When we were in India we saw many piles of coir being burnt, as they have problems breaking the lignin down and so it doesnt rot. One BD farmer was using the coir on the compost, but he was having to brew up specific fungi, I think Pleurotis was one, (for lignin) and another for utilising the cellulose. Then it composted well.
Some of the BD farmers are either getting their coconut husks back after the copra has been removed and placing the husks under the coconut palms for mulch. The foil fungi break them down rapidly and it also appears this interreaction is helping overcome the coconut mite that spoils the coconuts. Some were even placing the coconut fronds under the palms and they were also breaking down rapidly. The soil biolife under this system was amazing, they used the BD 500 and CPP (Barrel compost) and horn clay monthly followed by 501 and 508. In some places they found they needed to irrigate monthly instead of every two days! So in answer to the question of whether you are taking a natural resource from India and Sri Lanka, not at present, as it is not being used at all except by those interested in working with fungi. Cheryl. Cheryl Kemp Education and Workshop Coordinator BDFGAA Phone /Fax : 02 6657 5322 Home: 02 6657 5306 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.biodynamics.net.au ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Nelson-Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 12:42 AM Subject: Re: Peat and coconut wastes > Frank - have things radically changed regarding coir usage on the Indian > subcontinent? I seem to remember reports of coir mounds in Sri Lanka which > had built up over decades, apparently unused. Peat in UK was certainly > being extracted much faster than ever it could be laid down naturally - even > now, only a few sites have been 'rescued' from the peat producers. We had > regarded coir as being a valid alternative, paying for a commodity which the > locals didn't value. Tony N-S. > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > http://www.hotmail.com >
