Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
through the awareness of the sensory world, and the manner in which this spiritual world acts
and appears, was described by Steiner in many topics and lectures. Two central works are
Steiner (1997) and Steiner (1999). The biodynamic farming system was founded in June 1924,
when Steiner met with about 60 farmers in Koberwitz near Wroclaw (Poland) and gave eight
lectures about a modern agriculture based on spiritual science (Steiner 2004). Today these
eight lectures still form the essential and formative basis of biodynamic farming, with much
practical and scientific experience during the past 80 years having more closely defined and
evolved many aspects of this foundation. Steiner gave these lectures at the request of farmers
who were involved in the development of anthroposophy, and when he gave the Koberwitz
lectures, in agreement with his listeners, he based his deliberations on previous lectures.
Research - what are the main questions faced by biodynamic
farmers and researchers?
Biodynamic research is often associated with research on the preparations and cosmic inf lu-
ences (Kirchmann 1994, Trevawas 2004). In the early days, much scientific attention was
indeed given to the preparations (Koepf 1993, Goldstein 2000, IBDF 2003). Many attempts
have been made to provide evidence for the effect of the preparations on soil parameters (e.g.
Bachinger 1995, Carpenter-Boggs
et al
. 2000, Mäder
et al
. 2002), plant development (Koppenol
1999), root growth intensity (Figure 1) (König 2002) and food quality (IBDF 2003). Results
vary widely (Koepf 1993, Goldstein 2000). However, most of the studies assess the overall
impact of the biodynamic method, of which the use of the preparations is but one part.
Some studies, including more prominent ones (Reganold
et al
. 1993, Mäder
et al
. 2002),
have repeatedly shown a clearly positive impact of the biodynamic method on soil structure,
enzyme activities, CO
2
exchange and earthworm populations (Koepf 1993, Goldstein 2000).
However, there are also studies that were not able to show such results (Carpenter-Boggs
et al
.
2000). With regard to plant development, the aim is to achieve a compensating, stabilising
effect that levels out extremes (Steiner 2004), and these effects have repeatedly been observed
(Koepf 1993, Raupp and König 1996, Koppenol 1999). The impact of cosmic rhythms on plant
growth has been verified many times (Kolisko and Kolisko 1939, Spiess 1990ab, Goldstein and
Barber 2000, Spiess 2000, Zürcher 2001, Thun and Thun 2004); however, no conclusive expla-
nation of the reasons for the variation in the results has yet been produced (see also Spiess,
1990ab, Kollerstrom and Staudenmaier 2001).
Essential research focuses on plant breeding (Müller
et al
. 2000, Henatsch 2002, Lammerts
van Bueren 2002, ABDP 2003), appropriate breeding objectives for livestock (Baars
et al
. 2003),
the veterinary treatment of livestock (Walkenhorst
et al
. 2004), ruminant feeding with low
concentrate inputs, food quality and food quality evaluation methods (Selawry and Selawry
1957, Balzer-Graf 1987, Strube and Stolz 2000).
It is necessary to drive forward research on the effectiveness of the biodynamic prepara-
tions in order to provide sound practical recommendations for the frequency and timing of
their use. However, discussions are required to decide whether it makes sense to assess the
effect of individual biodynamic practices in isolation from the overall method, as these prac-
tices were proposed as part of a comprehensive farming system (Steiner 2004), the impulse of
which is based, in particular, on a holistic understanding of agricultural processes. A complex,
holistic, systemic form of science would be appropriate to biodynamic farming (Baars 2002),
but has not yet been realised (Lockeretz 2000). It is unclear what would constitute holistic
research. Phenomenological descriptions of the overall context are without doubt a key element
that has been developed in much detail in the context of anthroposophic research over the past
80 years (Bockemühl 1992). However, does holistic research mean that the approach to every
