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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>, Market Farming <marketfarming@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Buckwheat as cover, forage, P mining and weed biocontrol crop..Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] soil fertility
  • Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:17:44 -0400



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] soil fertility
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:49:26 -0400
From: Steve Gilman <stevegilman@VERIZON.NET>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hi Frank,

In my heavily glaciated neck of the woods (northeast US) anyway, there seems to be ample soil P -- but it's generally depicted in soil tests as chemically bound and unavailable for plant growth. The recommendation was to add some form of super-phosphate -- but not allowed under organic certification because of the acid formulation for its damage to soil life.

However, as per my post -- acids from cover crop roots can liberate it, especially buckwheat.
"Managing Cover Crops Profitably" puts it this way:
Phosphorus scavenger. Buckwheat takes up phosphorus and some minor nutrients (possibly including calcium) that are otherwise unavailable to crops, then releasing these nutrients to later crops as the residue breaks down. The roots of the plants produce mild acids that release nutrients from the soil. These acids also activate slow-releasing organic fertilizers, such as rock phosphate. Buckwheat’s dense, fibrous roots cluster in the top 10 inches of soil, providing an extensive root surface area for nutrient uptake.

Thrives in poor soils. Buckwheat performs better than cereal grains on low-fertility soils and soils with high levels of decaying organic matter. That’s why it was often the first crop planted on cleared land during the settlement of woodland areas and is still a good first crop for rejuvenating over-farmed soils. However, buckwheat does not do well in compacted, droughty or excessively wet soils.


To answer your question, my approach was to also apply some rock phosphate and then use buckwheat to make the P bioavailable for the following crops. Of course buckwheat is also a prodigious smother crop for weeds, a great bee and honey crop, and with it's rapid growth habit is adept at fitting into small summer windows as a catch crop -- making it an excellent overall mineral and soil building tool.

best,
Steve

On Mar 28, 2011, at 1:02 PM, Frank L Teuton III wrote:

Hi Steve,

So, in a soil where P was not very available, would you suggest growing
buckwheat always, and never adding a P rich amendment?

In other words, under what circumstances would you not grow buckwheat but add
a P source, if any?

Frank

----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Gilman" <stevegilman@VERIZON.NET>
To: <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] soil fertility


Hi Edna,

Re: buckwheat sequestering P -- the following is from the excellent SAN publication
"Managing Cover Crops Profitably"...

best,
Steve


http://www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/buckwheat.shtml


On Mar 28, 2011, at 12:00 AM, SANET-MG automatic digest system wrote:


Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:45:59 -0700
From: Edna Weigel <eweigel@CABLEONE.NET>
Subject: Re: soil fertility

Steve Gilman wrote:
<snip>
The non-silver bullet alternative (that doesn't require major outlays of
currency or legions of consultants to interpret what you need) is to go for
a practice-based rather than product-based approach via tried-and-true solar
agriculture techniques like cover cropping and green manuring that builds
soil flora and fauna, increases stable organic matter, grabs and holds
carbon, develops conducive soil structure, scavenges deeper-down soil
nutrients, fixes N (legumes) and sequester previously unavailable elements
(like buckwheat and P) as well as other fertile soil building practices such
as composting and mulching with locally available materials...
<snip>
Could you elaborate on this or make suggestions for further reading?,
particularly "sequester unavailable elements"
Edna




  • [permaculture] Buckwheat as cover, forage, P mining and weed biocontrol crop..Fwd: Re: [SANET-MG] soil fertility, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 03/28/2011

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