permaculture

[Victor Guest <vic@daena.eepo.com.au>]

To: "Douglas F. Gibbs" <dfgibbs@harborside.com>, :@gw.rvrvl.eepo.com.au
From: Barbara Ashley Phillips <baphillips@igc.org>
Subject: Round-up, Chemicals and Soil

This may have been covered earlier -- I didn't think so, however.

Apparently repeated use of Round-up adversely affects the soil. A sheep
rancher in Idaho tells me he has heavy clay soil. He sprayed his irrigation
ditch banks with Round-up for several years and says that now when he takes
a handful of soil, it won't make a ball any more. He thinks the soil
structure has been destroyed. He says it has something to do with a
microscopic fungus, mychorizzal ???, that may play a large role in how soil
behaves.

Does any one know any more about this?

Barbara
Barbara Ashley Phillilps
American West Institute for Conflict Resolution
P.O. Box 676
Halfway, Oregon 97834
(541) 742-6790 (Phone)  (541) 742-5175 (Fax)
Email: baphillips@igc.org