Agriculture and Excess

In my August post, "A Better Way to Farm" I touched on the effects of nutrient pollution from excess fertilizer runoff into our waterways. Another critical environmental effect of agriculture is the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, especially with the advent of our modern factory farm type operations. Fertilizer production alone accounts for more than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and agriculture overall contributes 13.5 - 33%, depending on whether you include deforestation for land conversion. Science is demonstrating that in addition to the large contribution of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere from intensive farming, excess fertilizer application stimulates soil microbes to produce much greater amounts of nitrous oxide, which is a greenhouse gas with 300 times the heat trapping capability of carbon dioxide.

These are all facts I was unaware of when I started my current no fertilizer garden 5 years ago, and no-till 3 years ago. the experiment has produced excellent results. What started as a sandy weed patch has turned into a very productive garden with dark, rich soil that I build on every fall and winter with the addition of leaves and discarded pumpkins from around my neighborhood. Throughout the year I also throw in any kitchen greenstuff, banana peels, old greens, apple cores, anything. Add my coffee grounds and the occasional crushed egg shells and it feels almost like feeding a pet sometimes. I've also started incorporating cover crops in the form of scattered lentil seeds, which grow well here in the winter and fix nitrogen. The work is much less than when I used to turn over the soil and I can see the improved response in the plants, in the earthworms and other beneficial biota, and in the appearance of the soil itself. I use pretty much the same treatment for my many house plants, including large Ficus and citrus trees, and all have done well without any fertilizer for years, except the occasional addition of water from my aquariums when I change it. Lots of good nitrogen and phosphorus in that.

I of course realize that commercial farm operations are on a completely different scale from my little garden, but I believe that God gave us a planet with natural systems capable of producing what we need, if we pay attention and work with it. Masanobu Fukuoka and all the researchers and practitioners of no-till and cover crop farming are discovering, or rediscovering this today.

Basic natural materials from the neighborhood like leaves (most decomposed in a bag over the summer), pumpkins disposed of after Halloween, plus scattered lettuce, carrots, and lentil bean plants from broadcast seeds are the basis of my nutrient addition to the garden. I also throw in any waste greens stuff from the refrigerator, old coffee grounds and egg shells. It's almost like feeding a pet.

The results are undeniable. Excellent plant growth and production without any commercial fertilizer.

Meyer lemon tree in pot.

This nutrient management also works for my potted plants. I have never added commercial fertilizer to these citrus trees or to any of my many other potted plants which do very well, only add scattered green waste, coffee grounds, and occasionally add waste water from my aquariums when I change the water.

http://grist.org/article/2010-02-23-new-research-synthetic-nitrogen-destroys-soil-carbon-undermines/

http://grist.org/article/2009-11-11-the-dark-side-of-nitrogen/

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2012/04/02/fertilizer-use-responsible-for-increase-in-nitrous-oxide-in-atmosphere/

http://www.nature.com/news/one-third-of-our-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from-agriculture-1.11708

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fertilizer-produces-far-more-greenhouse-gas-expected

http://vimeo.com/channels/healthysoilshealthycrops

 http://www.appropedia.org/images/d/d3/Onestraw.pdf

http://task38.org/publications/GHG_Emission_Fertilizer_Production_July2004.pdf

http://www.nature.com/news/summit-urged-to-clean-up-farming-1.9376

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-2743.2005.tb00105.x/abstract

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016788090100233X