Merla: I think you are getting in over your head. Anyone: Isn't there someone with US experience who can advise on this? 8 miles of road is a large area and could cover a lot of different soils and weeds, this has the potential of being very embarrassing for Merla and not good for BD. David C
----- Original Message ----- From: "Merla" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, 10 March 2002 9:59 PM Subject: Re: Official BD in Brazil > Jose, Hedleys, anybody, > > When I read all this about Brazil BD not working, it makes me wonder > about what I am doing on the road right-of-way. It sounds like it might not > work to just spray Pfeiffer Field Spray on very sandy, dry soil. Right > now, my ability to use it is in question and I'm waiting for a resolution. > Should I actually get a soil test of the road right-of-way and try to add > soil amendments? We are trying to grow native plants and grasses and > discourage plants that have been named "noxious" by the state and county > so they won't spray us with 2,4-D and Clopyralid. You wouldn't want to > have garden soil, would you? Anyway, how could you accomplish > this on 8 miles of road? We wanted to use the Pfeiffer Field Spray > so that we wouldn't have to make all those trips down the road with BC, > 500, 501, 508, Horn clay. I need to learn how to make preps myself so > no one has to pay the state a fee to register a BD prep as a soil amendment. > We have peppers for all the weeds and wanted to spray them in BD preps. > The Hedleys suggested three sprayings a long time ago when I first > started on this list. I still haven't firmed down what we're going to do, > but I feel we should do something to help the soil, especially since the > county sprayed it in 1999. > > We are planning to plant allelopathic plants--rye and oats--to compete > with the weeds and then eventually seed native plants we do want. > > Merla > > > Jose Luiz Moreira Garcia wrote: > > > >From what I have seen there was very little > > Composting operation with regard to the size of > > the whole farm. > > Secondly, one can enhance natureīs way by adding > > some key minerals that are in short supply in our > > geologically old and eroded tropical soils. Lack of nodulation > > in legumes could very well be a lack of Molybdenum, > > as I have noticed there. > > In a soil without a good microbial life one can expect little to > > no transmutation and therefore I see no chance to correct > > any defficiency without adding what is missing. > > This strategy is highly criticized as being " non sustainable" > > by those fanatics and the situation goes on and on. They regard > > adding outside farm supplies almost like a sin. They want to free > > themselves from the "system" and so do I but in a situation like > > that I donīt think it is intelligent to condemn your soil to > > starvation simply because they decided that this is "non-sustainable" > > In my oppinion there should be a another way to face the situation. > > Some criteria has to be found like level of microbial activity, level > > of nutrients, etc... > > Finally, BD is a proven system worldwide and if it does not work in > > a particular farm or particular region it should be seen simply as > > incompetence from those who are running those places and in our > > particular case the official Demeter people. > > > > Jose > > > > > > > > On Friday, March 8, 2002, at 07:07 AM, Rural Center for Responsible > > > Living wrote: > > > > > > > Dear Bonnie, > > > > > > > > Rudolf Steiner made it very clear in the lectures to farmers that the > > > > preparations were meant to enhance a sound animal based compost > > > > fertility > > > > management program. > > > > > > Thanks Christy. Yes. This was my understanding. > > > > I am a little confused at the Brazilian practices described by > > > > Jose, since most of the preparations are to be added to compost, and to > > > > think of adding compost for 27 years and see no results? Were they even > > > > composting? > > > > > > That is why I was confused about him telling of folks using the preps > > > alone. It sounded like they might not even be making compost. > > > > > > Bonnie York > > > > >
