Brisk discussion on this topic and I'm grateful for the insights. I am
familiar with Masanobu Fukuoka's work, but it seems a little impractical to
flood our central valley or the plains for that matter, in order to control
weeds. An abstraction of his work is useful, however, in this discussion.
While were looking afar, could the work of Dr. Teruo Higa at U of the
Ryukyus be applicable in this forum?
Does it seem sensible that a different method of smothering could be
employed that would be economically feasible? Could a large scale sheet
type composting operation build and protect vital topsoil while providing
all of the benefits of composting...ad nauseum. Could this work?, and if it
could what would be the impact on ground water in an aquifer? In a sort of
shallow Utopian sense, it would sure be nice to solve the problem of unused
organic nutrients at the same time as controlling weeds.
I do believe that we should look at allelopathy a little more closely. Yes
it is true that Juglone from the Walnut Tree is a very effective herbicide
and insecticide. Certainly the tannins released by leaf litter in
Eucalyptus species is another example of very effective ( and not EPA
approved ) substances that may actually be more toxic than Phenoxies. I am
still skeptical about the use of these materials even in light of the great
work being done on Steve Groff's operation. Prophylactic use of heribicdes
is what I find distasteful and Dangerous (in the case of Atrizine). This
however is not my main concern when it comes to pesticide use in No-Till
systems.
Our biology is much more closely linked to insects and microbial vectors
than plant pests. It is the insecticieds and fungicides that really concern
me in terms of residues. Inerts or actives, they are dangerous and I am not
familiar with persistence, but that doesn't mean they aren't persistent.
Recently there was some discussion about greenhouse gasses. Carbon
sequestration seems to be one of the other real benefits of No-Till. Not
just for the ozone layer, but for increased plant vigor as well. I am
curious to know if under these no till systems, is carbon the filtration
device employed to detoxify chemical residues?
Thank you in advance for your participation on this topic. I am
particularly interested in seeing if anyone has a model for the nutrient
management/ sheet composting end of this.
Don
Donald W. Trotter Ph.D.
Organic Resources, Inc.
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) " it just sounds illegal"
>
>>>A True Story:
>>>A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater
>>>Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how
>>>conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and
>>>spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he
>>>urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total
>>>elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide."
>>>
>>>And for plenty of good reasons, since:
>>>
>>> 1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting
>>> 2. it is a major component in acid rain
>>> 3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
>>> 4. accidental inhalation can kill you
>>> 5. it contributes to erosion
>>> 6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
>>> 7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients
>>>
>>>He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. Forty-three
>>>said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical
>>>was water.
>>>
>>>The title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?"
>>>He feels the conclusion is obvious.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --------------54D5290410D3--
>>
>>
>
Donald Trotter
The Organic Resource Centre
295 Neptune Ave.
Encinitas, CA. 92024
curly@mill.net
fax- 760.632.8175
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