Questions About Organic Produc

Posted on December 31, 2011 by agronomyman

Interesting piece on the globalisation of organic good production. The premise being how green can it be to transport food across the globe. Certainly makes you think.

I grow my own veg on my allotment, and I consider its grown organically. Not organic as described by the taliban, sorry the organic lobby.
I use as few chemicals as possible. I use FYM but that’s not ‘organic’ as the straw will have had pesticides applied, and the cattle may have received medicines.

Oh yes, i try not to use chemicals, but I don’t have time to cut slugs in half with scissors so I use pellets. Rates as appropriate of course.

Transporting French beans from Africa onto Europe by jumbo jets doesn’t sound too organic to me.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/science/earth/questions-about-organic-produce-and-sustainability.xml

Getting the dirt on soil testing

Posted on December 30, 2011 by agronomyman

Although its a US article the fundamentals are the same for UK agriculture.

http://www.timescolonist.com/touch/story.html?id=5783823

Current farming practices may threaten future corn crop.

Posted on December 30, 2011 by agronomyman

Interesting piece suggesting that poor farming techniques may be restricting the effectiveness of (GM) BT-CORN.
As I have said before GM is not the answer, it is one small part of the answer, depending what the question is of course.
We still must use the good husbandry techniques developed over time – rotations, soil management, varieties (inc GM at times) and yes pesticides.

Using new technologies is not the be all and end all, we should still be farming in fairly traditional ways but utilizing new methods and innovations.

http://www.hoganwalker.com/news/?p=552736&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=hoganwalker

Fundamentals in Soil Science | Soil Science Society of America

Posted on December 30, 2011 by agronomyman

An on-line course into the fundamentals of soil science.
I have no idea how good the course is, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t be very good.
It may be interesting for those who wish to learn more about the soil in which we farm.

https://www.soils.org/education/fundamentals-soils

Soil fauna alive with no-till farming

Posted on December 30, 2011 by agronomyman

nhttp://m.farmandranchguide.com/mobile/news/special_section/clapperton-soil-fauna-alive-with-no-till-farming/article_3f380c88-3248-11e1-a065-001871e3ce6c.html

American report on how no till approach affects soil life. A fairly Important aspect of agriculture as I am sure we all agree.

It’s the soil life, or soil critters as the article marvelously describes them, all help to break down OM onto plant food and water holding capacity of the soil.

Again its worth reading….