Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
are not replaced. In effect, this is mining the soil.Amine is only a paying
proposition as long as the mineral being mined lasts.
Many agricultural soils worldwide have been abused over the last few thousand
years. The plains of NorthAfrica that once were the breadbasket of the Roman
Empire are now desertswhere even goats can barely survive. This situation has
not improved since soluble NPK fertilizers were introduced in the 1800s.
The following two paragraphs from the end of chapter 1 are copied here because
they bear repeating:
If we look at agricultural soils from a nutritional standpoint, they are much more
than an anchor for the roots, a base to keep the crops from falling over. Each crop
harvested and taken away depletes the soil's store of essential nutrient minerals. If
the minerals are not replaced, we eventually reach a point where there are not
enough left to grow a healthy crop with the ability to mature seeds for the next
generation. Long before this point is reached, the nutrient density of the crop for
human and animal food has suffered. Much of our arable land worldwide is
producing empty calories, mostly carbohydrates made from the atmospheric
elements Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. The solution, the only solution (barring
the ability of plants or soil organisms to transmute elements alchemically), is to
supply these needed minerals from a source where they are abundant. That
source should ideally be located as close as possible to where the minerals are
needed in order to minimize transportation costs. It makes no sense to ship ground
limestone across the country when every state in the USAhas limestone deposits,
but when it comes to rare elements like Selenium or Boron which are only found in
concentrated form a few places in the world, the transport costs are justified.
Mining of the needed minerals need not entail long-term environmental damage
either. Mines and quarries can be carefully worked by those who care about their
home planet, and when the mines are depleted they can be landscaped and
planted to be as or more beautiful than before mining. It's also worth noting that
manyof the economically viable sourcesfor agricultural minerals contain such high
concentrations of these minerals that they are toxic to soil life and little or nothing
grows there. Removing these toxic concentrations and using them to make other
parts of the planet healthier and more productive can, at the same time, open up
these formerly toxic soils to the growth of forest or grasslands. None of this should
be done on the basis of greed or short-term gain, but rather wisely, intelligently,
and in harmony with Nature.
Beneficial Bacteria and Fungi
BSOs: Beneficial Soil Organisms
We recommend and use beneficial soil fungi and bacteria for the same reason that
bakers use bread yeast, champagne makers use champagne yeast, brewers use
beer yeast, yogurt makers use yogurt starter, and cheese makers use the culture
