[Terrapreta] No till faming

[MFH]

Bear in mind that "weeds are spectacularly successful plants, for which we
haven't yet found an economic use".

 

And, apropos of weeds and Roundup: Before Roundup, coconut and cocoa
plantations in PNG controlled grasses and weeds by labourers using a sarrif
(a spring steel blade a metre long and 25mm wide) to slash growth by hand,
with a "mark" of 0.8 acre per man per day. When their mark was finished they
could go home. So the grass and the weeds grew, and every 2 months they were
slashed back. All the cut material fell where it may, adding to the mulch
layer. The deep roots of some of the "weeds" continued to draw nutrients
from lower soil levels, and the slashed material gradually broke down and
added the nutrients to the topsoil. Most tropical plants are surface feeders
without tap roots.

 

Whizz bang. Roundup appeared. Only way to apply in almost any cocoa
plantation site was with labour and knapsacks, which meant having pumps and
enough water to fill tankers, tractor these to open-topped 200 litre drums
in the field, pump into the drums, add the Roundup, provide buckets to fill
the knapsacks, provide another tractor and trailer to move the drums to the
next site for tomorrow, and then pray that is doesn't rain because Roundup
needs at least 3 hours to be translocated, a somewhat great hope in an area
with 3m annual rainfall. And a labourer with a knapsack couldn't cover much
more in a day than the lad with a sarrif.

 

And if their "mark" was 3 x 200l drums per day, it didn't take too long for
the brightest to learn that a drum "accidentally" tipped over saved a whole
lot of work.

 

So there was an exponential increase in logistics, mechanical stuff, fuel,
and wear and tear. And careless management led to illness and even deaths.
Labourers were given herbicide in bottles to add to the water in the drums,
bottles like empty beer or soft-drink. A swig of paraquat or glyphosphate is
not healthy. And who can fill 40 knapsacks/day and not spill some, and if
you're working with or without a shirt, what chances of some direct skin
exposure? Every day.

 

The agricultural result? There were the inevitable over-sprays and dead
cocoa. The mulch layers declined. Bare soil started to be exposed. Downpours
and runoff started channels and topsoil was washed away. Pests and diseases
seemed to increase, production declined.

 

Greg, whack your weed with an axe, use the material to add to the mulch
layer, and plant around the stump. If you need to stop it from growing again
pop an empty tin (can?) over the stump. Look at this another way - are there
more or less damaging bugs amongst your food crops when there are some weeds
present?  Is there any monocrop in nature?

 

Sleep tight, Max H

 

 

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From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Greg and April
Sent: Sunday, 25 May 2008 6:01 AM
To: Michael Bailes; Terra Preta
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] No till faming

 

Can you define damage?

 

I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to point out that sometimes damage
can be somewhat obscure.

 

If we believe that soil biology like other organisms, require a balanced
diet, the very fact that mono-cropping does not provide such - means that it
is hindering in some way shape or form.    

 

Round-Up not only assist in that mono cropping, it is actively promoted for
that reason " Weed free fields " then we have no choice but to believe that
Round-Up does indeed "damage" soil biology ( life ).

 

 

I hate the stuff, but that being said, I admit to having a little on hand,
to control invasive plant species, that has resisted ALL other efforts, and
to make sure that it only goes where it is needed, I use a paint brush to
apply it only to the very plant that is being controlled.    

 

This idea that it's ok to spray it every where to knock down a cover crop in
preparation to planting, is a big mistake.

 

 

Greg H.

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Michael <mailto:michaelangelica at gmail.com>  Bailes 

To: Terra Preta <mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>  

Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 9:11

Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] No till faming

 

Can you point to any research that shows Rounup et all kill or otherwise
damge soil micro-organisms?
m

2008/5/25 Nikolaus Foidl <nfoidl at desa.com.bo>:

Hi Michael!

The linkage to Tp is , if we believe that the main positive effect of
Charcoal is breeding ground for Microbial live and on the other hand the
physical ability of the charcoal is to adsorb and absorb those types of
toxins for the bacterial and fungal live we so hardly want to promote, then
we have a problem and not a small one.
Best regards Nikolaus 





On 5/24/08 10:37 AM, "Michael Bailes" <michaelangelica at gmail.com> wrote:

You are obviously very concerned about this, but what does it have to do
with TP or char amended soils?

I doubt very much that Glyphosate will ever be banned when now, 2/3 of the
planet are using DDT again and we know what that does. Glyphosate does not
have the rap sheet of chlorinated hydrocarbons(DDT DDE Dieldrin Toxaphene
etc etc) or organo-phosphates..

There seems to be little research done on Glyphosate, that shows
bio-accumulation or too many other adverse effects.
That done a few years ago on how it killed frogs was side-stepped by
Monsanto by adding a different surfactant and promoting the new Roundup
Biactive as a safe alternative.
I have seen one research paper since saying it didn't kill four varieties of
Australian Frogs, but you would need to be on Monsanto's case full time to
see what is really happening.

Personally I think making a food plant resistant to a weedicide you sell and
then selling both is immoral.
I think there is some justification for GM crops if they help feed people ,
but this is an obvious, amoral, money-making, corporate play/ploy.

I would love to see TP stay true to its roots and stay organic; but it is a
big world out there and I can't shoot all the people I'd like to :).
Michael

2008/5/24 Nikolaus Foidl <nfoidl at desa.com.bo>:

Dear Michael!

That is exactly the perversion of 0-tillage. It started 30 or more years ago
with the intention to escape the high costs of mechanical weeding 
Please people, once in your live, get real. Lets speak charcoal meanwhile
Monsanto or Pioneer does not sell or promote it.

I rest my case
Nikolaus





On 5/24/08 7:37 AM, "Michael Bailes" <michaelangelica at gmail.com> wrote:

The CSIRO seems very keen about it here and is promoting it both here and in
SE Asia.
They say it helps increase soil micro-organisms and enhances plant growth
due to better biological activity. Some plant diseases are prevented.

Does it have to always include weedicides?
I note that even the CSIRO is talking about plant weedicide resistance.

 

 

 




-- 
Michael the Archangel
"Politicians will never solve The Problem;
because they don't realise they are The Problem.".
-Robert ( Bob ) Parsons 1995


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