News and Workshops

2010_Sep SFI Happenings

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:24:45 GMT

QUOTE:

People in cities may forget the soil for as long as a hundred years, but Mother Nature's memory is long and she will not let them forget indefinitely.

Henry Cantwell Wallace - US Secretary of Agriculture 1921 - 24

2010_Sep Blast from the past

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:49:28 GMT

2010_Sep Soil pathogens and biodiversity

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:08:15 GMT

2010_Sep Plant strategies for finding food

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:36:55 GMT

2010_Sep World Congress of Soil Science Brisbane

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:24:10 GMT

2010_Sep Trees farm bacteria

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:38:50 GMT

2010_Sep Soil Foodweb and Compost Tea in Mexico

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:02:52 GMT

2010_Sep Bacteria can smell

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:52:04 GMT

2010_Aug This month at SFI

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:31:51 GMT

2010_Aug Organic agriculture leads to better pest control

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:57:42 GMT

2010_Aug How fungi attack cells in plants and humans

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:31:53 GMT

2010_Aug Water Imploder

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:58:18 GMT

2010_Aug Fungi and the nitrogen cycle

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:29:47 GMT

Research from the University of York indicates that arbuscular mycorrhizae play an important role in the cycling of nitrogen. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are fungi that form a relationship with the roots of plants and obtain their supply of sugars (C) from the plant. These sugars are used to provide the energy for growth of the fungi. AM are unable to obtain sugars from organic decomposition, unlike other fungi and are therefore dependent upon the plant.

This new finding suggests that the hyphae (fungal strands) of AM are able to assimilate nitrogen (N) from decomposing organic matter, passing some of it on to the plant in return for carbon (in the form of sugars). The fungi were found to be much richer in nitrogen than the roots of the host plant. On this basis, it has been estimated that there could be as much nitrogen globally in AM as in plant roots. Plant roots generally live longer than fungal hyphae, which implies that nitrogen is cycled faster by fungi than by plants.

The techniques required to discover this are beyond the scope of this article (and this writer) but can be read in a little more detail at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715130159.htm

The academic article behind this announcement is available at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/07/13/1005874107

2010_Aug More on biochar

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:12:38 GMT

2010_Aug Tassie farms as carbon sinks

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:38:16 GMT

2010_Aug Water availability affects photosynthesis

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:29:00 GMT

Academic papers released in July 2010 have indicated that previous assumptions about the impact of increased temperatures (due to climate change/global warming) on the rate of photosynthesis may not be the full story. Rather, it appears that for many plants, water availability is much more important than temperature in determining how photosynthesis in plants changes in a changing environment.

FLUXNET is a "network of regional networks" coordinating observations of the exchanges of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. In Australia, the CSIRO is a participant through its OzFlux network - see http://www.cmar.csiro.au/ozflux/ The Australian ecosystems covered by observation stations include wet/dry savanna, rainforest, wet sclerophyll eucalyptus forest, pasture and sugar cane.

2010_July SFI Tick of Approval - OzTurners

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:50:58 GMT

The SFI Tick of Approval indicates that the product or service offered by the supplier meets the exacting standards established by SFI. Buyers and clients can be assured that companies holding the SFI TOA provide products or services in accordance with the latest in soil science, and at levels superior to standard regulations relating to agricultural inputs and their management. Companies interested in obtaining this prestigious SFI accreditation can read more about it on our website at http://www.soilfoodweb.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84&Itemid=116

2010_July What's new at SFI

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:31:41 GMT

QUOTE:

The earth neither grows old nor wears out if it is dunged.

- Columella, circa 45 A.D.

See the articles on manure and composts later in this newsletter.

The Month That Was

It has been a very hectic period of workshops and presentations around the country,from North Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Southern NSW and back to our home base in Lismore, Northern NSW. The team in the Lismore lab have kept the processes running smoothly during our absences, so there was not too much of a backlog when we returned. But, to rub salt into the wound, we are back in time to face all the end of financial year hassles! We met lots of new people and very many old friends during our travels and look forward to keeping in touch in future.

Electronic Manuals

SFI continue to improve service availability, options and delivery. A number of SFI audio materials are now available as downloadable MP3 files. Titles available are:

A Plant Production Overview
Actively Aerated Compost Tea
Grass Systems
Introduction to the Soil Foodweb
Row Crops and Vegies
The Compost Foodweb

These are presentations by Dr Elaine Ingham and each consists of a set of downloadable MP3 files (up to 19 files).

To purchase any of these products, please just click on "Electronic Manuals" from the list on the left hand side of the SFI homepage. Select the item(s) that you require and when your shopping is complete, proceed to the checkout. After your payment has cleared, you will be sent an email containing the link to your files. You will have 24 hours in which to download your files.

TIP OF THE MONTH

This month's tip comes from Dr Ingham and relates to compost tea brewers: I'd suggest the simple brewers, where cone tanks are used, with a valve in the cone so you can close the tank, put the air pump on the cone, turn the air pump on, open the valve, and allow aeration. When finished with the brewing, you close the valve, remove the pipe to the air pump, and drain the tea into the tank for spraying. Simple, easy, with nothing but the walls of the cone tank to clean. High pressure washers are all that is needed, no other surfaces to scrub.

QUOTE:

Most of all one discovers that the soil does not stay the same, but, like anything alive, is always changing and telling its own story. Soil is the substance of transformation.

- Carol Williams

2010_July Manure gives better returns than chemical fertilisers

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:14:47 GMT

2010_July Measuring soil moisture from space

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:12:20 GMT

2010_July Testing for nematodes

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:44:49 GMT

2010_July NFF National Congress

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:11:22 GMT

2010_July New SFI Certified Advisor

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:17:36 GMT

2010_July Compost preparation

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:52:12 GMT

2010_July Frankenfood

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:13:07 GMT

2010_June What's happening at SFI

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:40:43 GMT

As always, readers are encouraged to email or otherwise advise of any topics that they would specifically like covered in future newsletters. Suggestions can be emailed to me, Peter Pond (peter@soilfoodweb.com.au )

QUOTE:

"There be three things which make a nation great and prosperous: a fertile soil, busy workshops, easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place."

Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626), philosopher, lawyer, scientist, author

2010_June Miscellanea

Mon, 31 May 2010 04:21:30 GMT

2010_June Deep organics

Mon, 31 May 2010 01:29:20 GMT

2010_June Interconnectedness

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:51:11 GMT

To demonstrate that what we don't know still far exceeds what we do - Professor David Changnon of Northern Illinois University has theorised that marked changes (cooling) in local climates in the US MidWest could be caused by changes in cropping densities.

2010_June Toxic crops

Sun, 30 May 2010 23:40:55 GMT

2010_June The Climate-Friendly Gardener

Sun, 30 May 2010 22:44:03 GMT

2010_June Soil biology - carbon increase due to no-till

Sun, 30 May 2010 02:22:00 GMT

2010_June Hugh Bennett, Soil Conservator

Sun, 30 May 2010 01:16:18 GMT

2010_May Latest SFI News

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:46:29 GMT

2010_May Worms eat my garbage

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:58:53 GMT

NEW FROM THE SFI STORE

2010_May Back to basics in dairy

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 01:48:18 GMT

From our friends at Farming Secrets, we have a story about a young dairy farmer from Finley, NSW. In the April 2010 edition of "Dairy News Australia" there is an item on Andy Ibbott, and his experience with switching to natural farming systems.

2010_May Phytoliths and carbon sequestration

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:37:52 GMT

Global concerns with climate change, possibly due to increasing CO₂ in the atmosphere, is leading to some interesting research into methods for sequestering carbon in the soil. Southern Cross University, based here in Lismore NSW, has a project looking at the potential for plants to sequester carbon.

The project has the wonderful name of "Phytolith Occluded Carbon Project" (PhytOC). It is being conducted by Professor Leigh Sullivan and Dr Jeff Parr. The project has considered the capacity of dfferent plants to sequester carbon in phytoliths in different soils. An important aspect of this is that PhytOC has been shown to be highly resistant to decomposition over long time periods. (Phytolith is also known as "plant stone" - more details on plant stones can be found on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantstone .)

2010_May MOSES

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:38:04 GMT

2010_May Regional food - US style

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:47:07 GMT

2010_May Soil carbon response to warming

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:16:08 GMT

In late April 2010, US researchers led by Steven Allison of the University of California at Irvine, released a study into the effects of warming on microbial activity in the soil. This research, published in Nature Geoscience, has reversed earlier thoughts on this topic.

2010_May Liebig's Law of the Minimum

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:53:34 GMT

In 1828, the German botanist, Carl Sprengel, developed one of the principles of agriculture, later popularised by Justus von Liebig, a German chemist. This principle is known as "Liebig's Law of the Minimum".

Liebig's Law suggests that plant growth is controlled, not by the total amount of nutrients or resources available, but by the availability of the scarcest resource. Simplistically, water can be seen as one of those resources and we know that it doesn't matter how many other resources there are in the soil for our crops, without any water those crops ain't gonna grow. Liebig's Law is often described as being like a wooden barrel with different length staves, where each stave represents a different resource. The amount of water able to be held in the barrel (an analogy for plant growth) is quite obviously determined by the length of the shortest stave (the availability of the scarcest resource). See the diagram below.

2010_Apr_J Online soil sample submission

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:27:46 GMT

2010_Apr_B Norwegian visitor

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:40:55 GMT

2010_Apr_E Some key soil biology facts

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:07:25 GMT

2010_Apr_C Fertiliser from wood ash and urine

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:18:05 GMT

2010_Apr_D Retain crop residues for better soils

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:35:03 GMT

2010_Apr_A SFI Workshops

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:39:13 GMT

We are approaching a busy period for SFI Australia, with workshops being held around the country.

2010_Apr_I NFF National Congress

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:12:15 GMT

2010_Apr_G Vermicomposts control pests

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:40:01 GMT

Vermicompost tea can be used to control pests such as aphids, mealy bugs, mites, cucumber beetles and tobacco hornworms. Two studies have been published in recent months by a team led by Clive A Edwards and scientists from Ohio State University and the University of Hawaii.

From Crop Protection, Volume 29, Issue 1, January 2010, pages 80-93

Interactions between earthworms and microorganisms in breaking down organic wastes produce vermicompost. Properly prepared aqueous extracts based on this vermicompost (vermicompost tea) were applied to tomato and cucumber plants in a glasshouse situation to ascertain the protection afforded by the vermicompost tea against green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), citrus mealy bug (Planococcus citri) and two spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae).

2010_Apr_F Pesticides reducing legume crop yields

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:47:35 GMT

Farmers apply pesticides in an attempt to increase yields through reducing crop losses to insects and other pests. But research by scientists from a number of US universities has demonstrated that the opposite is the case.