Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
disease in ruminants, which is fatal. In the 1970s investigations into high rates of
heart disease in the Keshan province of China led to the discovery of the essential
role of Selenium in human nutrition. The sandstone bedrock that had formed the
basis of the soil in Keshan province was found to be completely lacking in
Selenium, and that lack turned out to be the source of the ongoing epidemic heart
disease. Prior to this discovery, Selenium was considered a toxin, which it can be
in concentrations greater than a few parts per million.
Adding Selenium to the soils of Keshan province produced a dramatic decline in
heart disease. The country of Finland, which also had very high rates of heart
disease, turned out to also be Selenium deficient, and reportedly all of the
agricultural land in Finland was subsequently amended with Selenium.
The so-called locoweed of theAmerican West is a member of the pea family that,
when growing on high-Selenium soil, concentrates enough Selenium to be toxic to
animals grazing on it.
Cobalt
is an essential mineral that is only needed in minute quantities. Ruminant
animals such as cattle and sheep produce vitamin B-12 in their digestive system
when Cobalt is available in their forage. Without Cobalt they are subject to
hookworm, bacterial infections, brucellosis, and neurological diseases. This
connection was first made in cattle on Cobalt deficient pastures in Florida, USA,
during the 1930s and has since been found to be a problem in many areas of the
world ranging from Russia to New Zealand.As little as two ounces of Cobalt per
acre can alleviate the deficiency.
Molybdenum
:All of the known Nitrogen-fixing bacteria require Molybdenum as a
catalyst, both the free-living types and those such as rhizobia that form nodules on
the roots of legumes. No Molybdenum, no Nitrogen fixation in the soil. Only
vanishingly small quantities of Molybdenum are needed.
We recommend wherever possible that natural sources of multiple trace minerals
be used, in addition to whatever primary and secondary minerals have been found
lacking on the soil test. Kelp and sea salt, as well as ancient sea bed deposits,
have the widest range of trace minerals to be found anywhere. Regular ocean salt
contains at least 80 different minerals.
Sea salt and Mineral Salts
Many people are fearful of using
sea salt
on their gardens or fields. This fear may
go back to the ancient story of the Romans salting the fields of Carthage after the
Carthaginians were defeated. Whether there is any truth to that tale, who knows,
and who knows what type of “salt” was used? While it is true that high
concentrations of Sodium are harmful to plant and soil life, many inland soils are
Sodium deficient, especially in high rainfall areas.After the deadly tsunamis that
washed over the shores of the Indian Ocean in 2004, many expected the
inundated farmlands to be harmed, but all the reports this writer has seen indicate
