From: de5@ORNL.GOV (Dave Sill)
Subject: Re: Returning nutrients to the soil
Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge, TN
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 19:51:41 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.180943.6953@nstn.ns.ca>, dc_ags@ac.nsac.ns.ca (Don Christie) writes:
>
>this is basically true: the microbial population in soil is largely responsible
>for the cycling of important nutrients... especially the N-P-K types. 
>However, it would be an error to discount the effects of inorganic chemical
>reactions which are responsible for the availability of some nutrients in
>the soil solution.

The implication here, of course, is that I or someone else in this group, *has*
discounted the effects of inorganic chemical reactions.  Now, you might be
confusing "organic" farming and organic chemistry, but with your level of
knowledge on these matters, such a mistake would almost have to be intentional.

>>There are at least two schools of thought on this.  One, apparently yours,
>>believes that the intimate details need to be understood before something can
>>be mastered.  The other, mine, agrees that it might be possible to do that, but
>>that it is not necessary.  It is often the case that processes can be managed
>>by taking care of the big picture and letting natural processes take care of
>>the details.
>
>take this argument and put it into a different context... it might make a bit
>more sense... for example, let's examine two individuals who wish to learn
>to play a musical instrument... a guitar.

I hate analogies, but I'll play along.

>Individual A decides that the best approach to this subject would be to go
>to a music conservatory and learn musical theory. Individual B doesn't agree,
>and simply picks up the instrument and learns to play by ear.
>
>In time, both individuals will undoubtedly learn to play guitar... but the 
>answer to the question of which musician is better depends on your point of
>view.

I disagree.  I think musical ability is rather independent of formal musical
education.  The musical ability is a combination of the technical mastery of
the skill required to play the instrument plus the artistic skill to decide
what pieces to play and how to play them.  The better musician will be
determined not solely by the formal training, but by inherent artistic ability,
drive, coordination, etc.

>The same holds true for agriculture. In order to perform adequately as a farmer
>in modern society, he/she requires in-depth training on a wide variety of
>topics... ranging from basic chemistry and biology up to and including
>economics and other forms of mathematics.

I agree, but this is *not* the point I was making.  Given identical training,
there are still two ways to farm: the analytical, micro-controlled approach
typified by those whose ideal "farm" is a hermetically-sealed (to keep the
nasty wild plants/bugs/microbes/fungi/molds out), climate controlled (the
weather is *so* unreliable) environment where monoculture, selectively-bred
and/or genetically-engineered plants (can't waste time/resources on
less-than-optimal specimens) grow in a sterile soilless medium and are fed
precisely metered mixtures of nutrients and micronutrients.  Total control of
every aspect of the process is the goal.  This is the "farm" as a life-support
system for plants.  It's very complex, fragile, and entirely dependent upon our
knowledge of the requirements of each species.  (Yes, that's an absurd
exaggeration)

The other extreme is the more natural, macro-managed approach where the goal is
not to raise plants, but to encourage the natural environment to raise plants. 
Rather than reimplementing natures life support systems for plants, it simply
uses the natural life support systems.  Taken to the extreme, as in the
previous example, what you have is uncultivated wilderness.

>It is still possible to undertake
>farming without this knowledge, (as it was possible for the guitar player to
>play without music theory), but it is much more difficult to `get it right'
>because of a lack of knowledge. 

Organic farming does *not* encourage ignorance.  Period.

-- 
Dave Sill (de5@ornl.gov)                 Computers should work the way beginners
Martin Marietta Energy Systems           expect them to, and one day they will.
Workstation Support                                                -- Ted Nelson
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture