"Billy" <wildbilly@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> "FarmI" <ask@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
be given> wrote:
>> "Billy" <wildbilly@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message news:wildbilly-
>>
>> As you will see, industrial no-till was introduced
>> > to combat the erosion and loss of top soil. But industrial no-till
>> > relies on expensive chemical inputs of fertilizers and increasing
>> > quantities of chemical remedies to combat pests (vegetative and
insect
>> > problems)
>>
>> I think your post is a bit too broad in it's scope.
>>
>> You might be interested to read up on P.A. Yeomans and his farming
>> methods
>> ie keyline. He was a broadacre farmer who really understood how to
>> conserve
>> and in fact improve his land with some mechanical tillage (of sorts)
>
> Thanks for bringing P. A. Yeomans to my attention. I'll be sure to read
> more
> http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010125yeomans/010125toc.html
>
> How ya going? I trust you're in your usual good mood;o)
>
> In what way did you find my comments too broad? From the quote fro my
> post, I can only presume that you felt that my commenting on in-puts
> was going beyond the discussion of no-till gardening/farming. In truth
> the article, itself, broached this subject, so if there are any
> thra****ng to be meted out, I would direct you to the authors of the
> article. My humble self, am only the messenger.
Since I don't have access to the Scientific American, I can't comment on
how
effective your extrapolation from the article is.
However, it occurs to me that there are more than one way of doing
something
called "no till" when it applies to an industrial (aka farming) situation.
Fukuoka would be one that you would know (although to both of us, his
small
patch of land would be a tad on the small size to be considered a farm,
but
then it is one for Japan). He certainly wasn't into increasing fert. or
pesticide use.
I didn't know if you knew of Yeomans so thought you might be interested.
He
is 'different' in his approach to farming and although his keyline may not
exactly be no till, it is certainly minimal (if that) till. I thought he
would be an example where using a tractor to improve soil fertility and to
minimise use of chemicals may interest you.
> You won't go all narkie on me, will you, if I ask what you see as
> the application of P. A. Yeomans principals to gardening?
Without having read it, would it be about the same as the Scientific
American article?
I figure all research/comment about soil/soil life/biota/plant life etc
etc,
should have some applicability to gardening but how much would depend upon
the reader and their degree of interest. You and I might get excited
about
earthworms and fallen leaves and others might just see them as being a
source of holes in their immaculate lawn or rubbish spoiling the
immacualte
greenness of their lawn.
I really
> haven't read much yet. It seems as if he wanted to address the needs of
> soil organisms, which fits onto organic gardening, and that his
> principle efforts were in acquiring sufficient moisture for the soil.
Yep. That is central to his work and given the situation in Oz (dry and
ancient soils with low humus levels and lacking in phosphates) some of his
work has had dramatic results.
> As I said, I haven't read much yet and I may have horribly misconscrewed
> everything. I would appreciate your take. If you care to give it.
> --
>
> Billy
> Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTfcAyYGg&ref=patrick.net
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo59c7zU&feature=related
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