Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Marty Kraft <martyk@allspecies.org>]

Paul

I'm going to keep an open mind a little while longer.

I understand that micorizzal fungi need to be in association with  
plants to exist. In the city people grow on land that has been very  
disturbed and often chemically treated. When land is tilled or no  
cover crop grows on it I believe that these fungi die out. So I'm not  
sure just what is in the soil that we have on our lot or others  
around our city. If potato yields are increased by 30% through  
inoculation then I'm willing to try it. Maybe if people in the city  
learn to do organic no till well they won't over run you folks when  
the manure hits the ecofan.

The work of David Douds is to help people find a very economical way  
to produce micorizzal inoculants instead of buying expensive ones. See
http://www.newfarm.org/depts/NFfield_trials/0404/mf_update.shtml

Marty


On Mar 8, 2007, at 11:57 AM, TradingPostPaul wrote:

> Well, it's about growing food isn't it? Of course I don't pose as  
> an expert
> but I have read that whatever micorrhizae plants need is usually in  
> the
> soil to begin with, and special inoculants are a waste of money.  
> After all,
> the earth is more or less covered with vegetation where soil and  
> climate
> permit, and Mother Nature doesn't have a problem with inoculants. I  
> say
> usually. There are certain plants and trees that do need their own  
> brand of
> inoculant because they're not native to the type of soil you have.  
> My own
> suspicion is, if you need inoculants then maybe those plants don't  
> belong
> anyway. YMMV.
>
> paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 3/8/2007 at 6:06 PM John Smith wrote:
>
>
> > Was the experiment a success? I went to your site and was  
> > expecting to see
> > grass grown with and grass grown without to see if there was a  
> > difference.
> > I'm not sure about Bahia grass but it doesn't look to be particularly
> > thriving. I thought micorhizal fungi tended to be plant specific  
> > and if
> > they
> > are good for grass they might not be useful for other species of  
> > plant.
> >
> > I think this is a fascinating subject and I hope anyone who has  
> > experience
> > to input will do so (no sales pitches). Is this on topic, Paul?
> > ;-)
> >
> > John Smith
>
>
>
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