permaculture

[dhondt <dhondt@eircom.net>]

The John spoken of grew potatoes without ever spraying in West Cork, 
Ireland for 30 years. Being on the SW slope of a mountain our rainfall 
was substantially more than in even most of Ireland.
And we started off on subsoil and rock. where it was impossible to put 
in drains. Where we could do that the drains filled up with peat/turf 
debris in a year or two.
So we grew potatoes in compost spread out over the rock year after year. 
And after 30 years  we had quite a good soil that needed no drains since 
there were plenty of worm holes.

We soon noticed when we were still rotating that volunteer potatoes (and 
you always have those if you don't use roundup) did extremely well so we 
tried not rotating and still had very good results. The only thing 
special we did was to put all potato stems, leaves and roots down right 
where they had grown and cover the lot again with a thin layer of compost.

Taigasc (State agricultural research) confirmed my findings but 
concluded after tests that my method was not easy to commercialize. To 
patent this system you need to know exactly which species of soil 
organism seems to eat and suppress blight. And then you would need to 
find a way to culture it in vitro before you could turn it into money. I 
did not want to waste my life doing that (and I have some practical 
experience) And Taigasc did not either. They went for  a gmo potato. And 
they probably still get paid by the chemical industry for telling 
farmers to spray.

One more thing. I mixed up a great many varieties when planting and grew 
about a hundred new potatoes from real seed. Some varieties such as the 
old lumper I was never able to grow without them dying of blight but 
that event was not enough to make the other potatoes get diseased.

John

On 28/05/16 06:51, scrooge McDuck wrote:
> One of the few things I know about is Irish weather. Potato Blight is 
> linked with damp soil, such that the Irish Met Office issues Blight 
> warnings & advises farmers to spray. Much for the soil is poorly 
> drained clay, rain here is unremitting in all 4 seasons, but not 
> monsoon like, so conditions are not optimal. Better drainage might 
> help prevent suitable conditions for Blight.
>
>
> --
>
> Declan Moriarty
> Sent from my Android
>
> On 27/05/2016, 21:14 Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>     > My garden is very small and I don't have enough room to follow a
>     good
>     > rotating schedule for these crops. Is there any way to shortcut this
>     > process to kill the fungus, etc that damage them? The only
>     option I know is
>     > to not plant some of my favorites.
>
>
>     John in the sanet-mg mailing list (now a Google Group) has stated many
>     times that he has been able to grow potatoes in Ireland without
>     interference from disease, i.e. blight and that he has accomlished
>     this
>     through application of good compost on his garden soil, implying that
>     beneficial microorganisms outnumber and devour the predatory plant
>     disease-causing ones. Maybe this method will work for tomatoes too. My
>     thoughts are that application of rock dust soil amendments willbe
>     of great
>     benefits as they will feed the beneficial microorganisms so they can
>     establish larger colonies and keep soil healthy.
>
>     These sites will probably be the most help:
>
>     USDA NRCS
>     Soil Biology
>     http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/health/biology/
>     The online Soil Biology Primer is an introduction to the living
>     component
>     of soil and how it contributes to agricultural productivity and
>     air and
>     water quality. The Primer includes chapters describing the soil
>     food web
>     and its relationship to soil health and chapters about soil bacteria,
>     fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, and earthworms.
>     The online Primer includes all of the text of the printed
>     original, but not
>     all of the images of the soil organisms. The full story of the
>     soil food
>     web is more easily understood with the help of the illustrations
>     in the
>     printed version.Printed copies of the Soil Biology Primer may be
>     purchased
>     from the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
>     Go towww.swcs.org <http://www.swcs.org>
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053868>
>     Soil Food Web
>     By Elaine R. Ingham
>     
> http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053868
>     Soil Biology Primer Chapters
>
>     - Overview
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053860>
>     - Soil Food Web
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053868>
>     - Food Web & Soil Health
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053865>
>     - Soil Bacteria
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053862>
>     - Soil Fungi
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053864>
>     - Soil Protozoa
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053867>
>     - Soil Nematodes
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053866>
>     - Soil Arthropods
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053861>
>     - Earthworms
>     
> <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053863>
>
>     The roots of your health: Elaine Ingham on the science of soil
>     by Lynda Brown
>     <http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/?post_type=contributors&p=8909> on 6
>     March, 2015 in Farming
>     <http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/?category=farming-2>
>     
> http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/roots-health-elaine-ingham-science-soil/
>
>     Elaine Ingham
>     Soil Foodweb, Inc.
>     FAQ -- Frequently Asked Questions
>     http://www.soilfoodweb.com/FAQ.html
>
>     she is saying that tomatoes prefer a fungal dominated environment as
>     opposed to bacterial for brassicas
>     application of fungal dominated compost from woody biomass would
>     be in order
>     <>
>     Compost Teas: 24 hour, AACT, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts
>     any of these might help
>     here are other URLs to more info on this:
>     http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/compostteas
>     message archives:
>     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/compostteas/
>     message archives for the compost tea mailing list from Jan 2002
>     through Jan
>     2007
>     https://sites.google.com/site/compostteabrewing/
>     Introduction To Effective Microorganisms (EM) by Vinny Pinto
>     
> https://sites.google.com/site/biointensivefarming/introduction-to-effective-microorganisms-em-by-vinny-pinto
>     Effective Microorganisms (EM)
>     
> https://sites.google.com/site/biointensivefarming/effective-microorganisms-em
>
>     And then there is soil remineralization for production of
>     "nutrient dense"
>     foods.
>     Remineralize the Earth <http://remineralize.org/>
>     *remineralize*.org/
>     *Remineralize the Earth* ... Learn what remineralization is all
>     about, and
>     how to apply rock dust to your garden or farm. ... remineralization
>     advocates and activists.
>
>     John D. Hamaker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
>     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Hamaker
>     Wikipedia
>     John D. Hamaker (1914–1994), was an American mechanical engineer,
>     ecologist, agronomist .... By assuming the task of remineralizing the
>     Earth's soils, just like glaciers do during an ice age,
>     remineralization
>     would create fertile soils
>
>     How to Remineralize the Earth | OC Digital - Organic Connections
>     organicconnectmag.com › Food & Nutrition › Farms & Farmers
>     “We can address this by returning minerals to the soil just as the
>     earth
>     does. ... Just ask Dan Kittredge, executive director of
>     Remineralize the
>     Earth
>
>     Why Rock Dust Is the Future of Gardening | OC Digital
>     organicconnectmag.com › Food & Nutrition › Grow It
>     We talked with Joanna Campe, president of Remineralize the Earth,
>     to get
>     the dirt on rock dust and how remineralization is the future of
>     gardening
>     and farming
>
>     More:
>
>     *Compost Tea, Soil Foodweb, Soil Quality Discussion*
>     Archive 1
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/1/maillist.html>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/1/maillist.html
>     Archive 2
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/2/maillist.html>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/2/maillist.html
>     Archive 3
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/maillist.html>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/3/maillist.html
>     Archive 4
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/4/maillist.html>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/4/maillist.html
>     Archive 5
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/maillist.html>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/maillist.html
>     Soils In Biological Agriculture
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/permaculture/mailarchives/discussion-threads/soil-quality>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/permaculture/mailarchives/discussion-threads/soil-quality
>     Remineralize the Earth
>     
> <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.selected-writings>
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/orgfarm/remineralization/remineralization.selected-writings
>     Glomalin: Hiding Place for a Third of the World's Stored Soil
>     Carbon - ARS
>     Bulletin <http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep02/soil0902.htm>
>     http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep02/soil0902.htm
>     *Links, Bibliographies & Services*
>     PMAC Soil Quality Resources (excellent)
>     <http://www.pmac.net/slqual.htm>
>     Soil Quality Links & Literature
>     <http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/soil-links+lit.html>
>     http://www.ibiblio.org/london/soil-links+lit.html
>
>     [orangegrapevine] TAG=aquaponics, composttea, EM, ACT, IMO, KNF, AACT,
>     BOKASHI
>     https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/orangegrapevine/T3iAXhYpiAA 
> <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21topic/orangegrapevine/T3iAXhYpiAA>
>
>     [orangegrapevine] Aquaponics & Compost Tea
>     https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/orangegrapevine/CGL-dgJ0ViY 
> <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21topic/orangegrapevine/CGL-dgJ0ViY>
>
>     The compost_tea mailing list has one of the best collections of
>     information
>     on compost tea making and using and use in aquaponics:
>     https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/compost_tea/info run by Jeff
>     Loewenfeld
>     who has written several world class books on the microbiology of
>     compost
>     tea - well worth adding to your library - just discovered a new CT
>     list:
>
>     Gardening with Compost Tea
>     https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/gardening_with_compost_tea/info
>
>     Another compost tea list is here and has many things of interest
>     in its
>     archives
>     http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/compostteas
>     Compost Teas: 24 hour, AACT, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts
>     Archives:https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/compostteas/
>     <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/compostteas/>
>
>     More mining of my permaculture list for aquaponics and compost tea
>     information:
>     use this unique Google search tool, the site: command in the
>     search dialog
>     box
>     site: lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture aquaponics
>     returns:
>     
> https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A+lists.ibiblio.org%2Fpipermail%2Fpermaculture+aquaponics&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8
>     and for ibiblio only, five or more pages of links:
>     
> https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A+lists.ibiblio.org%2Fpipermail%2Fpermaculture+aquaponics&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8#q=site:+lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/permaculture+aquaponics+site:lists.ibiblio.org
>     (please ignore posts with political opinion from people who got up
>     on the
>     wrong side of the bed :-)
>     This particular post will probably be of great interest to you:
>     [permaculture] EM, IMO, KNF, compost tea, AACT, bokashi, etc
>     resources.
>     Part 1
>     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/2012-October/041826.html
>     [permaculture] EM, IMO, KNF, compost tea, AACT, bokashi, etc
>     resources.
>     Part 2
>     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/permaculture/2012-October/041828.html
>
>     Here is a long list of aquaponics related links
>     http://www.i55mall.com/aquaponics/links.shtml
>
>     <>
>
>     [compostteas] EM, IMO, KNF, compost tea, AACT, bokashi, etc
>     resources. Part
>     1
>
>     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/compostteas/2012-October/000604.html
>
>     [compostteas] EM, IMO, KNF, compost tea, AACT, bokashi, etc
>     resources. Part
>     2
>
>     https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/compostteas/2012-October/000605.html
>
>     
> /ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilqualityhttp://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/
>     BDNOWhttp://www.mail-archive.com/bdnow@envirolink.org/
>     Indigenous Microorganisms + Korean Natural Farming
>     
> Associationhttp://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/msg00012.html
>
>     Supplemental Resources on Effective Microorganisms
>     (EM) and Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO)
>     
> http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/SoilWiki/message-archives/composttea+soilfoodweb+soilquality/5/msg00138.html
>
>     -
>
>     Lawrence F. London
>     lfljvenaura@gmail.com
>     https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/
>     https://ello.co/lflondon
>     permaculture mailing list
>     permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
>     subscribe/unsubscribe|user config|list info:
>     http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>
>
>
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