> I see no reason why this system would need to be adapted to Australian >soils (this is a common query ) this always puzzles me . A wheat plant on >the Canadian prairies or the plains at Horsham In Australia or the Steppes >in Russia is going to need very much the same conditions to make it go >properly. > I think I have enough information to draw some useful conclusions from >but its probably a bit boring for others on this list . If there is further >interest I am happy to continue this on air and in the meantime if you like >to contact me off the list I can send you stuff that is probably relevant to >your original question.
Dear Lloyd - I find this totally relevant to discussion on BD Now! Soil balancing was an area that was overlooked by my BD mentors. Injunctions of 'use the preps and see' and 'more compost more compost more compost' will not take every plot of land where it should be going...or may take geological time to get it there. I, for one, want the Albrecht numbers before I start BD on a new patch. Something that came out of Dan Skow's Albrecht-based workshop at ACRES was (If I understand correctly - I did not attend the lecture) that 'there is only one lab in the world' that will give a farmer correct enough albrecht figures to make certain that the method will always work. (I believe Jose attended Skow's workshop and can confirm and/or expand on my comments.) I use the US Perry labs, which I understand have a very good reputation. I'm curious how their reports look in your comparative study. For BD Now! readers who have never had a professional soil test, they are a far cry from the 'free' state college tests that are available in the US. (In fact, I could tell you some state soil lab stories that would stand your hair on end.) Incidentally, I've also heard it said by east coast farmers that Albrecht doesn't work here. Currently I assume that problems with the Albrecht method in these parts can be attributed to the labs and not to the theories. Thanks for your good post, Lloyd. -Allan
