Compost Tea: Promises and Practicalities by Dr. Elaine R. Ingham |
| There's an ever-increasing mythology about compost tea. If you've heard something that just seems too amazing to be believable, you've probably heard some of the developing mythology. There's an ever-increasing amount of fact about compost tea as well. There is quite a bit of usefulness to compost tea. But let's separate fact and fiction. (05 Jul 2005) |
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2002 Directory of Least-Toxic Pest Control Products |
| More than two thousand useful pest control items. (17 Jul 2005) |
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The Humus Cycle by Dr. William Jackson |
| Humic material is what makes the whole soil and crop biocycle go around. If our soils don't have it, they short-circuit and end up with such stress we'll have to pay for later.
Microbial digestion builds humus, and thus enhances topsoil. Thus, humus is involved in all aspects of growing plants.
(17 Jul 2005) |
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Crops and Pests - Are poisons the answer? by José A.Lutzenberger |
| A French biologist, Francis Chaboussou, proposes a theory to explain susceptibility to pest attack on crops, the theory of TROPHOBIOSIS. According to this theory, pests can only survive on plants that have an excessive level of soluble nutrients in their sap or tissues, such as amino acids, sugars, nucleotides, minerals. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Micro-Farming - New Opportunities in Today’s Agriculture by Bob Baars |
| For some the soil is merely a substrate to root and feed plants. For others, the soil is a living organism. Today we know that the latter are correct in stating that the issue is soil-life and living soils. But what are the parameters for proper growth and healthy plants. Can the use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides be reduced through management of an active soil? What is biological control in the rhizosphere? What is soil anyway? (17 Jul 2005) |
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Vrugteboere het 'n gedugte vennoot deur Kobus Van Tonder |
| Hierdie Overbergse vrugteboer gebruik mikro-organismes om grondvrugbaarheid op te bou en verskeie plae hok te slaan. Hy verskaf 'n resep vir die maak van 'n besonderse tee van kompos en gee wenke oor hoe om dit te gebruik. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Woema vir biologiese boerdery deur John Fair |
| Biologiese boerdery behels die oorskakeling van skadelike tot gesonde boerderypraktyke met winsgewende en volhoubare produksie ten doel en kompostee kan 'n sleutelrol in dié oorskakelingsproses speel. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Fnuik moeilike tye met biologiese boerdery deur John Fair |
| “Stikstof het meer skade aan landbou aangerig as enige ander chemiese bemestingstof wat tot nou toe gebruik is." Dit is die mening van een van die wêreld se voorste kenners van biologiese boerdery, wat geen stikstof vir die produksie van goeie weiding en ruvoer koop nie. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Balans ontsluit grond se potensiaal deur John Fair |
| Die wanbalans van voedingstowwe in die grond kniehalter baie boere in hul strewe na winsgewende gewasproduksie. Die biologiese boerdery streef dus na gebalanseerde grondbestuur. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Biologiese boerdery verg regte fondament deur John Fair |
| Op die duur kan 'n boer se welvaart grootliks bepaal word deur sy vermoë om die natuurlike vrugbaarheid van sy grond te herstel. Hoewel dit sy risiko's kan verlaag en sy wins verhoog, het die meeste boere min kennis van wat 'n biologiese boerdery behels. Nietemin neem die belangstelling daarin vinnig toe. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Biologiese boerdery red grond goedkoop deur Kobus van Tonder |
| Verskeie bekende Bolandse wynplase behaal goeie resultate met die toepassing van biologiese boerderymetodes. Anders as met die organiese boerdery is hierdie metode nie voorskriftelik nie en volg dit 'n middeweg tot die herstel van grondvrugbaarheid sonder om die boer se finansiële posisie onder druk te plaas. (17 Jul 2005) |
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Humic Substances in Biological Agricultural Systems
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| Humankind has realized for thousands of years that dark-colored soils with high humus content are more fertile than light-colored soils. It has long been recognized that humic substances have many beneficial effects on soils and consequently on plant growth (Mulller-Wegener, 1988). Anywhere on the globe where there is soil or water associated with organic matter, humic substances are present. They are the brownish tint often seen in natural streams, the darkness of dark soils and the dark brown color of weathered lignite coal. (05 Sep 2005) |
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Creating healthy soils with compost extract
By Jako Pieterse (Director: Ecosoil)
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| Farming is an industry in turmoil and proper strategic planning is therefore necessary to ensure profitability. Sustainable farming practices are becoming more attractive in these turbulent times. Most farmers are ignorant of sustainable production practices and few realise that soil health is the determining factor for future profitability. Soil is the farmer’s most important asset, but sadly often the most neglected. In the conventional agricultural approach, soils become marginal and depleted of organic matter, essential nutrients and microorganisms. Natural predators are lost and pests and diseases are rife. More and more chemical inputs are needed, costing the farmer dearly. Production and quality suffer as a result. It is the aim of this article to give the farmer an introduction to sustainable farming practices. (13 Aug 2006) |
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UTILISING BATS IN AGRICULTURE by Samantha Stoffberg, Department of Zoology, University of Cape Town |
| Various studies overseas have looked at using bats as biological control agents for agricultural pests. These studies focus on eliminating the moths rather than the eggs or larvae. Two main methods have been investigated depending on whether the moth species is capable of hearing the bats. (30 Nov 2006) |
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The role of biodiversity in agriculture with special reference to pest management by René Gaigher, Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch
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| Increasing biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems can greatly enhance stability and self sufficiency of the system. This is often conducive to higher populations of natural enemies of crop pests on the farm and can play an important role in pest management. (30 Nov 2006) |
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Fungal biomass in pastures increases with age and reduced N input - Franciska T. de Vriesa,b,, Jaap Bloemb, Nick van Eekerenc, Lijbert Brusaarda, Ellis Hofflanda |
| Previous studies have shown that soil fungal biomass increases towards more natural, mature systems. Shifts to a fungal-based soil
food web have previously been observed with abandonment of agricultural fields and extensification of agriculture. In a previous field
experiment we found increased fungal biomass with reduced N fertilisation. Here, we explore relationships between fungi, bacteria,
N input and grassland age on real dairy farms in the Netherlands. (09 May 2007) |
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