Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

Thanks, I see the experts are divided on that, but my main point was any 
animal proteins or prions  left in soil won't be taken up directly by plants. 
 Plants do contain proteins but it's my understanding that like people they 
can only use the amino acids formed in the breakdown of protein. If this 
isn't quite right, don't anybody shoot me ;-) because I don't claim to be an 
expert.

paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
---------------
The outstanding scientific discovery of the twentieth century is not 
television, or radio, but rather the complexity of the land organism. Only 
those who know the most about it can appreciate how little we know about it.
   - Aldo Leopold in  Round River, 1933
*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 3/27/2006 at 3:53 PM Laura McKenzie wrote:

>Paul, the following is the information I'm going on.  I haven't heard of
>anything new yet.  We don't eat cows either.  This is just our choice and
>I'm not telling everyone they must feel the same.
>
> info.ag.vt.edu/vce/offices/newsletters/15Feb2004_letterhead.pdf
>"Regarding the question of whether or not composting will destroy the
>prions
>associated with BSE, there is no evidence that suggests the prions are
>destroyed in the compost process. Prions are a special form of protein
>that
>can only be killed through incineration at excessively high temperatures
>and
>acid treatment."
>
>http://extension.usu.edu/files/agpubs/Compost.htm
>"Composting can destroy many disease causing agents, but not all spore
>forming bacteria. It is not yet known if composting will destroy the
>prions
>of TSE diseases, such as BSE or Mad Cow Disease. Research is currently
>underway in the U.S. and Canada to answer that question. Prions are very
>resistant to heat and many chemicals. They are also resistant to some
>enzymes but may be vulnerable to those present during the composting
>process. "
>
>http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/tirc/projectdescription.htm
>" Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a prion disease that is of concern in
>wild populations. There is no evidence to show whether CWD would be killed
>in the composting process. Compost temperatures are not high enough to
>inactive prions, but it is possible that microbial and enzymatic activity
>could (Langeveld, et al; Kirill, et al.). "
>