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Re: Artificial Fertilizers

brateaver@aol.com (BRateaver) wrote:

>I don't see that an old writing is bad just because old. It may still be
>true today, as is true of the Bible--thousands of years old.

>In U classes it was emphasized that Liebig was the one who started the
>whole chemical fertilizer idea and the idea spread that it is the NPK that
>matters, and indeed sacks of chemical "fertiizers" always specify the NPK,
>never anything else that may be in the material.

>Anyway, no matter how it is twisted, the fact remains that since WW2,
>especially, the use of chemicals in soil has burgeoned, and the soil has
>been largely killed, and it has become harder and harder each decade, and
>more and more chemicals are being used on the land to get the same crop as
>before--it takes more all the time.

Where do you live ??  And what are you selling ?  Trendline yields
continue to increase in  America's Plains and Nh3 fertilizer rates
(and  recomendations) for example have been reduced from 1.4#'s/bu in
many cases, to 1#/per bushel.  Just because a substance is synthetic
does not make it more toxic or carconogenic than the naturally
occurring alternative.  Many times the inverse is true.  Some
practices Crop rotations, banding, etc. are beneficial and reduce the
dependance on some chemicals .  Yet for most producers on an economic
scale, some  Herbicides and pesticides are neccessary and less harmful
to the productivity of the soil than the alternatives of massive
amounts of tillage.  (topsoil erosion).  The focus of the most recent
decades has been on the toxicity of synthetic inputs thus the cancer
scare tactics of the organic movement.  Only recently have we begun to
put these in context with our daily exposure to naturally occuring
toxins (far more toxic) that occur  in our environments .  The plant
doesn't care if it's N requirements come from Nh3 (less likely to
leach) or Cow manure.  It just uses the N to make food Period.

>With organic materials added to soil, the soil is constantly being
>enriched, with not only the soil organisms, but the organic matter with
>which they deal.  
Define Organic.  What materials ?  All organic?  (often just a pricey
label anyway).

So much retoric where is the documentation (not theories).

>No one can possibly say that chemical fertilizers improve soil. 
Soil what?  structure? NO,  Productivity? at times yes.  We need to be
good managers (stewards).  Sometimes that includes synthetic Chemicals
and Fertilizers used in a responsible manner.  Sometimes that includes
tillage.  Sometimes that means Organic or Natural or Biological
inputs.  
>No one can possibly say that chemical fertilizers improve soil. 
No nor do "organic" inputs  only Organic matter,  (residue)  the
higher the yields the less tillage the more residue.



Lyle VonSpreckelsen
"Agricultural Field Technician" (Farmer)
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