Show Soil scientist cautions on miracle medicines medicines' Fertilizer shortages are helping to bring on the market more new soil additive materials as farmers look for substitutes Most of these soil medicines have very little economic benefit to farmers notes Dr Paul D. D Christensen Utah State University Extension Extension Extension Ex Ex- tension soil specialist He Ile cautions farmers and gardeners to realize that if the ingredients of a product are not needed by the crop or the soil or if the materials have little or orno orno orno no value they are too expensive for you to use at any price USUALLY Y THESE products promoted with sounding high-sounding phrases include organic concoctions fermentation formulations and miscellaneous mineral materials 7 l dug from the earth iP l Frequently they come and then I Pass from the picture with little ne except to the distributors r Dr Chrls Christensen en n pointed out that t. t during the past 25 years many different such miracle soil materials h have appeared ared on the market These products V include low grade type coal-type minerals ground rock microbial fermentation liquids manure and clay mixtures composts ground limestone and sulfur- sulfur or gyp type gypsum type um-type materials New names names appear each year but the basic types essentially remain the same No matter what the products are they are supposed to work miracles in the soil HE liE SAID essentially the same claims for soil and crop benefits are included in the sales pitch for completely different types of soil medicines Each promoter usually claims that his product will do most or all of these improve soil structure aeration and water soil-water relationships increase root gr growth and penetration reduce the need for chemical fertilizers fertilizers fertilizers fer fer- reduce the assumed breakdown in soils resulting from the application of chemical fertilizers add trace elements in natural form reduce or eliminate insect Infestation infestation infestation in In- in crops and correct di diseases e in crops To avoid throwing money away on products of little value Dr Christensen urges that you use caution when you see these cure all warning signals claims are made stating that the product is good for practically practically practically all soils and crops and possible even as a livestock feed additive testimonials are used in place of non-existent non factual research data when selling the product the product is backed by experts whose expertise is not in soils crops or fertilizers and sellers say that the product is so new state and federal research agencies haven't had time to test it or that they are biased and unwilling to test it fairly nit DH CHRISTENSEN said We dont don't discourage farmers from trying out new things But we do caution them to test in a away away away way that is not too costly and that will give reliable results He suggested apply a new soil product of questionable value on well marked strips in a field then make yield comparisons between treated and untreated portions on the same field with the same crop and variety under the same management and subjected to the same weather disease and insect problems He Ile cautioned further Dont rely fully on testimonials seldom are they based on sufficient comparisons Also keep in mind that distributors of new products of reliable value usually are willing to supply reasonable amounts of their materials for unbiased field trials DR nit CHRISTENSEN added Scientists engaged in soils research admit that they have much yet to learn But he said Lets not forget that soil organic matter manures crop residues organisms micro-organisms natural minerals and commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial fertilizers have been investigated for more than years Their characteristics and their reactions have been intensively studied Soil fertility and modern modem agriculture have progressed far beyond what is often inferred by distributors of soil soU many medicines |