[foxhop]

It's crazy how scientists are researching worms for Mars and yet our scientists in agriculture actively preach practices that compact soil and kill soil biology. Monsanto chemicals and John Deeres tractors are ruining systems that literally self renew.

Maybe we should try to work with earth's nature here before trying to emulate it on another planet?

[kiwicopple]

My family are based in New Zealand and make a feriliser that is high in carbon and micronutrients (we use seaweed). Even after pot trials and field trials showing massive benefits we found it nearly impossible to sell to farmers. Generally they are sick of snake oil salesmen peddling the next best product. Farmers mindsets are almost immutable - we even had farmers who used some and saw the anecdotal benefits (worms) and then just switched back to regular SSP because it was what they always did. We had a lot more success with vineyards.

[vadimberman]

Could it be because it is impossible for the farmers to determine long-term effects (e.g. damage to the soil, etc.), and they don't want to risk adopting a potential "time bomb"?

[kiwicopple]

Yes it certainly could be that. The margins for sheep & beef farmers especially are quite thin so they are essentially surviving year to year and wouldn't want to risk even a short-term impacts.

Although I would argue that some of it is common sense which is eschewed because of the thin margins. In NZ, farmers will annually replace phosphate, nitrogen, and potassium because they know it is lost to produce/erosion/environmental factors. But the same isn't true of 20+ other nutrients that make a healthy soil. Soil is like the human body which has an amazing ability to survive on just bread and water, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's all you should feed it

[vadimberman]

Appreciate the answer and good luck with the venture.

[NegativeLatency]

Why can't you do both?

[solarengineer]

This tendency of "solve this problem first, instead of this other thing" is rather unfortunate. Why not work on both? Or get the right people to fix what you'd like?

Using earthworms is not new at all - this has been going on for hundreds of years in agrarian societies.

[foxhop]

I didn't say it was new, I said we are actively killing earth worms on our planet and destroying self renewing systems. One doesn't have to "use" earthworms, they are part of nature and work without needing any guidance our inputs. Simply leave the worms and other soil biology alone and they self renew!

[Houshalter]

Do you have a source for any of this?

[foxhop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1aR5OLgcc0

For more on this topic, please research:

- no-till farming

- polycultures (no monocultures)

- cover crops (or cover soil when not in use)

- reduce or eliminate chemical inputs

- permaculture

[Houshalter]

Most farming is no-till now, because of the "chemicals" you seem to hate.

[foxhop]

That is false. Most farm land is tilled, plowed, driven on by machines for seeding and harvest, and disturbed regardless of the chemical inputs.

[Houshalter]

I can only speak for my region. But plowing and cultivating has become a lot less common over the past few decades. Herbicides kill the weeds effectively which reduce the need for it.

I think you don't know what you are talking about.

[chmod775]

I believe he's referring to the usual Monsanto horror stories, which always receive plenty of discussion on HN.

Try putting "monsanto" in the search field at the bottom.