump to find out how these ADE could save humanity from itself...
continued at Daily Kos....
