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Re: Mustard meal seed treatment



And what is the effect of isothiocyanate on the other sets of beneficial soil organisms? 

What are the non-target organism impacts? 

If you kill some disease fungi, you will likely take a whole set of beneficials at the same time.  Who comes back faster?  The organisms with a boom and bust life cycle.  Which are?

Yep.  The diseases.  They have been selected to have those life history strategies.  So you may take care of a short term problem, but give yourself many long-term problems by using the "nuke-it" philosophy.

Why not do the things needed to make the soil hospitable for the good guys, and not for the bad guys? 

OK, this year, right now you have the problem.  So use the chemical.  But then start working on restoring the proper beneficial life your soil so the chemical is no longer necessary, ever again.   Well, unless Mother Nature does something really strange, and nukes your critters for you.....  then you get to start the building cycle all over again. 

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com