Only 100 harvests left in UK farm soils

[A_Britishcolumbian]

the importance of farmland conservation worldwide is terribly overlooked all too often, and with elections on the horizon consider the candidates consideration of such information.

think global, act local.

Only 100 harvests left in UK farm soils, scientists warn
Philip Case
Tuesday 21 October 2014

Scientists are warning that the UK is facing an “agricultural crisis” unless dramatic action is taken to reverse the depletion in soil nutrients.

Researchers from the University of Sheffield found that soils under Britain’s allotments were significantly healthier than soils that have been intensively farmed.

Soil samples from 27 plots on 15 allotment sites in urban areas were taken from local parks, gardens and surrounding agricultural land.

Compared with local arable fields, the allotment soil was found to be significantly healthier.

Allotment soil had 32% more organic carbon, 36% higher carbon to nitrogen ratios, 25% higher nitrogen and was significantly less compacted.

While urban areas are perceived as grey and concrete, pockets of rich, fertile land could be converted into farms to grow a diverse range of produce, said the study authors.

In order to ensure future generations are able to grow fruit and vegetables, researchers said we should start to see our towns and cities as potential farmyards.

Growing crops and wildflowers in our cities will also boost biodiversity and help wildlife, they added.

Study lead Dr Nigel Dunnett, from the University of Sheffield’s department of animal and plant sciences, said: “With a growing population to feed, and the nutrients in our soil in sharp decline, we may soon see an agricultural crisis.

“Meanwhile we are also seeing a sharp decrease in biodiversity in the UK, which has a disastrous knock-on effect on our wildlife.

“Lack of pollinators means reduction in food. We need to dramatically rethink our approach to urban growing and use the little space we have as efficiently as possible.”

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/21/10/201 ... ntists.htm

it is not to late to change our ways, we should be learning from those that have gone before us.

[atenbacon]

I have searched for but cannot find any announcement that confirms that Scientists are warning that the UK is facing an “agricultural crisis”. I did find many documents describing it as a 'concern' and an 'issue', but still nothing to verify this claim.

[GoStumpy]

That article only got one thing in my mind...

No shti.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

funny one gostumpy :)

the netherlands has the opposite problem, too much organic animal refuse.

nigel dunnett is the man when it comes to green roof and sustainability studies.

https://www.shef.ac.uk/landscape/staff/ ... s/ndunnett

[Fancy]

We need to dramatically rethink our approach to urban growing and use the little space we have as efficiently as possible.

This makes more sense than the dramatic "100 harvests/100 seasons left" in the news captions.

[Oxl3y]

They need more efficient use of their wastewater solids. Wastewater solids are extremely nutrient rich to the point that one seeding will keep a farm enriched for several years.

http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Water-and-wastewater-systems/Wastewater-system/Calgro-biosolids/Calgro.aspx

To improve upon this there is the ostara pearl process. It essentially pulls the nutrients out of waste streams that can form a cement like product in pipes called struvite and forms them into small pellets that can be used as slow release fertilizer.

http://www.ostara.com/nutrient-management-solutions/pearl-process

Wastewater treatment is pretty fascinating stuff there is a lot of recycling that can be done once something gets flushed down your pipes.