The Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta) is a beautiful flowering plant from Central America. It has been used as an ornament, edible food, a source of dye, and herbal medicine for many centuries. Thai researchers reported that its essential oils are a natural herbicide for some of the most common weeds that plague farms. Cockspur grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) is one … Continue reading Mexican marigold essential oil holds potential as powerful natural herbicide
Soils treated with organic fertilizer are healthier; produce stronger plants
Come to any local gardening center and you may see rows and rows of plant- and animal-based fertilizers that boast of faster growth, beautiful blooms, or abundant produce from your plants. But which type of fertilizer can actually deliver these promises? A study published in the journal Biological Agriculture & Horticulture assessed the effect of plant- and animal-based soil amendments in the … Continue reading Soils treated with organic fertilizer are healthier; produce stronger plants
Organic fertilizer can be used to increase crop yield in plants grown in rotation
A study published in the journal Biological Agriculture & Horticulture assessed soil nitrogen oxidation through field incubation, and analyzed the rate of nitrogen release by commercial fertilizers compared with farmyard manure compost. For the study, a three-year organic crop rotation was set up in a field with sandy loam, with a cover crop of rye and vetch for green manure. In the … Continue reading Organic fertilizer can be used to increase crop yield in plants grown in rotation
For the organic farmer: Grow healthier plants with organic fertilizer mixed with compost tea
A study published in Biological Agriculture & Horticulture confirmed what many organic farmers and gardeners have known for so long now: The benefits of biochar can be enhanced by amending it with compost tea. Biochar is charcoal used as a soil amendment. It’s very popular among organic farmers and gardeners, some of whom amend it with compost tea, … Continue reading For the organic farmer: Grow healthier plants with organic fertilizer mixed with compost tea
Want bigger, healthier potatoes? Use straw mulch; it improves soil quality and suppresses weeds
Want to get the most yield and the biggest tubers from your crop of potatoes, protect them from certain pests and weeds, and not use any artificial chemicals? An American study reported that adding straw mulch to the soil around emerging potatoes will result in bigger, healthier tubers. Mulch was also shown to protect the crops against … Continue reading Want bigger, healthier potatoes? Use straw mulch; it improves soil quality and suppresses weeds
Hummingbirds and bumble bees are being exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides at alarming rates
It’s quite simple: About 87 percent of all flowering plants are pollinated by animals, and this includes 70 percent of the planet’s most produced food crops. Bees alone are responsible for pollinating one in every three bites of food we eat. Without pollinators like bees, birds and bats, we would be faced with an overwhelming … Continue reading Hummingbirds and bumble bees are being exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides at alarming rates
DDT pesticide exposure during pregnancy now scientifically linked to autism
Autism and its causes can be a loaded subject. For every person who believes that it’s connected to vaccines and environmental toxins, there will be someone else who wants to convince you that it’s simply a random occurrence. However, there is now little doubt about one potential cause of autism: pesticide exposure. This link has … Continue reading DDT pesticide exposure during pregnancy now scientifically linked to autism
Monsanto hit with $290 million cancer liability ruling in Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide trial
A San Francisco jury found Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) liable for the glyphosate-induced cancer of Dewayne Johnson, who is dying from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Johnson sprayed glyphosate 20-30 times per year on public school grounds (near children, no less), and he was twice “doused” with glyphosate due to malfunctioning equipment. Monsanto — which has been responsible for … Continue reading Monsanto hit with $290 million cancer liability ruling in Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide trial
Graphene could make fertilizer more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly
Researchers continue to search for fertilizers that are more efficient and affordable. One study, published in the journal Applied Materials and Interfaces, looked at graphene as a carrier for fertilizers to exhibit these characteristics, without causing more harm to the environment. A team of researchers at the University of Adelaide developed a fertilizer carrier using graphene oxide sheets to make effective … Continue reading Graphene could make fertilizer more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly
Agricultural waste could be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
While there are plenty of issues within the factory farming industry, one aspect in particular could spell big trouble for us all: antibiotic overuse, and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Literal tons of antibiotics are purchased and fed to livestock every year, around the world. Approximately 131,000 tons of antibiotics were used to treat livestock … Continue reading Agricultural waste could be contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 