Author RSSHow Do Farmers Observe the Health of their Soil and What Tools do they Use? PART A
Farmers know that soil health is critical to their success. They thus learn to observe nature keenly and to use their observations for refining their farm management practices. Written records are important tools and the farmer should use them to keep tra...
Why Buffer Weedicides and How Do You Do It?
Weeds are considered significant threats to natural ecosystems. To the farmer, weeds are also a major threat to farm economics. Weeds interfere with crop growth, choke pastures and may even harm farm animals. Being plants themselves, they compete with cro...
Organic Yields Are Better Than Conventional, Including GM Crops
There are many claims being bruited about that organic farming yields can never produce enough to meet the food demands of the growing global population. This is a myth.
At the turn of the century, a New Scientist editorial declared that organic farmin...
Why Higher Brix Readings in Forage Makes Animal Raising More Profitable?
The Brix reading on a plant is an indication of its nutrient content. Whilst the reading is often considered as the sugar content in that part of the plant being tested, it actually refers to the total amount of soluble solids, that is, sugars along with ...
The Detrimental Effects of Chemicals on Soil Fungi
Fungi and bacteria in the soil are the primary recyclers of nutrients in the soil. Whilst bacteria are much more numerous, fungi provide greater biomass because they are relatively bigger. Fungi may be responsible for greater amounts of nutrient retention...
The Importance of Carbon in the Soil and How it Gets Stored
Soil organic carbon, which makes up about 60% of the soil organic matter on average, has beneficial effects on many physical, chemical and biological functions of soil quality. It helps support the productivity and diversity of all living organisms in the...
If You Are Using Chemical Fertilizers, How do these Affect Brix Meters results?
People today are more conscious about the nutrition content of the foods they eat. Farmers who are able to provide highly nutritious food will receive premium prices and have many repeat customers.
Farmers can have food labs test for the nutrition cont...
How Do Plants Get Nutrients in the Soil in a Conventional Farming System?
Plants need an adequate supply of nutrients — particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — to grow well. Ideally, these nutrients should be available in the proper quantity and at the time the plant can use them. This ideal timing, if complied w...
How Do Plants Get Nutrients in the Soil in a Biological Farming System?
Plants take up nutrient elements from the soil through their roots. Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in large amounts; very often, these elements are not available in adequate quantities in the soil. Other essential nutrients such as boron, ...
Soil Testing: A General Overview
It is important for farmers to monitor the health of the soil, which produces the plants from which farmers make their living. One of the critical activities in this regard is periodic soil testing.
Ideally, soil samples for soil testing are done short...
How to find Healthy Soil & Biological Soil Testing
Modern agriculture has placed greater emphasis on the development of sustainable farming systems. This has led to greater interest in farm management practices that promote the biological aspects of soil fertility.
To help farmers in this regard, many ...
How Do You Do A Chemical Soil Test?
Chemical analysis is the most common method used to assess the nutrient content (and nutrient needs) of soil. An accurate determination of nutrient need is possible if two conditions are satisfied: first, that the soil sample is truly representative of th...
How Brix Meters Work!
It is important to monitor regularly the health of the soil as well as the plants that grow on it. Good soil nutrition helps plants resist disease and insect infestation, leading to better ‘keeping’ qualities, nutritional values, and flavour character...
Healthy Soil & Soil Structure Information
Soil physical fertility is determined by its ability to satisfy the essential growth requirements of the crop planted in it. These requirements include storage and supply of water, nutrient elements, and oxygen — all made available to the plant through ...
“Rudolf Steiner” in Relation to Biodynamics
Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, architect, esotericist, educator and social thinker born in the early 1861 and died in the early 1925. Steiner achieved initial acknowledgment as a cultural philosopher and literary reviewer. After the First Wor...