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The Use of Shelterbelts in Farming
Strong winds can be a significant factor leading to low yields. For instance, grape cultivation in the wine-growing areas of Western Australia can be severely affected by dominant strong winds. Unless controlled, the winds can increase soil erosion, water evaporation from the soil, and water loss through transpiration by plants. Farmers are able to achieve a measure of control on most factors related to wind-caused erosion.
How Do Farmers Observe the Health of Their Soil and What Tools do they Use? PART B
The farmer should observe closely the biological activity of farm soil. As in the physical aspects, all information should be written down in the farm's records for use in analysis and decision-making. Organic matter content should normally be measured in laboratory tests, but you can make a visual evaluation. Darker brown soil generally implies higher humus content. Dig up some soil and look for white threads of fungal mycelia and undecomposed organic matter.
How Do Farmers Observe the Health of their Soil and What Tools do they Use? PART A
Farmers know that soil health is critical to their success. They thus learn to observe nature keenly and to use their observations for refining their farm management practices. Written records are important tools and the farmer should use them to keep track of all information about individual fields. It is easy to evaluate the general tilth and physical aspects of the soil even without using precision instruments.
Why Buffer Weedicides and How Do You Do It?
Weeds are considered significant threats to natural ecosystems. To the farmer, weeds are also a major threat to farm economics. Weeds interfere with crop growth, choke pastures and may even harm farm animals. Being plants themselves, they compete with crops for soil nutrients and water, leading to poorly growing crops and reduced harvests. A quick, cost-effective way to combat weed invasions is to apply weedicide.
Organic Yields Are Better Than Conventional, Including GM Crops
There are many claims being bruited about that organic farming yields can never produce enough to meet the food demands of the growing global population. This is a myth. At the turn of the century, a New Scientist editorial declared that organic farming methods, using natural fertilisers and natural means of pest control, were increasing harvests from poor farms worldwide by at least 1.7 times more than the original yields using conventional methods.
Why Higher Brix Readings in Forage Makes Animal Raising More Profitable?
The Brix reading on a plant is an indication of its nutrient content. Whilst the reading is often considered as the sugar content in that part of the plant being tested, it actually refers to the total amount of soluble solids, that is, sugars along with plant proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The higher the Brix reading the greater is the amount of nutrients.
The Detrimental Effects of Chemicals on Soil Fungi
Fungi and bacteria in the soil are the primary recyclers of nutrients in the soil. Whilst bacteria are much more numerous, fungi provide greater biomass because they are relatively bigger. Fungi may be responsible for greater amounts of nutrient retention and soil organic matter formation than bacteria. Decomposers. Saprophytes play key roles in SOM production because of their ability to help decompose both plant and animal remains, including animal dung.
The Importance of Carbon in the Soil and How it Gets Stored
Soil organic carbon, which makes up about 60% of the soil organic matter on average, has beneficial effects on many physical, chemical and biological functions of soil quality. It helps support the productivity and diversity of all living organisms in the soil. It influences water-holding capacity, aeration, soil aggregation, and other physical aspects.
How Do Plants Get Nutrients in the Soil in a Conventional Farming System?
Plants need an adequate supply of nutrients -- particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium -- to grow well. Ideally, these nutrients should be available in the proper quantity and at the time the plant can use them. This ideal timing, if complied with, will help farmers avoid supplying an excess of nutrients that plants cannot use anyway and may become contaminants in the environment instead.
If You Are Using Chemical Fertilizers, How do these Affect Brix Meters results?
People today are more conscious about the nutrition content of the foods they eat. Farmers who are able to provide highly nutritious food will receive premium prices and have many repeat customers. Farmers can have food labs test for the nutrition content of their produce. The nutrients of interest in such tests may include calcium, selenium, magnesium, iron and perhaps others. The only drawback is that testing costs money and the more elements tested, the higher the cost.
How Do Plants Get Nutrients in the Soil in a Biological Farming System?
Plants take up nutrient elements from the soil through their roots. Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in large amounts; very often, these elements are not available in adequate quantities in the soil. Other essential nutrients such as boron, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, sulphur, zinc and others are needed in smaller or trace amounts, and these are often adequately available.
Soil Testing: A General Overview
It is important for farmers to monitor the health of the soil, which produces the plants from which farmers make their living. One of the critical activities in this regard is periodic soil testing. Ideally, soil samples for soil testing are done shortly before making a land management decision -- which may be several months in advance of planting. The results represent the most current indication of soil properties, giving enough time for the objectives of the decision to have impact.
How to find Healthy Soil & Biological Soil Testing
Modern agriculture has placed greater emphasis on the development of sustainable farming systems. This has led to greater interest in farm management practices that promote the biological aspects of soil fertility. To help farmers in this regard, many approaches to soil biology testing have been developed, which can be classified into tests for population analysis, biological activity, and indirect indicators.
How Do You Do A Chemical Soil Test?
Chemical analysis is the most common method used to assess the nutrient content (and nutrient needs) of soil. An accurate determination of nutrient need is possible if two conditions are satisfied: first, that the soil sample is truly representative of the field to be analysed; and, second, that the chemical testing method has been calibrated through enough research to the crops and soils in the area. The farmer may choose to take soil samples either by soil type or on a grid basis.
How Brix Meters Work!
It is important to monitor regularly the health of the soil as well as the plants that grow on it. Good soil nutrition helps plants resist disease and insect infestation, leading to better 'keeping' qualities, nutritional values, and flavour characteristics. The practice helps to assure high quality produce which attract the best prices.
Exhaustive soil analysis is certainly necessary, but this is tedious laboratory work.
Healthy Soil & Soil Structure Information
Soil physical fertility is determined by its ability to satisfy the essential growth requirements of the crop planted in it. These requirements include storage and supply of water, nutrient elements, and oxygen -- all made available to the plant through its roots. Good soil physical fertility is indicated by the presence of adequate water and air to promote prompt seed germination and good root growth, and by its minimal need for seedbed preparation.
"Rudolf Steiner" in Relation to Biodynamics
Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, architect, esotericist, educator and social thinker born in the early 1861 and died in the early 1925. Steiner achieved initial acknowledgment as a cultural philosopher and literary reviewer. After the First World War was over, Steiner strived to find realistic demonstrations of his philosophy in collaboration with educationalists, farmers, medical doctors and other fields.
Moon Planting
Moon planting also known as lunar planting has been in existence for many generations and is considered to be one of the oldest forms of gardening. It is believed that the moon position, the Zodiac signs, or both can bring great success in planting. It is once more fetching recognition as communities explore for substitutes to compound fertilizers and pesticides and their terrifying side effects.
Conventional Vs Organic Farming
Organic farming refers to the approach through which farmers cultivate and develop agricultural produce such as dairy products, vegetables, fruits, grains and meat. Organic farming is designed to promote water and soil preservation and lessen pollution and its effects on the environment. Farmers who cultivate organic products and rear animals do not utilize conventional techniques to prevent livestock disease, control weeds or even fertilize their soils.
Discover the Secrets to Worms
Back in antiquity, Aristotle called them the "intestines of the Earth," but it took several more centuries before earthworms were systematically studied -- by Charles Darwin who wrote a whole book on the importance of worms in breaking down dead organic matter, enhancing soil structure, and maintaining soil aeration, drainage and fertility. Darwin calculated that earthworms in the soil add about eleven tonnes of organic matter per acre (about 18 tonnes per hectare) each year; modern scientists b
Getting Down and Dirt With Organic Compost
The growing concern about environmental issues and unhealthy soil has induced extensive use of compost in agriculture. There are compelling reasons that make compost a better alternative to support agricultural crops production, increase yields and enrich the quality of produce. The sum of those reasons is this: compost makes soil healthy. The key to having good soil health -- and, therefore, crop health -- is to make sure it is biologically active.
What Stops Farmers From Making The Change From Conventional to Biological Farming?
On speaking with many conventional farmers the No. 1 fear that stops change is that taking any steps from traditional practices will lead to loss of production inferior in quality and to loss of cash flow. Secondly there is a belief that a farmer needs to use a range of fertilisers, weedicides, pesticides, drenches and other inputs to keep the productivity at a peak and to keep animals healthy.
Why is the life in your soil so important?
The entire food production system depends for its viability on healthy soil. Healthy soil produces the healthy crops that give nourishment to people. Organic farming is intimately related to the concept of soil health because its advocates have always believed that a healthy soil is the key to the sustained production of healthy, nutritious food.The main indicators of soil health are the amount of fresh organic matter and the level of biological activity.
Organic Farming Show to be Superior to Conventional Farming
Organic farming has become one of the most favoured options for the production of safe, highly nutritious food and long-term sustainability. The market for the produce from organic farms is growing, especially as consumers have become more aware of food-safety issues, environmental preservation and wildlife protection. Organic farming is practiced in over 100 countries worldwide, and, as of 2007, there were over 26 million hectares managed under organic farming techniques.
Harnessing Cosmic Energy for Profitable Farming
Biodynamic agriculture, or simply 'biodynamics,' is a farming system based on deep ecological principles that arose as a reaction to the spread of specialised agriculture and inorganic fertilisers at the turn of the twentieth-century.
How to beat the market every time and sell your product at your price
Recently I have heard that the Australian government has in place emergency laws to take control of your food if the occasion arises. Is this true? Do other governments around the world have similar policies in place?
I don't know but with the way food prices are going it is highly likely that if
Don't take your health for granted just because millions do
* Is your health at risk?
* Be healthy, your nation needs you!
* Your health is your farming future
* Profit from your healthy habits
Every farmer knows the importance of plant and stock health to farm profitability.
The problem is that many farmers take their own health for granted. They don't r
Who says that you have to Get Bigger or Get Out?
It doesn't matter what size it is, your farm is an ever increasing asset, even more so if you can provide clean, green food
Australian conventional food prices are forecast to quadruple in price over the next five years. The reason is Asia. We are in the middle of a global revolution in the way we
Crops that are Productive, Profitable and Relatively Trouble Free
Understand that it's the soil life: bacteria, fungi and the rest of the soil food web which convert minerals and gases into available plant food for plant roots to uptake.
It is the soil life, that is, the soil's digestive system - that provides extremely complex nutrients to the plant. Even the
Most Important Aspect of Farming Profitably and With Satisfaction
It is such a big subject. It is so involved that we can only bring certain money making aspects to you in this space
Sadly few people understand its full impact on plant health, animal health and ultimately human health and subsequently on farm profits.
Please be particularly aware that modern indus
Control Your Market and Be Able to Demand the Prices that you Deserve
Recently I have heard that the Australian government has in place emergency laws to take control of your food if the occasion arises. Is this true? Do other governments around the world have similar policies in place?
I don't know but with the way food prices are going it is highly likely that i
A Few Small Steps For Bigger Returns
Did you know that in 1986, Pat Riley, the then coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, applied a simple, yet incredibly powerful strategy in order to win the NBA Championships?
He asked each of his players to improve their skills in 5 critical areas by just 1% over their personal best.
Although at first
Organic Farming versus Conventional Farming System
If you are one of the 81% of farmers still farming conventionally and using chemicals and synthetic fertilizers it is completely understandable.
Why?
Because for decades that's what has been advocated to the farmer by the industry.
There is so much research, trial work, field tri
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