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Hello i hope this is a useful read ! I just found it ! Differences Between Organic and Inorganic Plant Growing Systems
by Dr. Carole Ann Rollins and Dr. Elaine Ingham
2009-07-01
There are some significant differences between an organic or biological system and the inorganic approach. Although the goal in both systems is the same - to grow healthy plants in the most cost effective way, the philosophical underpinnings of the two systems are very different.
First, the biological system requires adequate microbial food in the soil, with replenishment by plant exudates in their myriad forms. Food comes in the form of nutrients such as sugar (bacterial food), proteins (bacterial and fungi food), carbohydrates (bacterial and fungi food) and more recalcitrant materials like lignin and cellulose for fungi. All of these foods are different forms of carbon and must be processed by organisms. Once these nutrients are processed, then micro-organisms can use them.
Micro-organisms use nutrients to build soil structure; to make sure the soil stays aerobic (because of the structure built to let oxygen and water move freely in the soil); and to allow nutrients to cycle properly (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, beneficial nematodes and microarthropods must be present in proper ratios to release nutrients in the right form, in the right places and at the right times for plant health).
Pathogen Photos: Non-beneficial microbes, such as disease-causing pathogens, shown in the photo as they occur in a plant root. With training, these "bad guys" are easy to distinguish. These organisms come to life in low oxygen conditions where the aerobic competitors of disease cannot flourish. By killing a large percentage of ALL the organisms in soil, toxic chemicals used in inorganic growing systems select for disease-causing organisms.
Inorganic systems attempt to provide most, or all, of the nutrients in an inorganic form, in a large pulse all at once. The hope is that the plant can meter out what it needs through the entire growing season. But different environmental conditions are going to do different things to the plant’s needs for various nutrients at various times. Sometimes the applications do not fit the conditions and leaching or volatilization of nutrients into the water and air become serious problems for human health.
Inorganic systems basically take the point of view that nature does not know how to feed plants very well, and needs human help. It becomes necessary to artificially manage what biological natural systems have been performing successfully for billions of years. In an organic system, plants are in control of the growth of the organisms in its root zone. Plants work with the biology to deliver the right nutrients to the plant in the right forms at the appropriate times.
Beneficial organisms in soil or soilless media are very important for nutrient retention and prevention of leaching. Bacteria and fungi retain the greatest amount of nutrients in their biomass and on their surfaces as compared to any other set of organisms on the planet. The largest organisms on the planet are single individuals of fungi, which dwarf the largest mammals by four to five fold or more. A serious amount of nutrient and carbon is retained in bacterial and fungal biomass in soil. If these organisms are killed by the use of toxic pesticides or high levels of inorganic fertilizers, they are unable to retain nutrients, build structure in soil or soilless media or perform disease suppression functions. There is significant documentation in the scientific literature reporting that the correct set of organisms in soil can be highly disease suppressive. The challenge lies in ensuring that the beneficials are selected and maintained in all types of growing systems.
The inorganic chemical approach has become popular because it is perceived as easy and more convenient. There is nothing convenient about having to apply toxic materials more than 10 times a year. When in fact, if the correct sets of beneficial organisms were present, those organisms and the plant working together will do the work of feeding the plant, suppressing weeds and preventing disease organisms from growing. Once things are balanced, a single application of compost, or liquid compost (compost tea), once a year, will suffice. But this will only be the case if the beneficial organisms in the soil remain properly balanced for the desired environment for the specific plant being grown.
Any disturbance of the soil will cause damage to the life in the soil. Disturbances include, but are not limited to, tillage, applications of high concentrations of salts, driving across the soil when it is wet, flooding, severe drought, unusual freeze events and so forth. Fixing that damage requires assessing exactly what was damaged (if anything). Once damage is assessed then that damage must be repaired. Repairs can occur by adding back the same kind of beneficial organisms that were killed, or just by adding food to help the surviving beneficials recover and re-build their numbers. I hope this has been of some help to you ! Peace and take care
by Dr. Carole Ann Rollins and Dr. Elaine Ingham
2009-07-01
There are some significant differences between an organic or biological system and the inorganic approach. Although the goal in both systems is the same - to grow healthy plants in the most cost effective way, the philosophical underpinnings of the two systems are very different.
First, the biological system requires adequate microbial food in the soil, with replenishment by plant exudates in their myriad forms. Food comes in the form of nutrients such as sugar (bacterial food), proteins (bacterial and fungi food), carbohydrates (bacterial and fungi food) and more recalcitrant materials like lignin and cellulose for fungi. All of these foods are different forms of carbon and must be processed by organisms. Once these nutrients are processed, then micro-organisms can use them.
Micro-organisms use nutrients to build soil structure; to make sure the soil stays aerobic (because of the structure built to let oxygen and water move freely in the soil); and to allow nutrients to cycle properly (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, beneficial nematodes and microarthropods must be present in proper ratios to release nutrients in the right form, in the right places and at the right times for plant health).
Pathogen Photos: Non-beneficial microbes, such as disease-causing pathogens, shown in the photo as they occur in a plant root. With training, these "bad guys" are easy to distinguish. These organisms come to life in low oxygen conditions where the aerobic competitors of disease cannot flourish. By killing a large percentage of ALL the organisms in soil, toxic chemicals used in inorganic growing systems select for disease-causing organisms.
Inorganic systems attempt to provide most, or all, of the nutrients in an inorganic form, in a large pulse all at once. The hope is that the plant can meter out what it needs through the entire growing season. But different environmental conditions are going to do different things to the plant’s needs for various nutrients at various times. Sometimes the applications do not fit the conditions and leaching or volatilization of nutrients into the water and air become serious problems for human health.
Inorganic systems basically take the point of view that nature does not know how to feed plants very well, and needs human help. It becomes necessary to artificially manage what biological natural systems have been performing successfully for billions of years. In an organic system, plants are in control of the growth of the organisms in its root zone. Plants work with the biology to deliver the right nutrients to the plant in the right forms at the appropriate times.
Beneficial organisms in soil or soilless media are very important for nutrient retention and prevention of leaching. Bacteria and fungi retain the greatest amount of nutrients in their biomass and on their surfaces as compared to any other set of organisms on the planet. The largest organisms on the planet are single individuals of fungi, which dwarf the largest mammals by four to five fold or more. A serious amount of nutrient and carbon is retained in bacterial and fungal biomass in soil. If these organisms are killed by the use of toxic pesticides or high levels of inorganic fertilizers, they are unable to retain nutrients, build structure in soil or soilless media or perform disease suppression functions. There is significant documentation in the scientific literature reporting that the correct set of organisms in soil can be highly disease suppressive. The challenge lies in ensuring that the beneficials are selected and maintained in all types of growing systems.
The inorganic chemical approach has become popular because it is perceived as easy and more convenient. There is nothing convenient about having to apply toxic materials more than 10 times a year. When in fact, if the correct sets of beneficial organisms were present, those organisms and the plant working together will do the work of feeding the plant, suppressing weeds and preventing disease organisms from growing. Once things are balanced, a single application of compost, or liquid compost (compost tea), once a year, will suffice. But this will only be the case if the beneficial organisms in the soil remain properly balanced for the desired environment for the specific plant being grown.
Any disturbance of the soil will cause damage to the life in the soil. Disturbances include, but are not limited to, tillage, applications of high concentrations of salts, driving across the soil when it is wet, flooding, severe drought, unusual freeze events and so forth. Fixing that damage requires assessing exactly what was damaged (if anything). Once damage is assessed then that damage must be repaired. Repairs can occur by adding back the same kind of beneficial organisms that were killed, or just by adding food to help the surviving beneficials recover and re-build their numbers. I hope this has been of some help to you ! Peace and take care
