Dear Jose and List, I haven't read the Goldstein article, but I've talked with Walter on this topic on other occasions.
First I'm surprised if Walter referred to Magnesium as a monovalent cation. It is in the IIa family of elements along with calcium and is Mg++. Walter surely knows this as he earned a doctorate in agriculture at Pulman University in eastern Washington state. That's a very good ag college, I might add. In Wisconsin where Walter founded the Michael Fields Institute there has long been a debate whether the Albrecht model is valid or not. Writers in such journals as Hoard's Dairyman commonly advise farmers to apply whichever lime is cheapest and disregard the Ca/Mg ratios. And Wisconsin soils commonly are what is considered high magnesium. A ratio of 2 parts CA to 1 part Mg is not too uncommon. Still farmers in that state get high corn yields regardless that by Albrect model standards they have far too much mag. The Albrecht model seems to apply less and less the more alive a soil is. Where the soil is alive the corn seems to get all the calcium it needs from the micro-organisms sifting it out for the corn plant. With a good BD program this probably works at near optimum levels, though I don't know that anyone has done meticulous research on this. The main debate, however, centers around cost. Who wouldn't follow the Albrect model, even if it is unproven, if only it was cheap? But it is not cheap to load vast quantities of calcium into 100 or 1,000 acres of corn land. It gets real spendy real fast. So if one can leave the ratios alone and just apply Steiner remedies, especially if they are applied with a field broadcaster, this has a lot of appeal. Not that Walter would ever use a field broadcaster, which he considers "Ahrimanic." But his advice iin general is to go for economy in fertility inputs. It's not so hard to see where he is coming from. As for the article, well, I haven't read it and can't talk about it. (Dave, can you send me a copy?) While I respect the Albrecht model and think it should be considered when one is talking about fertility inputs, there is debate about it and it is not set in concrete as sacred agricultural writ. Best, Hugh Lovel >I have glanced the article which was kindly sent >to me by Dave Robinson or the >Walter Goldstein's article from Sept Biodynamics >" Cation Balancing : Is it beneficial or Bogus ?" >It came to me as a surprise because I had this magazine in >high respect. To my knowledge they don�t have any one to review >the articles otherwise they would not allow such a bunch of >crap like that to be published . >Here is why. >Page 30 First paragraph. " The effect of calcium ( a divalent cation) >in stabilizing structure is not as strong as that of iron ( a trivalent >cation) >but it is stronger than of magnesium ( a monovalent cation)" (sic). >Is Mr Goldstein an iliterate person or is he a misinformed person ? >How can a magazine such as Biodynamics allow low quality material >to be printed ? >Not only the article is full of bad information but this person did not >do his home work properly. >Mr Goldstein who has no knowledge on The Albrecht Model ( I know that >because his level of doubts are the ones from a person who has not readed >the 4 volumes of The Albrecht Papers or at least the book "Hands-on-Agronomy >or any other book from Dr Ardensen like "Science in Agriculture" or even >"The Anatomy of Life and Energy in Agriculture") tried to write about the >Albrecht >Model which was the culmination of a life time of teaching and research of >one of the best person United Stated has ever produced. He based his article >only >in an interview done with Neal Kinsey after one of his speaches at Acres >USA. >He hasn�t got a clue. >The Albrecht Model today is recognized by all major consultants in Eco >Agriculture >not only in the States but also in Australia and in other 25 countries. I >have started using >3 years ago and I can tell you the difference in my soils are day and night. >I am now able to harvest record breaking crops after twenty years of hard >working. >The Albrecht Model was what made that possible and is what made the >difference. >I feel sad because today I have just finished writting an article about the >Albrecht Model >in portuguese and in march I will teach an intensive a course on Albrecht >Model for 40 agronomists >in Brazil who are eagerly waiting and asking me to do so. I was nearly >forced to teach >this course. I had no choice so is the interest in his ideas today in this >country. >Eco Agriculture stands in several shoulders and one of the shoulders is >certainly >William A Albrecht, PhD shoulder. Nothing more upsetting, disgusting, biased >and certainly incorrectly than this article. > >For your information > Before I was thinking about subscribing this >magazine. >Not anymore after I have read such a bunch of crap like magnesium being a >monovalent cation. I have a recommendation to Mr Walter Goldstein : Go back >to scholl >( elementary) and then go back to college and try to learn a little bit more >chemistry.If you can do like I did and go to a first class University and >learn >a little bit more of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Plant Physiology, Soil >Science, >etc.. and then and only then try to read The Albrecht Papers. >It takes more than the knowledge that you have to try to stain >Dr Albrecht�s reputation. > > >Jose
