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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Re: termites in tropical soils
  • Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:53:04 -0500

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] termites in tropical soils
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:50:09 -0500
From: Elaine Ingham <soilfoodweb@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>, soilfoodweb@AOL.COM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

I have never had success dealing with termites by elevating boron or copper. Unless you add so much that the materials become toxic to massive numbers of organisms, and you are then really just doing toxic chemical agriculture. Toxic chemical solutions have no place on a forum that deals with sustainable systems.

I have seen situations where the very organisms that do the type of interaction suggested by Lyndon, pioneered by Paul Stamets, can be put out of commission completely when even small amounts of copper are added.

I have had a great deal of success when using organisms that establish and maintain biological control. Use bio-control organisms carefully. They should be applied activated..... which typically means in conjunction with compost (really, good-smelling, fully beneficial biological compost), or liquid versions of that compost.


Activation of the bio-control agents means you only need a small amount of that bio-control, and that it is rapidly effective in that case. Talk to Paul Stamets about the best choice of organisms to use in YOUR conditions, with your equipment. Limit applications to just where you have problems. Do not use biocontrol organisms as preventatives, but only as control of specific problems, and then try to figure out what was so out of whack in the system that nature used termites to try to fix that problem.

To me, termite activity means poor soil structure, poor nutrient cycling, and poor decomposition of woody materials. Termites are one way for natural systems to try to build soil structure and to increase decomposition of woody materials. There are other organisms that perform the same functions, and those are the organisms needed, and probably lacking, in a system plagued by termites.

If you talk to Paul, I suspect he could help you figure out how local people can develop the biological products themselves, instead of having to buy expensive materials like boron and copper, which so easily become toxic problems.

The real world is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution. You need to talk to the folks working in biological fields to learn what will likely be most effective in your conditions.



Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.

<>

On 1/23/2011 8:36 PM, Don Miller wrote:
> Try planting Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizaniodes) in contour rows in the
> crops, particularly on sloping ground. The roots contain several oils with
> proven insecticidal properties. The use of this oil (also used in
> perfumery) has controlled Formosan termites in the Southern states I
> understand. I am not aware of trials on
>
> The other advantage in tropical climates is that soil erosion will be
> controlled and infiltration increased on sloping fields. I have been using
> this techniques successfully for the last 20 years in the South Pacific but
> modern use of contour hedges of Vetiver was initiated in the sloping sugar
> fields of Fiji in the mid 1950 where it was totally effective at controlling
> erosion and also controlled stem borer.
>
> Contact me if you need sources of plants or check out www.vetiver.org
>
> Don



  • [permaculture] Fwd: Re: termites in tropical soils, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 01/23/2011

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