I think you forgot potash, which provides… let me check my notes… potassium. And micronutients like zinc, boron, copper and mag as well as many others are applied via seed-placed fert as well as foliar application.
Nobody here knows shit all about how crops are fertilized, obviously.
Yet, soil quality is declining, as is stated in the article. Why? It seems to me that farmers aren’t adding back nearly enough, and are just relying on nitrogen and phosphorus. Maybe because it’s cheaper and easier to apply, but I can only guess at why they are neglecting their soil health.
There’s different levels of farmers, but the ones that stick around are the ones that pay attention to soil health because it’s where their profits are made in the long term.
But most of them consider themselves doing a pretty fair job of keeping soils healthy. It’s not always done how the keyboard warriors want, because of realities on the ground like sourcing and transporting large amounts of compost and manure, or the excessive cost of manufactured but easily transportable fertilizers.
And it’s pretty funny to watch people bitch about the ethics of livestock on one hand, but want farmers to use manure on the other. If you can figure out a way to strain the PFAS and chemicals out of city waste and make it a non-toxic mess, then get it to where the food is grown, I’m sure everyone would be all ears. While you’re at it, get that food waste gathered up and put it on a truck. I’ll take it in a heartbeat.
I’ve gotten very used to how Lemmy despises farmers, it’s pretty depressing actually to work like a dog for next to nothing in order to have people hate you for feeding them.
I think you forgot potash, which provides… let me check my notes… potassium. And micronutients like zinc, boron, copper and mag as well as many others are applied via seed-placed fert as well as foliar application.
Nobody here knows shit all about how crops are fertilized, obviously.
Compost and manure also add back nutrients.
Yet, soil quality is declining, as is stated in the article. Why? It seems to me that farmers aren’t adding back nearly enough, and are just relying on nitrogen and phosphorus. Maybe because it’s cheaper and easier to apply, but I can only guess at why they are neglecting their soil health.
There’s different levels of farmers, but the ones that stick around are the ones that pay attention to soil health because it’s where their profits are made in the long term.
But most of them consider themselves doing a pretty fair job of keeping soils healthy. It’s not always done how the keyboard warriors want, because of realities on the ground like sourcing and transporting large amounts of compost and manure, or the excessive cost of manufactured but easily transportable fertilizers.
And it’s pretty funny to watch people bitch about the ethics of livestock on one hand, but want farmers to use manure on the other. If you can figure out a way to strain the PFAS and chemicals out of city waste and make it a non-toxic mess, then get it to where the food is grown, I’m sure everyone would be all ears. While you’re at it, get that food waste gathered up and put it on a truck. I’ll take it in a heartbeat.
I’ve gotten very used to how Lemmy despises farmers, it’s pretty depressing actually to work like a dog for next to nothing in order to have people hate you for feeding them.