its probably DDT or Chlordane in a chalk carrier (;-> actually probably not. probably some organic repellant, since it doesn't kill them, just chases them off. But it does bring up an interesting question....Shouldn't EPA have a label on this stuff if it is sold in the US? It's obviously an agricultural chemical of some sort..... anybody know? bob --- * Origin: [via Psychotronic BBS = Durham, NC = 919-286-4542]Alabama (1:3641/1) @PATH: 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (196) Tue 6 Dec 94 16:10 By: Robert Kluson BIO To: All Re: Re: wood chip-digesting fungi and ground nuts ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:3641/223 0006b25c @PID GIGO+ sn 175 at psybbs vsn 0.99 pl1 From: kluson@chuma.cas.usf.edu (Robert Kluson BIO) @Subject: Re: wood chip-digesting fungi and ground nuts Date: 6 Dec 1994 16:10:05 -0000 @Sender: daemon@bigblue.oit.unc.edu @Message-Id: @Mime-Version: 1.0 @Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Greetings, Joel. Sorry for the delay in sharing my information on your request below. Nevertheless, I think that you would be very interested in the following references: 1) Solbraa, K., M.D. Sant, A.R. Selmer-Olsen, and H.R. Gislerod. 1983. Composting soft and hardwood barks. BioCycle, Vol. July/August:44-48,59. 2) Hoitink, H.A.J., E.B. Nelson, and D.T. Gordon. 1982. Composted bark controls soil pathogens of plants. Ohio Report 67(1):7-10. 3) Wood Products for Fertilizer. 1945. Bulletine No. 7, NE Wood Utilization Council, New Haven, Conn. 4) Composting section of the Appropriate Technology Microfiche Library, Volunteers in Asia, Stanford, CA, 1-800-648-8043. Their information describes some very interesting successes in East Africa with applying sawdust to field soils as a fertilizer! I too had questions of possible nitrogen immobilization but I suppose their successess can partially be explained by research such as the following: 5) Hill, N.M, and D.G. Patriquin. 1990. Evidence for the involvement of Azospirillum brasilense and Helicomyces roseus in the aerobic nitrogen-fixing/celluloytic system from sugarcane litter. Soil Biol. Biochem. 22(3):313-319. Joel, I noticed that someone did suggest using the references from Paul Staments for specific fungal inoculants, and I agree wholeheartedly on that. He probably is one of our most kowledgeable resources persons on this subject. If you are interested too in more ideas about results from microbial screening trials on woody substrates, check out the following reference: 6) Kirk, T.K., T. Higuchi, H.M. Chang (eds.). 1980. Lignin Biodegradation: Microbiology, Chemistry and Potential Applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Good luck on your trials. I too feel that wood-based compost is an under-utilized resource. I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences. Later... On Sun, 27 Nov 1994, Joel B Gruver wrote: > I have 2 info requests. > First, I have access to large volumes of roughly > chipped hardwood limbs with a small amount of foliage and coniferous > limbs mixed in. (These materials were chipped by a road maintenance crew.) > Black cherry is probably the dominant hardwood constituent. > I am looking for a method of accelerating the decomposition of > these materials so that I can use them as a soil amendment. I am > wondering if there is a species of fungi that I can innoculate or > encourage to accelerate the break down of such high lignin materials. > Where can I find good information on the biochemistry of fungal digestion of > high ligno-cellulosic materials ? Is there an edible species of mushroom > that I can culture on this material ? > > Where can I find information on the cultivation of the wild edible > plant (Apios americana, common name: ground nut) ? Who is researching the > economic potential of this plant ? Where can I obtain seeds, cuttings... of > groundnuts selected for desirable traits ? > > Joel Gruver > Hampshire College Farm Center > (413) 582-5348 > jgruver@hamp.hampshire.edu > --- * Origin: [via Psychotronic BBS = Durham, NC = 919-286-4542]sustag- (1:3641/1) @PATH: 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (197) Tue 6 Dec 94 23:03 By: Gabriel Hegyes To: All Re: NEWS: AANEWS, December, 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:3641/223 0006b2d5 @PID GIGO+ sn 175 at psybbs vsn 0.99 pl1 @SPLIT: 12 Dec 94 13:35:16 @3641/223 8998 01/02 ++++++++++ From: ghegyes@nalusda.gov (Gabriel Hegyes) @Subject: NEWS: AANEWS, December, 1994 Date: 6 Dec 1994 23:03:40 -0000 @Sender: daemon@bigblue.oit.unc.edu @Message-Id: @Mime-Version: 1.0 @Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII 2 ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE NEWS December, 1994 Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture 9200 Edmonston Road, #117 Greenbelt, MD 20770 (301) 441-8777 Table of Contents What Will be the Impact of the New GOP Congress? 1 Wallace Institute President's Council Named 2 Incorporating Beef Cattle Can Cut Input Costs 3 Position 3 EPA To Review Three Pesticides 3 Number of U.S. Farms Lowest Since Civil War 4 Organic Agriculture in Australia Featured in Magazine 4 Resources 4 Upcoming Events 5 WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT OF THE NEW GOP CONGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE AG? With Republicans posed to take control next month of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1954, the sustainable agriculture community is assessing the impact of the leadership change on federal sustainable agriculture programs, next year's reauthorization of the Farm Bill, and pesticide reform. Republicans will now chair all Congressional committees. The new chairmen are expected to be: House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Pat Roberts (R-KS); House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-VA); Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN); Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK). But beyond personnel changes, the new leadership will influence programs as well. Here are some views about what to expect: The Des Moines Register: "American agriculture lost some of its most powerful supporters in the Republican congressional landslide and now must seek a new farm bill from a more urban Congress that includes some major foes of farm programs....In the new GOP-controlled House, the likely majority leader will be Rep. Dick Armey of Texas, and the Budget Committee likely will be chaired by Rep. John Kasich of Ohio. Armey has sought to eliminate farm programs, and Kasich has tried to cut agriculture spending." Webster Agricultural Letter: "[Rep. Pat] Roberts is betting that farmers in general will not actively oppose modest spending cuts if they can see it as a tradeoff for a Republican reversal of some of the environmental regulation that requires conservation compliance with farm programs or seeks to protect wetlands or endangered species. It's a given that the new majority will raise insurmountable roadblocks to Clinton Administration attempts to tighten regulation of agricultural chemicals." Richmond Times-Dispatch: "[Rep. Thomas] Bliley wants to pay attention to...enacting safe drinking water legislation, improving food safety laws, and fairly regulating 'orphan drugs' developed to treat rare diseases....On reforming food safety laws, Bliley helped draft a proposal preferred by industry....A bill offered by Bliley, Rep. Richard Lehman (D-CA), and Rep. J. Roy Rowland (D-GA) contained less rigorous standards for pesticides added to food. Critics contended it wouldn't protect children from pesticides and would do nothing to reduce pesticide use or phase out the most hazardous pesticides." Farm Aid News: "The results of the mid-term elections are expected to steer the 1995 farm bill in a more conservative direction than many family farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates are demanding....Some of this new Congressional leadership is expected to favor more cuts in farm program spending, fewer-than-anticipated environmentally-friendly farm programs, and less federal involvement altogether in agriculture....Republicans offered in their 'Contract With America' during this year's election to reduce taxes through cuts in entitlement spending, including agriculture....Possible agriculture program cuts proposed in the Contract include $830 million from Agriculture Research Service projects, $600 million from resource conservation, $500 million from Extension, and $420 million from FmHA farm loan programs." Energy and Environmental Study Institute: "Environmentalists said that defeat of several powerful farm-state Democrats, including House Speaker Tom Foley (D-WA), weakens support for farm subsidies, making conservation programs more likely to be the focus of future federal agriculture programs....Sam White, vice president for legislative affairs at the American Crop Protection Association, said pesticide legislation is likely to be attached to the 1995 farm bill." MEMBERS OF WALLACE INSTITUTE'S PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL NAMED Michael Heller, President of the Wallace Institute, has announced the members of the 1994-1995 President's Council, formed four years ago to provide guidance and support for Wallace Institute activities in promoting a more sustainable agricultural system in the United States and abroad. Members are: Dr. Jill Shore Auburn, University of California, Davis; Dr. Charles Benbrook, Benbrook Consulting Services; Norman A. Berg, Washington Representative, Soil and Water Conservation Society; Hon. Bob Bergland, Roseau, MN; Hon. George E. Brown, Jr., U.S. House of Representatives; Ron