Re: [compost_tea] TeachinfWas:soil chemistry facts

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2004 02:09:54 EDT

The information is where we - actually for the soil chem data it is Graham
Lancaster at Southern Cross University - have been doing work looking at how
the soil biology solubilizes soil nutrients that are NOT plant available into
soil nutrients that are available.

The first set of data show that there is NO SOIL in Australia that is
actually nutrient limited.

Yes, I know that you've been told all your life that Australian soils lack
phosphorus.

But it simply isn't true.

There is PLENTY of phosphorus in your soils. And beleive me when I say
PLENTY, I mean PLENTY..... as in enough that if you didn't add another drop for the
next several hundred years, you would still not have any worries.

So, what's the story.

I'm talking about TOTAL EXTRACTABLE nutrients, while you've been mis-lead by
salespeople into believing that the soil lacks phosphorus.

It may lack AVAILABLE phposphorus, but that just means you don't have the
organisms to move the TOTAL EXTRACTABLE nutrients from that pool into the
available pool.

It's a lack of the right organisms, not fertilizer, that is the problem.

Add biology. It's cheaper, because you only have to add them once, and as
long as you don't kill them, or a natural disturbance doesn't kill them, you
just have to feed them.

Oh, yeah. Have to feed them....... that means plants have to be grown on the
land. No more fallow periods where no living plants are allowed. No more
methyl bromide, vapam, telone, diazinon, dursban....... etc, etc, etc.

Not that you have been using these things, but probably they were used in or
around your land, and where would the "good guys" be coming back from then?

If you are lucky to have bought native bush, and kept your critters fed, then
congrats! Just feed them!

But I have the data from Graham, and I will send folks the data. Please
realize that you need to credit Graham for his data if you use his information,
and you cannot publish them. Graham will be publishing his own data, and so
this would be for viewing only.

OK?

Elaine
in OZ......






Received on Sat Sep 04 2004 - 02:37:54 EDT

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