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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Dear Dr AD<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Do you think it is possible that the effect you have created/noted with sugar fertilisation feeding bacteria that release more from the local rock/host materials could be the same reason the biofilms are apparently increasing yields, in at least some soils?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Paul’s description below bear certain similarities to the effect of making locally sequestered fertilisers available via the medium of bacterial hosting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Thanks<br>Crispin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>++++++++</span></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Josh,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>What you say here about biofilm is quite important. Ron Leng and Reg Preston have studied extensively the formation of biofilm in the rumen of a cow, and they see biofilm as essential in understanding how biochar works. Biochar provides surface area and pore structure for the formation of biofilm. Biochar also provides surface area and pore structure for the growth of AM fungi, and these fungi secrete large quantities of glomalin into the the soil. So a healthy soil has both biofilm and glomalin. So the effect of biochar goes far beyond its immediate physical properties. Have you studied how biofilm and glomalin might interact?<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>Paul<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>