Herbicides Don’t Just Kill Weeds In the last post, we looked at biological cascades in ecosystems. We saw that seemingly unrelated activities are linked together through complex food webs. Living creatures that seem unrelated at first glance turn out to be so dependent on one another that what benefits one species can benefit many. Likewise, … Read more
What is a Disruptive Innovation A disruptive innovation is an innovation that enters the market inconspicuously, at the grass roots, so to speak. Adding remarkable value, often at a low cost, the innovation quickly transforms the marketplace. For more than a century, agricultural advisors have focused on the chemical needs of soils, often at the … Read more
Stop Turning Your Compost Composting offers a terrific way to culture native microbes that benefit your soil. However, there is more to a good compost than simply building a pile of manure and yard waste. Proper aeration is important to prevent overheating and to ensure that aerobic bacteria-bacteria that consume oxygen, dominate the mixture. While … Read more
Every grower knows beneficial microbes like rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi can help plants produce strong, resistant, and resilient crops. Many growers know that having the right microbes in the soil can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Far too many growers have fallen for the “bug-in-a-jug,” spending various sums of … Read more
Soil Crusts are Tiny Communities that Can Help You Build Healthy Soil Did you ever walk out in the desert following a rainstorm? If so, you may have noticed a thin black or green layer on the surface of the soil. Of course. you may have noticed a sprinkling of dry, black powder on the soil surface … Read more
Recently, I was invited into a discussion on the potential for “solar powered nitrogen factories”. The dialog dealt with using legumes and grasses as cover crops to increase soil fertility. This is of course, a great strategy which farmers are adopting at large scales. As the cover crops grow, they release sugars that feed … Read more
