Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Nancy Babbitt <nbabbitt2003@adelphia.net>]

Paul,

I'm not a scientist.  Simply a home gardener with an idea.  Maybe I  
should not share my ideas, without proof?

Nancy
On Jul 1, 2006, at 8:44 PM, TradingPostPaul wrote:

> What do you base this theory on?
>
> ---------------
> tradingpost@lobo.net
>
> Many types of jobs will cease to exist: public relations executive,
> marketing directors, et cetera. I think work will be very hands-on,
> and a lot of it will revolve around food production.
>     -- James Howard Kunstler, 2003
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 7/1/2006 at 7:14 AM Nancy Babbitt wrote:
>
> > Paul,
> >
> > Is it likely then, that composting (allowing microbes to decompose
> > the plant material) before it's applied to the soil, can have a
> > negative effect on humus formation.  What I mean is that if less
> > plant material is is present in the final compost, than before
> > composting, and that lesser amount is added to soil, then there is
> > less to potentially become humus.
> >
> > Is it possible also that the anaerobes assist in the humus formation,
> > and they're not the ones doing the decomposing in a hot pile?
> >
> > Nancy
> > On Jun 30, 2006, at 12:26 PM, TradingPostPaul wrote:
> >
> > > Let me try that again easier to read. Point being, it appears  
> > > that the
> > > initial composting process is not humus formation; that occurs in
> > > the soil.
> > >
> > >
> > > paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
> > > ---------------
> > >
> > > from Humus - Understanding the Soil Processes
> > > http://www.petrik.com/PUBLIC/library/ups.html#humus
> > >
> > > The production of humus is a complex process. In general cyclic
> > > substances
> > > like phenol groups and also other like organic acids and vitamins
> > > (humus is
> > > also related to crude oil) are polymerized with help of
> > > enzymes,like phenol
> > > oxidase. These cyclic compounds are both from plant parts(like
> > > lignin) and
> > > are also produced by the microorganisms. Mostly fungi, actinomycetes
> > > (Streptomycets) seem to be responsible for humus formation.
> > > Aspergillus,
> > > Pisolithus, Rhizoctonia, Streptomycets are only but a few  
> > > examples of
> > > microorganisms actually capable of synthesizing cyclic(aromatic)
> > > compounds
> > > and form them into humus from non-cyclic materials.
> > > -----------
> > >
> > > from Humus: Still a Mystery
> > > http://www.nofa.org/tnf/humus.php
> > >
> > > Humus is essentially a massive storage battery containing energy
> > > that was
> > > originally derived from the sun. Researchers in England discovered
> > > that an
> > > acre  (furrow slice) of soil with 4 percent organic matter contains
> > > as much
> > > energy as 20-25 tons of anthracite coal. Another researcher in Maine
> > > equated the energy in  that amount of organic matter to 4000
> > > gallons of #2
> > > fuel oil. This organic energy, which is stored as carbon compounds,
> > > was
> > > originally derived from the sun  by autotrophic organisms such as
> > > plants
> > > that can extract carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. About one
> > > percent
> > > of the energy from the sun that  reaches plant leaves is used to
> > > photosynthesize carbon compounds. During the  plants' life much  
> > > of the
> > > energy that is absorbed from the sun is utilized for growth, foliage
> > > production, flowering, seed production and other functions.
> > >
> > > About 10 percent of the absorbed energy, initially from the sun, is
> > > left
> > > available to a consumer, e.g. an animal that eats and digests the
> > > plant.
> > > Like the plant, the animal uses most of the energy it consumes for
> > > functions such as growth and sustenance but can offer about 10
> > > percent of
> > > the energy it derived from plants to the next consumer in the food
> > > chain.
> > >
> > > Humus in the soil has more real value than money, real estate,
> > > stocks or
> > > bonds. Its value doesn't fluctuate; it doesn't become scarce in a
> > > recession; it's worth can't be depleted by inflation and it can't be
> > > stolen. It is the direct or indirect source of sustenance for all
> > > life on
> > > earth. It can sometimes be lost by environmental changes but more
> > > often,
> > > its demise is from either the apathy or the inadvertent errors of  
> > > the
> > > steward who tends it.
> > >
> > > Humus is a renewable resource. Its presence in the soil can be
> > > maintained
> > > indefinitely. Unfortunately, many agricultural and horticultural
> > > practices
> > > are essentially mining humus. Like other mined products, such as  
> > > coal,
> > > minerals and oil, the natural resource can eventually be exhausted.
> > >
> > > The popular scientific definition of humus is "A more or less
> > > biologically
> > > stable, dark, amorphous material formed by the microbial
> > > decomposition of
> > > plant and animal residues". It is difficult to visibly
> > > differentiate humus
> > > from organic matter in other stages of decay. Compost, well rotted
> > > manures
> > > and peat are not necessarily humus. However, at some hard-to-define
> > > point,
> > > all of these organic materials will contribute immeasurably to the
> > > humus
> > > content in the soil.
> > >
> > > It is not realistic to think that one can quantify or qualify humus
> > > production from contributions of organic matter to soil. There are
> > > too many
> > > factors that control its formation and existence in the soil
> > > environment.
> > > One can only assume  that cultural practices that both minimize the
> > > depletion and contribute to the formation of humus will maintain
> > > the best
> > > possible level of soil humus for each individual environment.
> > > ----------------
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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