Comments on: Organic farming – is it a cult or a real technology? http://panchul.com/2005/03/23/organic_cult/ A software architect and a freelance popular science writer Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:43:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Yuri Panchul http://panchul.com/2005/03/23/organic_cult/comment-page-1/#comment-10428 Yuri Panchul Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:37:14 +0000 http://panchul.com/wordpress/?p=24#comment-10428 Kevin: Let's address your points one by one. *** I don’t have any N-P-K fertilizer cost each year. I use cover crops and compost. *** It is possible that your soil has all the necessary P and K because of the chemical properties of underlying rock in your area. For example, many soils in California have excessive amount of P and K and need only N. Soils in other areas do need P and K fertilizers. Did you test your soil in a lab like http://soilandplantlab.com ? *** Chemical fertilizers were not manufactured with the intent of the farmer in mind. *** 1. Do you agree that NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> ion is exactly the same whether it comes from chemical fertilizer or from decomposition of your cover crop? This is a "yes/no" question. 2. Do you agree that any plant need to consume NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> ions in order to build its proteins? This is also a "yes/no" question. Thank you, Yuri Panchul Kevin:

Let’s address your points one by one.

*** I don’t have any N-P-K fertilizer cost each year. I use cover crops and compost. ***

It is possible that your soil has all the necessary P and K because of the chemical properties of underlying rock in your area. For example, many soils in California have excessive amount of P and K and need only N. Soils in other areas do need P and K fertilizers. Did you test your soil in a lab like http://soilandplantlab.com ?

*** Chemical fertilizers were not manufactured with the intent of the farmer in mind. ***

1. Do you agree that NO3- ion is exactly the same whether it comes from chemical fertilizer or from decomposition of your cover crop? This is a “yes/no” question.

2. Do you agree that any plant need to consume NO3- ions in order to build its proteins? This is also a “yes/no” question.

Thank you,
Yuri Panchul

]]> By: Kevin http://panchul.com/2005/03/23/organic_cult/comment-page-1/#comment-10379 Kevin Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:18:42 +0000 http://panchul.com/wordpress/?p=24#comment-10379 In all do respect, this is description of organic agriculture is such a farce. It appears that you have a personal hatred toward Ecology Action and you are using organic agriculture as your medium. It is obvious that you have just read some papers from pro-chemical supporters and regurgitated it. Your arguments do not even make any sense. For example, you say that chemical fertilizer cost less than organic fertilizer. Do you have any first hand experience? Can you document any evidence that supports that? Well, I can. As a follower of the "cult", I don't have any N-P-K fertilizer cost each year. I use cover crops and compost. You could consider the cost of the cover crop seed as fertilizer. I build my soil, which in turns feeds the plants. Some of the farmers in my area who grow hay, spend (as of the spring 2008) $700 for triple 19 (19-19-19) per acre. And they have to put that on every year if they want to get a hay crop in, (in their own words). So how is that for cost? Chemical fertilizers were not manufactured with the intent of the farmer in mind. The farmer was an after thought. They were manufactured because after WW2, there was massive amounts of chemicals left over and so they turned them into fertilizers (one of the things they did with them). American agriculture has never been the same. In all do respect, this is description of organic agriculture is such a farce. It appears that you have a personal hatred toward Ecology Action and you are using organic agriculture as your medium. It is obvious that you have just read some papers from pro-chemical supporters and regurgitated it. Your arguments do not even make any sense. For example, you say that chemical fertilizer cost less than organic fertilizer. Do you have any first hand experience? Can you document any evidence that supports that? Well, I can. As a follower of the “cult”, I don’t have any N-P-K fertilizer cost each year. I use cover crops and compost. You could consider the cost of the cover crop seed as fertilizer. I build my soil, which in turns feeds the plants. Some of the farmers in my area who grow hay, spend (as of the spring 2008) $700 for triple 19 (19-19-19) per acre. And they have to put that on every year if they want to get a hay crop in, (in their own words). So how is that for cost?

Chemical fertilizers were not manufactured with the intent of the farmer in mind. The farmer was an after thought. They were manufactured because after WW2, there was massive amounts of chemicals left over and so they turned them into fertilizers (one of the things they did with them). American agriculture has never been the same.

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