With the determination of gold miners panning for their fortune, farmers are picking through soil profiles these days — also in search of treasure. Those riches are in the form of worms, mites, nematodes, deep-growing plant roots, aggregated soil structure and any tell-tale signs of bacterial and fungal activity. All those are indications of [...]
The very first life on this Earth was the microorganisms. From raw elements, they created the soil that supports the plants and higher forms of life. Even to this day, there could be no life without the presence of microorganisms. In addition, they play a major role in keeping the many life species in [...]
Mycorrhizal fungi form a symbiotic association with the roots of most plants. The fungi grow into or between the cells of the roots and use 10% of the carbohydrates the plant passes from the leaves to the roots. The fungi do not have chlorophyll in the presence of sunlight, so they can't manufacture carbohydrates. In return [...]
Most all farm produce — meat, fiber, vegetables and grain — is sent into the cities where it is processed and consumed and eventually ends up in some form of garbage or sludge. A small amount may be composted and used in gardens or the landscape in urban areas. Little, if any, makes it back to the farm [...]
No life, not even the simplest, can exist without water. Three quarters of the Earth is covered with water, but most of it is too salty to drink. Only 3% of all the water on Earth is fresh water. Agriculture uses 80%–90% of that small amount. And each year, that 3% is getting more and more [...]