Re: Mustard meal seed treatment

From: Elaine Ingham (Soilfoodweb@AOL.COM)
Date: Thu Jan 16 2003 - 12:13:27 EST


LFL's idea of adding the plant materials that contain substances that
suppress the germination of seeds is much less problematical for me. When
toxic materials are added WITH foods for the organisms, there is much less
negative impact on the beneficial biology.

Arden Anderson has done some work on this with us. If you have to put
inorganic fertilizers in, add them WITH some organic matter to help the
bacteria and fungi out. The negative impact on the organisms is
significantly less. Sorry, not aware of published papers on this one, just
observation so far. Needs to be documented with fully scientific studies,
but it would be easy (?) for a graduate student to take this one on as their
master's research.

And if you are aware that you are possibly reducing the populations of
beneficials, you can always add the beneficials back after they are impacted.
 That's the nice thing about inocula that you can buy, whether it's inocula
in a jug, or as compost, or compost tea. Your choice on how to add back.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com


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