North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lucky.PIttman@murraystate.edu" <Lucky.PIttman@murraystate.edu>]

Jason McArthur wrote:
I think we should be able to agree that water is the foundation of  
life.   Farming practices which don't pollute water are more  
sustainable than those that do.   Huge amounts of Nitrogen  
Phosphorous dumped into mistreated soil become pollutants, but just  
because a farmer occasionally reaches for some Imidan doesn't mean  
they over-fertilize.

Indeed.  Most farmers do not 'over-fertilize' - it doesn't make economic 
sense to apply more of any input than is 
necessary, especially when most producers are functioning on a very tight (or 
negative) profit margin.
Much of the 'over-fertilization' and chemical runoff problem we've 
encountered through the years, with regard to 
water sources, must be laid at the feet of homeowners with unfettered access, 
to fertilizers and lawn chemicals in 
their quest for the ever 'greener' LAWN - with no training and no culpability 
for excessive applications.  Them, 
and the folks maintaining golf courses. 


Lucky