
Innovation by ancient farmers adds to biodiversity of the Amazon, study shows - Thevet
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_801967_en.html
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Melting_Harps
Biochar is very interesting topic I got introduced to by the son of a
Biodynamic farmer I worked for in Schwaebisch Gmuend, he had done his last
year of undergrad studies for his Ag degree in Africa to try and utilize this
method to re-rehabilitate the soil by introducing micro-organisms alongside
subsistence farmers. Biodynamics, after you remove the often over-emphasized
'woo-woo' aspect (which I personally enjoy, but can be off-putting to the
uninitiated) of it from Steiner, is actually just really sound Microbiology
and Astronomy.

The surface area you create via pyrolysis in organic matter to create the bio-
char for microoragnisms is actually really impressive and a low cost way to
maintain soil fertility.

Graham Hancock actually made the point in his book America Before [1], that
Amazonian People actually cultivated the Amazon Forest as we would with Nature
Preserves in National Forests. Its a pretty interesting perspective I never
considered being from the West and took the Amazon for granted, but it makes
sense when your way of life relies on Natural Paganism and Biodiversity the
abundance of of wild-life to help feed your People.

1: [https://www.amazon.com/America-Before-Earths-Lost-
Civilizati...](https://www.amazon.com/America-Before-Earths-Lost-
Civilization/dp/1250153735)

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LunaSea
I think that biochar is interesting but make no mistake, the astronomy side is
pure pseudo-science at the same level as homeopathy.

~~~
fit2rule
It is _not_ pseudo-science - it just hasn't been taken seriously by current
_market_ leaders in the agricultural science market.

That is not the same as being a pseudo-science.

There are a lot of discoveries in agriculture that aren't taken seriously by
mainstream researchers, because they work for market-dominating entities who
can't profit when people start growing their own food gardens.

~~~
LunaSea
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture#Recepti...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture#Reception)

All research papers linked show that biodynamic agriculture is similar to
alchemy.

Do you have scientific sources that show any advantages of biodynamic
agriculture over regular biological agriculture?

~~~
fit2rule
Rigorous science requires a great deal of validation. Woo-woo 'energy fields'
\- okay, sure. But I don't think enough has been done on the subject of lunar
cycles and plant health, and that's one of the issues I have with lumping all
"biodynamic agriculture" under the same pretext.

I can say that what I've seen with my own eyes: crops which were planted
during a full moon versus crops (from the same seedlings) going in a week
later, is that the moon-crops were bigger, juicier, and more resilient to
problems - this over multiple years, in my own personal garden, under the
watchful eye of my own gardener, whose opinion I trust inherently ..

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Fireflite
Yes, you'll often get better results by transplanting earlier. You're missing
the inverse control though.

In the absence of a specific mechanism it seems very implausible that the full
moon has a measurable positive effect on the plants.

~~~
fit2rule
I dunno about that. Plants evolved under the influence of the moon.

~~~
LunaSea
Thing is that the idea has merit if it has been proven in double blind
scenarios with controls.

This is not the case here.

We might not know everything about biological processes in agriculture and all
the variables that come into play, however that doesn't mean that any idea
that isn't part of "mainstream" agriculture has merit on its own.

~~~
fit2rule
Mainstream isn't always as inclusive for things as it might want to be. There
could be economic reasons for suppressing the biodynamic movement.

Agricultural-science is fraught with misdeed.

~~~
LunaSea
We live in an age of mass production, I wonder what company would try to block
farmers from producing more.

Also, no company can stop independent farmers from starting a biodynamic farm
and produce more than their competitors thus being able to have even better
margins.

So I think we can safely classify those kinds of worries in the "conspiracy
theory" until proven otherwise.

~~~
fit2rule
Oh, I think you're being specious if you really have an interest in this
subject but can't name a single company that would try to block farmers
producing more using techniques from which the company can't derive profit...
But hey, if you want to use the old 'conspiracy theory' saw to end the
discussion, fine with me.

~~~
LunaSea
Well you're making a claim regarding biodynamic agriculture but can't back it
up.

When asked for sources you answer with obscure conspiracy theories which are
again, not backed up.

I'm sorry but science it built on stronger principles than this.

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samvher
I highly recommend the book "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before
Columbus" by Charles Mann which among others goes into this topic as well. It
really changed my conceptions about ancient civilizations in the Americas.

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spiderfarmer
I put all the ashes from my wood stove in the winter on my vegetable garden
and fruit trees. The ash is rich in calcium, potash, minerals and trace
elements. I only avoid using it on the potatoes, the calcium provides a
thicker skin, which I don't like.

