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market-farming - Re: Permanent Raised Beds

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflondon AT mindspring.com>
  • To: market-farming
  • Subject: Re: Permanent Raised Beds
  • Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2000 23:29:10 -0500


On Tue, 1 Feb 2000 21:05:49 -0800, "Michaele Blakely"
<mjb AT premier1.net> wrote:

>Lawrence F. London, Jr. <lflondon AT mindspring.com> wrote in message news:
>> Heavy tillage destroys the soil crumb structure, particularly if you
>> have heavy clay or silt soils.Earthworms and some microorganisms
>> suffer major setbacks too. Studies have revealed that earthworm
>> populations dramatically decrease in farm fields when plowing and
>> cultivating or rototilling occur on too frequent intervals.

>
You know I just haven't found that to be the case as far as earthworms
are concerned in my fields.
>

Its about their habitat - maybe fields with adequate levels of
moisture and organic matter allow them to be more resilient and bounce
back from having their habitat scattered to the winds.

>
Granted I am not a tractor person, but I do use a rototiller quite a
bit. I had heard of earthworm populations decreasing and thought
every time I pulled that chain I was becoming a mass murderer
contributing to the extinction of all those squirmy guys and my fields
would never be as healthy as they should be. I finally figured out
that the worms disappear when the moisture level in the soil begins
sinking. It wasn't me after all. After a good rain, those guys are
>

That too but tillage destroys their habitat.

>
back. I don't know as much about the microorganisms ability to
survive. I would imagine it is much more difficult since they are
symbiotic to the root structure of the plant most of the time, but I
would think that applications of composts, teas, and cover crops would
help keep those guys in multitudes in the soil as well.
>

They still need time to adjust and settle in and build their colonies.

>
I'm wondering if the studies showing earthworm decline were done on
organic soils with farmers practicing good stewardship or if it was
done on soils with farmers farming conventionally? I'm thinking
there was more to just the plowing, tilling that caused the loss of
aerobics in the soil.
>

I don't know about that but quite possibly on conventionally-farmed
fields. The organic firlds would make it possible for less reduction
of their populations.

LL
.

Lawrence F. London, Jr. Venaura Farm
http://metalab.unc.edu/intergarden InterGarden
http://metalab.unc.edu/permaculture PermaSphere
http://metalab.unc.edu/intergarden/orgfarm AGINFO
lflondon AT mindspring.com london AT metalab.unc.edu





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