Hydroponic greenhouse gardening
(Page 3 of 7)
Another article, entitled "Nutritional Value of Organically
Grown Foods Same As That Using Commercial Products",
appearing in the March 10, 1974 Sante Fe New
Mexican, had this to say about the subject:
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"Promoted and accepted by many people is the theory
that foods grown "naturally" provide greater nutrition. .
.
But absolutely no scientific evidence that this is so
was gleaned by the Michigan Experiment Station in a 10 year
study, or by the U.S. Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory
in Ithaca, New York in a 25 year program, or in a
34-year-long study on an experimental research farm in
England.
These studies found that while soil improvement can
increase the yield and size of crops, the nutrition factors
of the food grown in such soil aren't altered . . .
All food scientists agree that all fertilizer elements
have to be in a soluble form before any plant can use them
. . . Once converted into the soluble form, the plant
neither knows the difference nor does it make different use
of them.
Now, before anyone takes me to task for advocating the use
of chemical fertilizers—as these quotes seem to
do—let me explain my position further. There's an
adage in organic gardening that goes like this: "When
fertilizing, always remember that the objective of the
organic method is to feed the soil, not necessarily the
plant." In other words, if you build your soil with organic
material, you will eventually provide enough nutrients to
grow healthy produce.
The spreading of chemical fertilizers, however, does just
the opposite: It feeds the crops and not the land. The
result is that the micro-organisms which break down organic
material into the chemical form that plants can use are
starved out, and the soil literally dies.
Purely and simply, to put raw chemical fertilizer on the
soil is not unlike giving hard narcotics to a human being.
A man on a steady maintenance dose of heroin, for example,
can live a completely "normal" life as long as he
receives that dose. If the drug is taken away from
him, he suffers withdrawal symptoms and can no longer
function. It's the same with the land. Once the natural
micro-organisms have been destroyed by artificial
fertilizers, the soil is to all intents a "junkie". Nothing
will grow on it unless it receives its dose of chemicals.
In hydroponic gardening, however, there is no soil, so the
plants can be fed the exact nutrients they need for rapid
growth and volume production. Does this sound like a
typical agribusiness statement? Maybe so . . . but bear in
mind that the earth is already unable to feed its
continually growing population. That's one reason why
chemicals are being used: "Natural" methods can no longer
keep up with the tremendous demand for food. The situation
is bad, and getting worse. Doesn't it make more sense to
solve a part of our problem with hydroponic methods rather
than poison our cropland beyond the point of recovery?
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