In an article in New Scientist, 08/05/2019, James Wong demolishes the idea that researchers at Sheffield University suggested that there are 100 harvests left. The prediction is not in the original paper and no leading soil scientist knows its source, or agrees that it would be possible to make such a calculation.
Yep – sloppy that. I think it’s mixed up information – there are soils that after around 100 iterations of deep ploughing and chemical infusion become useless. Even that varies across different climates and regions. The point remains salient. Industrial farming destroys soil – which is a bad end-game…
David Waring
3 years ago
Am I correct that the Fungi shown at the top of the article is of a variety which is potentially lethal if consumed?
To state that organic farming is the solution to almost all Britain’s environmental woes seems to be a tad optimistic! The mycorrhizal network transports nutrients and water to plants. However, according to the linked article Sheffield University, research discovered that arable land was deficient in these nutrients. So how can these nutrient levels be replenished and maintained without applying fertilisers?
Again – disingenuous. Weed is a relative term. The article writer isn’t writing a book, he’s reviewing. Clearly he’s talking about crops/food for eventual human consumption which usually require rich soil to provide the abundance for a large (too many?) number of people. In desolate soils plants which are of little use to us (except as medicines) are the only ones that can grow by bringing nutrients up from deep… ah read about it.
Dougie Undersub
3 years ago
It’s no good blaming humans for becoming highly efficiency, adaptable apex predators. That’s evolution at work. The wonderful “balanced ecosystem” that the Greens accuse their fellow men of endangering is not there because other species are careful not to cause extinctions. Indeed, it only exists at all if we look on a humanly-comprehensible short timescale. If we eventually make the planet unsuitable for human life – a big if – so what? Our species is just one of billions, not special – as those same Greens remind us.
That’s disingenuous. We seem to be the only species that can actually determine our behaviour and the degree of ‘Husbandry’ we will deploy ~ viz: we decide.
mark.a.hargreaves
3 years ago
Fungi are indeed an integral part of our environment. However, though I’m no expert, probably better not to pick the ‘mushroom’ in the picture. It appears to be a Fly Agaric which is highly toxic. Eating it may give you a bad trip or possibly kill you.
It is indeed poisonous but because of the halucinagenic qualities the vikings use it as a spur to their raiding of other countries. They stored their urine to drink as the compounds are not removed by the human body and so remained as a stimulant.Others in the same family are completely lethal such as the death cap and destroying angel.
In an article in New Scientist, 08/05/2019, James Wong demolishes the idea that researchers
at Sheffield University suggested that there are 100 harvests left. The prediction is not in the original paper and no leading soil scientist knows its source, or agrees that it would be possible to make such a calculation.
Yep – sloppy that. I think it’s mixed up information – there are soils that after around 100 iterations of deep ploughing and chemical infusion become useless. Even that varies across different climates and regions. The point remains salient. Industrial farming destroys soil – which is a bad end-game…
Am I correct that the Fungi shown at the top of the article is of a variety which is potentially lethal if consumed?
It’s dangerous, but makes a good photograph
To state that organic farming is the solution to almost all Britain’s environmental woes seems to be a tad optimistic! The mycorrhizal network transports nutrients and water to plants. However, according to the linked article Sheffield University, research discovered that arable land was deficient in these nutrients. So how can these nutrient levels be replenished and maintained without applying fertilisers?
Not fertilizers. Compost, manure and similar materials on which fungi can breed yes.
Are weeds somehow resistant to fungi’s benefits?
*audible intake of breath*
Again – disingenuous. Weed is a relative term. The article writer isn’t writing a book, he’s reviewing. Clearly he’s talking about crops/food for eventual human consumption which usually require rich soil to provide the abundance for a large (too many?) number of people. In desolate soils plants which are of little use to us (except as medicines) are the only ones that can grow by bringing nutrients up from deep… ah read about it.
It’s no good blaming humans for becoming highly efficiency, adaptable apex predators. That’s evolution at work. The wonderful “balanced ecosystem” that the Greens accuse their fellow men of endangering is not there because other species are careful not to cause extinctions. Indeed, it only exists at all if we look on a humanly-comprehensible short timescale. If we eventually make the planet unsuitable for human life – a big if – so what? Our species is just one of billions, not special – as those same Greens remind us.
That’s disingenuous. We seem to be the only species that can actually determine our behaviour and the degree of ‘Husbandry’ we will deploy ~ viz: we decide.
Fungi are indeed an integral part of our environment. However, though I’m no expert, probably better not to pick the ‘mushroom’ in the picture. It appears to be a Fly Agaric which is highly toxic. Eating it may give you a bad trip or possibly kill you.
It is indeed poisonous but because of the halucinagenic qualities the vikings use it as a spur to their raiding of other countries. They stored their urine to drink as the compounds are not removed by the human body and so remained as a stimulant.Others in the same family are completely lethal such as the death cap and destroying angel.