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problem is pollution of water, air and
food by excesses of a form of nitrogen
called nitrate.
Nitrogen, together with carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen, are the four
chemical elements that make up the
bulk of living matter. But the nitrogen
cycle, which vitally affects protein qual–
ity, is very vulnerable to human inter–
vention. Today the nitrogen cycle in the
U.
S. is being thrown out of balance by
two main factors: nitrogeo fertilizers
and nitrogen oxides from cars and other
combustion processes.
Dr. Barry Commoner is an eminent
scientist who early brought us forcefully
to an awareness of this danger. Actually,
we should have been aware of it long
before now.
More than
75
years ago research sta–
tions such as the Missouri Agricultura!
Experimeot Station uodertook long-term
experiments to study the effects of dif–
ferent agricultura! practices on crop
yield and on the nature of the soil.
When the 50-year Sanborn Field Study
from Missouri was published in 1942,
it showed that nitrogen was an effective
means of maintaining good crop yields.
But the report also showed that the soil
suffered important changes.
The organic matter content and the
physical conditions of the soil on the
chemically treated plots declined rap–
idly. These altered conditions prevented
sufficient water from percolating into
the soil, where it could be stored for
drought periods.
A
condition had also
apparently developed in which the
nutrients applied were not delivered to
the plant when needed for optimum
growth. Most of the nitrogen not used
by the immediate crop was removed
from the soil by leaching or denitri–
fication.
This Sanborn Field Study, and others
elsewhere, were a warning that in
humus-depleted soil, fertilizer nitrate
tends
to
break out of the natural self–
containment of the soil system. But this
warning was ignored. Today it can be
ignored no longer.
Sorne seven miUion tons of nitrogen
fertilizer are used annually in the U. S.
alone - a 14-fold increase in about 25
years. Roughly half of this fertilizer
The
PLAIN TRUTH
leaves the soil in sorne way. Much
is
leached out and drains into water
supplies.
In heavily farmed areas, the nitrate
leve! of surface waters and wells often
exceeds the public health standards for
acceptable potable water, resulting in a
risk to human health from nitrate poi–
soning. Also, when large amounts of
nitrogen and phosphorous drain into
surface water, they create an alga! build–
up that can and does destroy entíre
bodies of water. The oxygen in the
water is depleted; fish and other animal
life forros begin to die.
Excessive nitrates in plants cause
similar problems. Sorne vegetable prod–
ucts in the
U.
S. often exceed the recom–
mended nitrate levels for infant feeding.
Research indicates this is usually the
result of intensive use of nitrogen
fertilizer.
Sorne of the nitrate pollutants found
in the nation's atmosphere also come
from agriculture sources.
The nitrate problem is so serious that
it cannot continue -
if
we are to
S1il'1' ive.
This leads to the question of what
can be done to solve the problems
caused by chemical fertilizers. And
more important than that, what can
be
done to solve the entire problem of
decreasing soil fertility and its resultant
effect on human health
?
What Can Be Done
First of al!, we must stop employing
practices that have caused the problems
and begin replacing them with con–
scientious methods of cure and pre–
vention. We must have open minds -
rnínds willing to be re-educated, willing
to admit error, willing to change.
Man needs to change his attitude
towards the soil. Instead of only taking
from it, we need to
GIVE BACK
to the
soíl by replacing and building up the
supply of humus. Basically this can be
done through heavy green manure
cropping and the returning of other
organic material such as crop residues,
animal manures, etc. to the soil. Details
on building the humus supply are
commonly availab!e.
Animal waste in the
U. S.
alone is
June-July,
1970
cqual to the sewage of two billion
people.
It
amounts to a billion tons per
year! "Waste" is not really the right
word, for these by-products of the life
process are not to be wasted but care–
fully used to maintain soil fertílity.
Manure used to be carefully collected,
composted and used on the land. Today
its disposal is one of the Jivestock
industry's biggest headaches. Instead of
being a pollutant, as it is now assumed
to be, it should
be
looked upon and
handled as an asset and returned to the
soil.
We need to make effident use of all
organic refuse. Why pollute our rivers
and lakes with organic wastes when such
material could be used to enrich the
land? It doesn't make sense !
Careful attention also needs to be
given to soil ecology. For example, the
earth renews itself from top to bottom..
The biological activity of the soil takes
place somewhat in layers.
If
this layer–
type activity is inverted the renewal pro–
cess is interrupted. Therefore, any
practice which inverts the soil should
not
be
cohtinued. Thus manures and
other matter should
be
added to the
soil's surface.
The Challenge
of Survival
The basic principies which need to be
followed are plain. We simply need to
start applying them! As explained in
our article. on pesticides, this will not be
easy, but with an all-out effort it
CAN
BE DONE.
Indeed, it
mttst
be done if
we
are to survive.
We
CAN
stop being slaves to money.
We
mttst
become more concerned with
properly filling our stomachs and those
of our children than we are with filling
our pocketbooks.
Agricultura! policies and practices
CAN
change and return to sound prin–
cipies. Our agricultura! colleges
CAN
free themselves of vested interests
which iofluence their goals. These
institutions
CAN
lead in the educational
crash program necessary for survival.
We
1JJttst
de-urbanize and encourage
the return of the small farmer. We
CAN
quit mining the land and forc–
ing it to give more than
it
receives.
We
CAN CH.ANGE.
The big question
is-
wiit
we?
o