John DeLisle’s Post

Take a look at my article! #PhDstudy #ScientificProduction #LifeCycleAssessment #Compost #Waste #By-product #ImpactCategories #InvasiveSpecies #BiologicalProcess https://lnkd.in/drQjzUp6

Soil Protection Plant, Cover & Mulch Deeply Plants and soil are much stronger, healthier & resilient when the ground is covered with organic material—diverse native plants, ground covers or mulch.  For mulching, use what is local, toxin-free and available to you, adding layers 2" to 3" deep minimum. Deeper is fine if the mulch is coarse. (Do not mix mulch with the soil below.)  Compared with bare soil, a deep covering of native plants, ground covers, and mulch accomplishes the following: 1. Constantly releases nutrients back into the soil.  2. Provides a needed home & food for beneficial soil organisms.  3. The products of decomposition, along with the action of soil organisms, improve soil permeability.  4. It can dramatically enhance earthworm numbers & therefore, create free compost via worm-casting fertilizer. 5. Improves water absorption/infiltration of rainfall and irrigation.  6. Slows evaporation and contributes to proper water cycling. 7. Insulates the soil from excessive heat or cold.  8. Creates the needed atmosphere for oxygen cycling. 9. It improves soil structure & decreases soil compaction. 10. Prevents germination of pioneer plants (aka weeds) “Mulches allow a plant to have a much larger root system.  Without mulch the soil close to the surface is too hot and dry.  With mulch, the roots can inhabit the zone up to the soil surface where there is more oxygen." — Gary Matsuoka Key Points To Remember: • Keep soil covered as much as possible • Disturb the soil as little as possible (let fungi & microbes thrive) • Keep plants growing all year to feed the soil microbes and ecosystem. • Diversify as much as possible. **Temperature matters greatly, as expressed in the photo above! Decreased temps in hot periods can mean the survival of plants and soil microbes. Pay attention and pivot and improve when able. #protectyoursoil Join Our Global Movement Follow PLANTFORCHANGE ✅️🌱💚🙏 www.plantforchange.org

It's easy to overlook the unseen wonders beneath our feet. If you've ever been curious about the vital role earthworms play in nurturing our soils & sustaining the food we depend on, our latest blog is for you 🌱

[Cover Cropping: Shield Against Carbon] Cover cropping refers to the practice of planting specific crops to protect and enrich the soil during non-growing seasons. Carbon . . . https://lnkd.in/gZRQig3J

Fertilizer nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, wash into nearby rivers, lakes and seas, they fuel algae blooms that can choke ecosystems and create low-oxygen dead zones. Some scientists are trying to tackle this pollution by merging these two worlds—bringing crops to the water. Recent research suggests the approach could be viable, profitable and colorful by turning waterways into flower farms #waterways #hydrophonics #acquaphonics #floatingfarms #pollution #farming #agriculture #climatechange #foodsecurity #wetlands #floatingcutflowerfarm

#Depuration, also known as purging, is a pre-harvest procedure that removes earthy, musty off-flavour from #RAS-produced species. To begin, market-size #fish are transferred from RAS into #flowthrough or partial reuse systems where water containing negligible off-flavour is exchanged while withholding feed.

Restoring A Regenerative Water Cycle —That is Both Efficient & Effective The continuous movement & transformation of water on Earth —involving processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, infiltration & transpiration— are progressively being disrupted, resulting to degenerative #watercycle & cascading issues such as: **Decreased fertility **Soil compaction **Decreased microbial activity **Erosion Globally, #farmers & #foresters can implement the following actions & processes to replace the current degenerative water cycle & dissolve associated polycrises with a more efficient & effective #regenerative water cycle: ✅More covered soil ✅More infiltration ✅More cooling ✅More plant aerosol ✅More cloud formation ✅More consistent rain ✅Repeat... Here's how they can successfully attain significant bottom-line outcomes: 1. More covered soil: Farmers can use cover crops, crop residues & mulching techniques to keep the soil covered throughout the year. This helps reduce soil erosion, retain moisture & prevent runoff, allowing more water to infiltrate into the ground. 2. More infiltration: By adopting conservation tillage practices, such as no-till or reduced tillage, farmers can minimize soil disturbance & maintain soil structure, promoting better water infiltration. Additionally, implementing #agroforestry systems can enhance infiltration rates due to the deep root systems of trees. 3. More cooling: Planting trees & establishing agroforestry systems can create shade, reducing soil & air temperatures. This helps to cool the surrounding environment, preventing excessive evaporation of water from the soil & reducing water loss through evapotranspiration. 4. More plant aerosol: Farmers & foresters can plant a diverse range of vegetation, including trees, shrubs, & grasses, which release aerosols into the atmosphere. These aerosols, such as volatile organic compounds, can contribute to cloud formation by acting as cloud condensation nuclei, leading to high precipitation. 5. More cloud formation: By promoting the growth of vegetation through regen ag & #forestry practices, farmers & foresters can increase the release of VOCs & other aerosols into the atmosphere. These aerosols can act as CCN, facilitating cloud formation & potentially increasing rainfall. 6. More consistent rain: Through the cumulative effect of the above factors, farmers & foresters can contribute to a more balanced & consistent rainfall pattern. By improving #soilhealth, increasing infiltration rates & promoting cloud formation, they can help create a positive feedback loop that enhances the #water cycle & leads to more reliable & consistent rainfall. It is important to note that the effectiveness of these practices may vary depending on the specific climate, #soil conditions & local #ecosystem. So, farmers & foresters should adapt their approaches to suit their specific contexts & seek guidance from local ag extension services or forestry experts.

Even though arid, extensive regions dominate the Australian land mass (more than 75% of the continent is classified as rangeland), knowledge of carbon storage and sequestration in such regions is sparse. We reviewed the literature and found a lack of robust measured soil organic carbon (SOC) data in rangeland environments. We also found that: (1) Sowing more productive grasses or legumes in existing grass pastures generally increased SOC stocks; (2) Prolonged periods of high stocking rates was linked with SOC loss; (3) Destocking or exclusion of grazing resulted in small gains in SOC, especially in degraded soils; (4) Conversion from cropping to permanent pasture improved sequestration, subject to management history; (5) Rotational grazing had negligible impact on SOC stocks relative to continuous grazing; and (6) Waterponding initially increased SOC stocks, but there was a lack of evidence for SOC persistence post waterponding. #soilcarbon #carbon #netzero #climateaction #mitigation #carbonremovals #sustainability #livestock

🎍 Types of Hydroponic Systems 1. Wick System 2. Deep Water Culture System 3. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) System 🎯 4. Ebb and Flow System This method uses a pump on a timer to regulate nutrients going from the reservoir to the growing tray. The nutrients drain back into the reservoir after they have thoroughly encompassed the plant roots. This system can be customized to fit the grower’s needs, and efficiently uses water and energy, but requires a significant amount of growing medium. 🥒 5. Drip System This system uses a timer that controls when the nutrient solution is transferred through a group of drip lines to provide tiny drops of water for the plants. It’s relatively inexpensive and gives more control over the schedule. But it’s probably overkill for a small garden at home and can waste a lot of water. 🍄 6. Aeroponics Aeroponics seems to be one of the most complex hydroponics options. Plants are suspended in the air, requiring no growing medium. And a timer controls a spray system to frequently deliver nutrients to the roots. As such, the roots are exposed to more oxygen using this system. 🥝 7. Aquaponics In aquaponics, fish — and sometimes other aquatic animals like snails, prawns, and crayfish — and crops are combined into one symbiotic system. Waste products that can be harmful to fish in high concentrations are filtered out of the system by the plants, which use them for their own nutrition. While fish farming is often environmentally disastrous, not all fish farms are the same. Aquaponic farms are unique because they combine fish farming with hydroponics, and the two work together to create what at least has the potential to be a more sustainable system in which each element can benefit the whole. 🎉 Benefits of Hydroponics High Yield Control Less Water Regional Diversity Continuous Production Fewer Toxins 🎨 Downsides of Hydroponics Environmental Impact System Vulnerability Economic Control Nutrition Organics, Ethics, and Labeling #hydroponics #hydroponicsupplies #hydroponicsfarming #hydroponicsupplies #hydroponicsystems #organicfarming #hydroponicstore #hydroponicsfarm #hydroponicsystem #homegarden #plantslove #cmhlights #HydroHerbs #LettuceLovers #HydroponicGardening #UrbanFarming #IndoorGardening #SoillessFarming #FreshProduce #GrowYourOwn #Basil #Mint #Parsley #Spinach #SustainableGardening #NoSoil #EcoFriendlyGardening #PlantLovers #HomeGardening #GreenThumb #HydroponicSystems #SmartGardening #HealthyLiving #NutraponicsTowers #WaterEfficient #GardeningForBeginners #IndoorPlants #HydroponicSuccess #HydroponicLife #CleanGardening #canada #unitedstatesofamerica

A great article with factual evidence in favor of Peat use in Horticulture. Not that as an industry, we should not be researching and refining ways to help our customers be more efficient in their growing processes, sustainable where it makes sense, and profitable (yes profitable is very important too).