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Julie starts with ... You've heard of peak oil—the idea that the globe's easy-to-get-to petroleum reserves are largely cashed, and most of what's left is the hard stuff, buried in deep-sea deposits or tar sands. But what about peak phosphorus and potassium? These elements form two-thirds of the holy agricultural triumvirate of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (also known as NPK, from their respective markers in the periodic table). These nutrients, which are essential for plants to grow, are extracted from soil every time we harvest crops, and have to be replaced if farmland is to remain productive. http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/11/are-we-heading-toward-peak-fertilizer | About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 1st June 2013 7:56pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author 76 1st June 2013 9:24pm #UserID: 7121 Posts: 76 View All 76's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 4th June 2013 8:33am | |
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y3yrr says... Are you aware of what the new technologies are for extracting liquid hydrocarbons,Julie? Or is yours a blanket opinion -new technology must be bad. I think it's worth mentioning because everyone and his cat was all excited about "peak oil" And now not a word. If you live long enough you come to realise that these enthusiasms come and then they go. Peak fertiliser, who wants to take a bet? | About the Author y3yrr sydney 5th June 2013 4:06pm #UserID: 8037 Posts: 18 View All y3yrr's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author Boris Spasky 5th June 2013 4:29pm #UserID: 7085 Posts: 184 View All Boris Spasky's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Julie says... Yes, y3yrr,I am very aware of fracking. As you don't know me, please don't make assuptions eg 'new technology must be bad'. Have you seen the film 'Gasland'? Boris, we should be recycling animal manure, but much of it is wasted in feedlots. The old mixed farm,where everything was cycled around the farm has pretty well gone, as it is seen as inefficient. Most farms now rely on bought phosphorous. Here's an interesting article about food production in Russia. http://naturalsociety.com/russians-prove-small-scale-organic-can-feed-world/?utm_source=Natural+Society&utm_campaign=43b65d962d-Email+170%3A+5%2F31%2F2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f20e6f9c84-43b65d962d-323119937 According to some statistics, they grow 92% of the entire countries’ potatoes, 77% of its vegetables, 87% of its fruit, and feed 71% of the entire population from privately owned, organic farms or house gardens all across the country. These aren’t huge Agro-farms run by pharmaceutical companies; these are small family farms and less-than-an-acre gardens. | About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 5th June 2013 7:55pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 5th June 2013 8:01pm | |
About the Author y3yrr sydney 6th June 2013 8:01am #UserID: 8037 Posts: 18 View All y3yrr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author denise1 auckland NZ 6th June 2013 10:30am #UserID: 6832 Posts: 688 View All denise1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike says... To me it seems peak fertiliser is still a way off and there will be ways for backyard folk to get NPK for small scale use.The issue at a larger scale relating to big areas of arable land and soil loss is harder to resolve.Micronutrients as well as macros are going down through the soil,into groundwater and flowing to the sea.We are not replacing the organic matter containing macros amd micros that would be recycled in natural systems. Fracking like most wide area extractive industry processes has the potential to go very wrong and have serious impacts.The jury is still out on whether it can be done on a sustainable basis that minimises environmental harm.I am sure the mining industry would not engage in high risk activities in sensitive areas where things are likely to go wrong. | About the Author 6th June 2013 10:33am #UserID: 5418 Posts: 1438 View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author y3yrr sydney 6th June 2013 2:19pm #UserID: 8037 Posts: 18 View All y3yrr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author y3yrr sydney 6th June 2013 2:23pm #UserID: 8037 Posts: 18 View All y3yrr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike T says... Thanks y3yrr,darkness appears in the strangest places. Sometimes it is worthwhile to remember that soils run down over time and it will be getting more expensive to replace them as easy sources are used up. It isn't new or unknown idea as many ancient cultures found out. Trying to have vision and respond to situation is always a better way to go than denying or living in the past. | About the Author Cairns 6th June 2013 6:57pm #UserID: 5418 Posts: 1438 View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
Julie says... Mike, I was thinking mostly of large scale farming when I posted the article.( BTW, I only posted it - I didn't write it! I thought it might be worth discussing and thinking about. Pity about the rude comments). Back yard growers fare much better, especially organic growers, as they tend to be more conservative with fertilisers and recycle nutrients. Jason, I agree - nitrogen is the easy one. Probably why it wasn't mentioned. | About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 6th June 2013 7:05pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 6th June 2013 9:34pm | |
y3yrr says... Phosphorus was originally isolated from human urine where it happily resides waiting for the day it is economically viable to 'mine'. I read some Sweden does use public urinals for agriculture. As for potassium there are huge deposits in Canada ,recently purchased by BHP-Biliton.. If you must worry about something look to the extreme stratification of society when jobs are sent off-shore and we become a nation of peasants and gentry. | About the Author y3yrr sydney 7th June 2013 9:03am #UserID: 8037 Posts: 18 View All y3yrr's Edible Fruit Trees |