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Pesticides
Pesticides
In an analysis of over 2,800 separate “tested parameters changes in specific endpoints following exposure of a specific organism to a specific pesticide were examined. They looked at the effects of pesticides on non-target invertebrates that have egg, larval, or immature development in the soil. This review encompasses 275 unique species, taxa or combined taxa of soil organisms We found that 70.5% of tested parameters showed negative effects, whereas 1.4% and 28.1% of tested parameters showed positive or no significant effects from pesticide exposure, respectively."
Pesticides are causing widespread damage to the tiny creatures that keep soils healthy and underpin all life on land, according to the first comprehensive review of the issue. The researchers found "the measured impacts of farm chemicals on earthworms, beetles, springtails and other organisms were overwhelmingly negative. Other scientists said the findings were alarming, given the importance of these “unsung heroes”. The analysis warned that soil organisms are rarely considered when assessing the environmental impact of pesticides. The US, for example, only tests chemicals on honey bees, which may never come into contact with soil, an approach described as “crazy”. A UN report published in December found that the future looked “bleak” for soils without urgent action to halt degradation, given that it takes thousands of years for new soils to form. Soils are thought to contain nearly a quarter of all the planet’s biodiversity.
EFSA looked at Microbial organisms and pesticides in over 270 terrestrial lots and "confirms on one hand the complexity of microbial parameters in terrestrial and aquatic environments, on the other the importance of considering carefully microbial features in the risk assessment of pesticides. In this context, the adoption of a macro-categorization of microbial responses (biomass, activity and structure) can be useful for handling complex data and to identify patterns that can be potentially used for the goal of protecting microorganisms from potential adverse effects of pesticides.
'Pesticides cost double what they yield "pesticide producers cost the EU €2.3bn in subsidies. At the same time, the sector makes about €900m in profits, and the study argues this is not an efficient way of spending agricultural funds."
"We need to think about more complex systems, not just reducing pesticides, but moving more into a polyculture system — managing things in a more regenerative way.”
“I think that a lot of the problems with extractive agriculture have the potential to be reversed by changing to a regenerative farming system,” says Durkin. “But, this can only be realized if regenerative agriculture is looked at as a landscape management exercise that aims to increase local biodiversity, increase soil fertility, empower local communities, and fundamentally try to farm in nature’s form.”
Group of CA organic farmers are "switching to no-till on mechanized organic farms—and particularly in organic vegetable cropping systems—that has long been considered the holy grail, and practically impossible to achieve".
Liming
Liming
Liming pasture in autumn
"Raising the soil’s pH to its optimum by liming will not only increase its ability to release nutrients to the growing crop, but it will also optimise conditions for the soil’s biology and health."
Law of the Maximum
Law of the Maximum
André Voisin, a member of de l’Academie d’Agriculture de France, distilled his years of research into the Law of the Maximum. This law states that if you put on too much of a given nutrient, it is going to tie up something else that is needed. He found that if you put on too much potassium, it ties up boron. If you put on too much phosphorus, it ties up zinc and possibly copper. If you put on too much nitrogen, it ties up copper and sometimes some of the other elements, even zinc. If you put on too much calcium, it could tie up all the other nutrients, depending on their level of availability.
Fertilisers
Fertilisers
Old Kale Marx spotted the role of soils as he lived through the age of ‘Guano Imperialism’. The US took over 94 islands for the ‘crop’. Marx was matey with the German scientist Liebig. Guano - ie ‘bird shit’ was being bought in from remote islands to keep lands fertile. Once UK did it others moved in - esp USA. It wasnt till Liebig mates - eg Lawes (who set up Rothamsted) in England developed artificial fertilisers was this dependency broken. Liebig Marx and th depletion f soil Fertility: Relevance for today’s agriculture. While fertilisers feedin the people not too many concerns, but now their nitrogen is one of main contributors to global warming and pollution. Also reduce biodiversity..
Prices
Fertilser prices to go up. 80% costs of nitrogen fertiliser - like ammonia - production due to natural gas prices, which have soared. "It gets worse. There are now also significant price increases in other principal mineral fertilisers such as phosphate and potash, along with sulphur. Europe imports most of those raw materials, along with an increasing proportion of its natural gas. Foreign producers, though, have been limiting exports this year to support their domestic agriculture "
Phosphate is a finite resource, and much in this country comes from Belarus and Syria, both affected by war. Prices have gone up 130% in a year.
EFRA Select Committee on Soill Health
Evidence on Pesticide & Fertiliser effects
EIP p136 Pesticides and soil invertebrates "The link between pesticide use and biodiversity loss is complex, but there is growing evidence that pesticides have the potential to impact non-target species such as pollinators and soil-dwelling invertebrates, which provide essential services to farmers and growers and are crucial for a thriving natural environment. "
Phosphates
Phosphates
P fertiliser is vital for the energy process of plants - ATP in mitochondria. 3/4 of phosphate (P) fertilisers are quickly aDsorbed by clay. Phosphate is a negative ion PO4-- which is attracted to Ca++ in chalk and FE++/+ & AL+++.
Other phosphate, from dung (eg poultry) is held in organic molecules, which need to be 'mineralised' to release as soluble and available for plants.
Because so much P is held, farmers add more to reach plants, causing more P to leach and runoff.
Bacteria that 'solubise' phosphates work better in aerobic conditions, than anaerobic - with compaction & flooding. Check out RePhoKUs
Phosphate Paradox 1hr + video of Dr Christine Jones
Nutrient Neutrality. Some housing developments attract NN where phosphate reduction required to neutralise phosphate. May go
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