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Grasp the Nettle by Peter Proctor Biodynamic Agriculture in India by Peter Proctor Rudolf Steiner, The Agriculture Lectures

Theodor Schwenk in Sensitive Chaos (1965).

Cow Pat Pit (CPP)

Abstracted from Biodynamic Agriculture in India by Peter Proctor Introduction Cow Pat Pit is known as CPP and is a specialized type of co post. !t refers to cow an"re i#ed with cr"shed e$$ shell and basalt d"st% then p"t into a 1& inch deep pit lined with bricks. The d"n$ is fer ented% to$ether with the preps 5'&( 5')% for a period of * to + onths. !t is applied in the e,enin$s d"rin$ the cooler onths.

-ro f"n$al and bacterial plate tests of the CPP% it appears there is a wide ran$e of colonies or fa ilies of f"n$i and bacteria which ha,e proliferated d"rin$ the fer entation of the ori$inal cow d"n$ aterial and also fro what has been $ained fro the biodyna ic preparations ./5'&(5'). !t akes sense that the 0"ality of the CPP will depend ,ery "ch on the 0"ality of the ori$inal cow d"n$ and in partic"lar what type of fodder the cows ha,e been eatin$. 1b,io"sly if the ilk that cows prod"ce fro eatin$ $ood 0"ality

$rass $rown biodyna ically% can be ade into s"perb tastin$ yo$h"rt% 0"ark or cheese% the d"n$ fro s"ch $rass will also be (not s"perb tastin$) b"t of a s"perb aro a that will ake ,ery $ood CPP. This is so ethin$ that the discernin$ far er can $rad"ally learn to reco$nize. 2elatin$ d"n$ aro a to d"n$ 0"ality to $rass 0"ality and then soil 0"ality. !n a co"ntry s"ch as !ndia where the cow is hi$hly ,enerated and the fertility 0"ality of the cow d"n$ is reco$nized% it is hardly s"rprisin$ that the !ndian far er has taken hold of the concept of CPP with $reat enth"sias . !ndian far ers ha,e de,eloped this biodyna ic acti,ity to a hi$h de$ree since 199+ and now in &''6 there are lar$e a o"nts of CPP bein$ ade and "sed thro"$ho"t !ndia and also s"pplied to far ers con,ertin$ to ./. CPP is a ,ery effecti,e way of spreadin$ the infl"ence of the co post preparations 5'&(5') o,er a lar$e area of far land% orchard or $arden. 60 kgs of cow dung gives about 30-35 kgs of CPP after fermentation. 3hen it is at"re% it is i#ed with water at the rate of 1k$ in +' litres of water per acre. This eans one CPP pit sho"ld be eno"$h to co,er +' acres. !t sho"ld be stirred for at least 1' in"tes as this enco"ra$es $ood bacteria de,elop ent. -or lar$er areas the $reater a o"nt of li0"id can be stirred in a &'' litre dr" with the tripod stirrin$ arran$e ent or with the 4irbela flowfor for 15 in"tes before "sin$. !t can be sprinkled or sprayed o,er the land. !f it is sprayed onto trees or folia$e% it sho"ld be first strained thro"$h a fine esh.

Uses of CPP The well ade CPP has within it all the ener$ies associated with the biodyna ic preparations 5'&(5'). !t will also contain a wide ran$e of beneficial f"n$i and bacteria and $rowth pro otin$ hor ones% which can be ,ery helpf"l in any areas of a$ric"lt"re and hortic"lt"re. !t has a wide ran$e of "ses. 5se as a $ro"nd spray at 1k$s per acre CPP to +' litres of water. Soak o,erni$ht prior to application% stir for 1' in"tes% if necessary strain thro"$h a cotton cloth% and spray as re0"ired.

Stir with preparation ./5'' at &5$ s ./5'' to 1''$ (1k$ CPP. 6dd d"rin$ the last 15 in"tes of stirrin$. 5se as a soil inoc"lant o,er land bein$ con,erted to ./7or$anic ana$e ent. 5se as a soil or foliar feed on all crops at all sta$es e#cept close to har,est. !t can be sprayed e,ery ) or 1+ days. .est sprayed in the e,enin$s. 8#cellent for all field crops% i.e. wheat% l"cern% paddy and potatoes. 6lso an$os% papaya% all tropical fr"its and citr"s% apples% stone fr"it% a,ocados% $rapes% coffee and tea. 5se on the soil aro"nd all fr"it trees as a soil inoc"lant or soil conditioner. 5se before any "lchin$ is applied aro"nd the trees. 3hen "sed as a foliar feed on all fr"it trees% it will stren$then the plants a$ainst possible f"n$"s or insect attack. 6pply e,ery 1+ days before and after flowerin$. Stir with any li0"id an"res at appro#. 5'$ CPP per $allon.

/issol,e in water and "se as a li0"id

an"re in its own ri$ht.

Take a handf"l of CPP% add water to ake a sl"rry and apply as pr"nin$ paste to stop bleedin$ and help healin$. 6pply CPP sl"rry to the barks of trees to sti "late ca bi" $rowth. This stren$thens the bark and brin$s the $ood soil icro or$anis s "p onto the tree. 5se to dip roots of all yo"n$ trees% shr"bs% or $rapes prior to plantin$. This will enco"ra$e new root de,elop ent. Soak seeds in CPP sl"rry o,erni$ht before sowin$. !f not o,erni$ht% soak for at least *' in"tes% dry off% and sow i ediately. Soak seed potatoes for 1 ho"r before plantin$.

/ip potatoes and dry before plantin$. This see s to help control late bli$ht. C"ttin$s can be soaked in CPP sl"rry o,erni$ht to enhance root de,elop ent. 5se as one co ponent of the se0"ence of ./ sprays of ./5''% ./5'1% and CPP in which ./5'&(5') ha,e been incorporated. This brin$s the effects of all the ./ preparations onto the land o,er a short period. This see s to $i,e stren$th and 0"ality to the plants.

!t can be "sed to inoc"late co post heaps where there is a shorta$e of biodyna ic preparations. 5se 1k$ of CPP in +' litres of water for each 5 etres of co post and po"r into holes alon$ the top of the heap.

The Compost Preparations 502-507

The Co post Preps ( 5'&(5') ( are all ade fro edicinal herbs. ./5'&(5'6 are h" "s(like% rich in beneficial bacterial life and inerals. ./5') is a li0"id. They radiate cos ic infl"ences and forces thro"$ho"t the co post heap aidin$ the transfor ation of co post aterial into h" "s. 9"st gram of eac! "re" in a com"ost !ea" is eno"$h% in "ch the sa e way as a s all spoon of yo$"rt in a lar$e bowl of ilk is eno"$h to transfor the entire bowl of ilk into yo$"rt. The biodyna ic co post preparations 5'&(5') are applied to the co post heap when it is first ade% and to any co post that is bro"$ht onto the far property to aid and re$"late the fer entation process. 8#perience in !ndia and in any co"ntries of "sin$ these preparations in co posts and li0"id an"res% has shown that they accelerate the processes of h" "s for ation% and as s"ch a,oid losses of ,al"able plant n"trients. The preparations 5'&(5') are ade fro edicinal herbs and so e are ade

to$ether with a partic"lar ani al part and b"ried in the soil "ch the sa e way as the preparation ./5'' is ade. 6 f"ll description of how to ake and "se these preps is $i,en in the book Grasp the Nettle by Peter Proctor. They are all a,ailable in !ndia ready ade for i ediate "se. #$50% is ade fro the flowers of :arrow Achillea millifolium !t helps processes of Potassi" (;) S"lph"r (S) and trace ele ents <rows and flowers well in ;odaikanal

#$503 is ade fro the flowers of <er an Cha o ile Matricuria chamomilla !t helps processes of Calci" (Ca) and =itro$en (=) <rows and flowers well in ;odaikanal

#$50& is ade fro the lea,es of >i alayan Stin$in$ =ettle Urtica parviflora !t helps processes of !ron (-e) and ?a$nesi" (?$) This stin$in$ nettle is indi$eno"s to the northern areas of !ndia in =ainital. #$505 is ade fro the bark of the >i alayan 1ak in !ndia Quercus glauca !t helps processes of Calci" (Ca) This is one of se,eral e,er$reen oaks $rowin$ in the foothills of the >i alayas. The bark of this oak was fo"nd to ha,e 5@ Ca ( the 8"ropean oak (A"erc"s rob"r) only &.5@. #$506 is ade fro the flowers of /andelion Taraxicum officinalis !t helps processes of Silica (Si) <rows and flowers well in ;odaikanal.

#$50' is ade fro the flowers of 4alerian Valeriana officinalis !t helps processes of Phosphoro"s(P) !t is prepared as a li0"id. This will only flower well when it is $rown where there is a arked difference between winter dayli$ht ho"rs and s" er dayli$ht ho"rs. This difference is needed to tri$$er the flowerin$ process. !t $rows and flowers in the >i alayan foothills. !t will $row b"t not flower in the hills of ;odaikanal. There is the Valerian hookeriana nat"rally $rowin$ in the Palni hills of Ta il =ad" which co"ld be "sed.

Preparation 508 - Casurina Tea

This is not one of the co post preparations% b"t is an e#tra s"$$estion to help cope with f"n$"s diseases. !t is E uesetum arvense >orsetail >erb or Cas"rina (Sar"). !t is silica rich and is o,erco e f"n$"s. ade into a tea to

1k$ of Cas"rina to 1' litres of boilin$ water. 5se 5' ls of this tinct"re to 1' litres of water. Spray into the soil or o,er the plants in the early $rowin$ sta$es. Spray at -"ll ?oon (&(+ days before) and at ?oon opposition Sat"rn% the sa e as for preparation ./5'1.

.io(/yna ic Preparations ./5''% ./5'1% ./5'&(5') are places in !ndia and can be p"rchased fro B

ade in se,eral

(urin)i *rganic +arms in ;odaikanal% C. 9eyakaran ,u"a Pvt. -td. in =ainital% .inita Shah

./5''

./5'1 C Cow >orn Clay

./ Preps !ntro

Stirring -- the Vortex

D:o" "st ake s"re% howe,er% that the entire contents of the horn E./5''F ha,e been thoro"$hly e#posed to the water. To do this% yo" ha,e to start stirrin$ it 0"ickly aro"nd the ed$e of the b"cket% on the periphery% "ntil a crater for s that reaches nearly to the botto % so that e,erythin$ is rotatin$ rapidly. Then yo" re,erse direction 0"ickly% so that e,erythin$ seethes and starts to swirl in the opposite direction. !f yo" contin"e doin$ this for an ho"r% yo" will $et it thoro"$hly i#ed.D Rudolf Steiner, The Agriculture Lectures

.!e /orte0 10"2ained Peter Proctor -- Grasp the Nettle >a,e yo" e,er noticed that water fro a hose pipe r"nnin$ down a pa,ed path does not $o in a strai$ht lineG !t starts to o,e of itself (( it eanders and spirals% and if yo" obser,e closely% yo" will see a p"lsin$ o,e ent. This p"lsin$ is the be$innin$ of the ,orte#. The for of the ,orte# is anifested in any different ways in nat"re. <ala#ies% for instance% o,e aro"nd in $reat spirals% and spiral o,e ents are the basis of cyclones and anticyclones in weather syste s. 1bser,ation of the connection of the ,orte# with life ay help the "nderstandin$ of biodyna ic practices% s"ch as

the stirrin$ of the preparations. 3!at !a""ens in a vorte04 There is a contin"o"s% two(way rhyth ical o,e ent of water (or air)% e#pandin$ and contractin$. The water is o,in$ at different speeds ( slower at the ed$e and faster as it o,es inwards and downwards and then "p and o"t a$ain. !t is a azin$ that no particle of water is o,in$ at the sa e speed as any other. !n a lar$e eno"$h body of water the particles f"rthest fro the ,orte# do not o,e at all and beco e still. !n a r"nnin$ strea yo" can see all kinds of intricate swirlin$ and ,ortices as the water o,es in any different ways at once.

The intricacies of ,ortices in nat"re ha,e been described by Theodor Schwenk in Sensitive Chaos (1965). 6ccordin$ to Schwenk% ,ortices are created when two strea s of water o,e past each other at different speeds. 6 hollow de,elops% into which o#y$en flowsB H.o"ndary s"rfaces% with their rhyth ical processes are the birthplaces of li,in$ thin$s.H

The association of the orte! "ith pulsing, the life-#ringing process, is the

#asis of many #iodynamic practices$ 4ortices are for ed d"rin$ hand(stirrin$ of the preparations% li0"id an"re and cow pat pit. The 4irbela flowfor has been specially de,eloped to ind"ce spiral ,ortices in the flowin$ water as a ethod of stirrin$ lar$e 0"antities of preparations. 3hen we recreate this ,orte# in biodyna ic far in$% we are connectin$ with the "ni,ersal creati,e water rhyth s or p"lse within the body of the earth. This can be fo"nd in all li,in$ thin$s% for instance in the heartbeat. !t is e#citin$ to disco,er the e#pression of the ,orte# in spiral for s in nat"re also.

.!e ,tirring Process 3hen yo" stir ./5'' into water yo" create life( $i,in$ ,ortices and a p"lsin$ effect. 6fter stirrin$ for abo"t *' in"tes% yo" ay notice that the water beco es ore slippery and ,isco"s and easier to stir. The water has beco e enli,ened by a si ilar process to that of the $rowin$ plant% the rhyth of the e#pansion to leaf and contraction to seed. !n this process yo" ha,e increased the o#y$en content of the water. 6t the sa e ti e yo" ha,e introd"ced the cos ic forces that enable the water to beco e a dyna ic carrier of the life ener$y of the ./5'' as it is spread o,er the land. 6 si ilar effect occ"rs whether the

water is stirred in a b"cket to for a ,ertical ,orte#% or whether a horizontal ,orte# for ed by passin$ the water thro"$h a 4irbela flowfor . This can be seen thro"$h the heartbeat(like p"lsin$ that yo" can obser,e in both ethods.

5and ,tirring 6 /irbe2a +2owform ! ha,e pondered a lon$ ti e o,er the connection with hand stirrin$% with the ,orte# for ation and o,e ent of water within the 4irbela flowfor cascade. >a,in$ been a $reat obser,er of water o,e ent all y life% watchin$ strea s and ri,ers% the sea ro"nd rocks and s ooth beaches% ! co"ld see in the flowfor a ,ery ob,io"s series of ,ortices for ed as the water ran fro bowl to bowl. 6lso ob,io"s was the p"lsin$ of the water as it dropped into the reser,oir tank at the botto of the cascade. !t is al ost at one with the h" an heartbeat. 6lso one co"ld obser,e the rhyth ical ,ariation of the water le,el within each bowl. So eti es the water wo"ld nearly spill o,er the ed$e of the bowl% so eti es it wo"ld appear 0"ite sl"$$ish. ! was re inded of the se,enth( wa,e pheno enon of the sea or the s"r$in$ of a ri,er aro"nd a rock% which is so eti es co,ered and then e#posed as the ri,er flows by. ."t what of its connection to what 2"dolf Steiner describes in Agriculture (p.)*) as the ethod of stirrin$ ./5'' in a b"cket and with the ,orte#G -irstly ! co"ld relate that with hand(stirrin$ in a b"cket% the ,ortices in effect are b"ilt "p ,ertically% one on top of another. !n the flowfor they are spread o"t horizontally on a slopin$ plane. !t was not "ntil ! watched an e#peri ent on water pheno ena by 2ob /ewdney% a water researcher% who de onstrated stirrin$ water in a $lass Iar and droppin$ one drop of black ink into the iddle of the ,orte#% that ! "nderstood what was happenin$. The ink did not drop to the botto or disperse thro"$h the li0"id% b"t p"lsed "p and down% diff"sin$ a little and lookin$ like an archetypal Iellyfish. >ere was the connection between the two ethods of water o,e ent. The cos ic p"lseJ ! co"ld th"s relate this p"lse rhyth of the flowfor to the worldHs $reat water rhyth % the rhyth of life% the cos ic p"lse% the heartbeat of all li,in$ creat"res%and so it appears to e entirely appropriate to "se the flowfor for the stirrin$ of lar$e 0"antities of ./5''% li0"id an"re and cow pat pit.

6 lar$e ,ariety of flowfor s now e#ist% allowin$ a far er to stir fro &5' litres for a s aller far or arket $arden "pt ot &5'' litres of ./5'' in an ho"r for a lar$e far . Stirrin$ for 1 acre% 1(1' acres% 1'(&''(5'' acres or I"st 1' l of ./5')

Preparation 500 - Cow Horn Manure

;nown as cow horn an"re% preparation 5'' is basically fer ented cow d"n$. !t is the basis for soil fertility% and the renewal of de$raded soils. !t is "s"ally the first preparation "sed d"rin$ the chan$e o,er to the or$anic7biodyna ic syste . Preparation 5'' is ade by fillin$ a cowHs horn with cow d"n$% and b"ryin$ it in the soil d"rin$ the cooler onths ( =o,e ber thro"$h -ebr"ary. The cow horns "s"ally co e fro a sla"$hter ho"se where the b"yer has to co pete with the artisans who "se cow horns for ,ario"s crafts. The price has risen since the horns are known to ha,e a ,al"e in a$ric"lt"re.

1nly cow horns are "sed% not b"ll horns. The cow horn differs fro a b"ll horn in that it has a series of cal,in$ rin$s at the base and has a solid tip. The d"n$ sho"ld be fro a lactatin$ cow which will brin$ in the calci" processes to the preparation. The cow sho"ld be fed with $ood 0"ality fodder two days before fillin$ the horns to ens"re the d"n$ is of $ood 0"ality.

The horns sho"ld be b"ried in a pit abo"t 16(1K inches deep and co,ered with soil that has been enriched with $ood 0"ality co post. .e caref"l not to allow weeds to $row on the pit as the weed roots can $row into the preparation and also a,oid trees roots.

The horns sho"ld be b"ried open end down so they will not beco e water lo$$ed if the pit is watered. /"rin$ the cooler onths life breathes into the and the soil has the tendency to be f"ll of ener$ies% which ener$ies are absorbed into the thro"$h the recepti,e nat"re of the horn.

that o,er soil $rowth d"n$

The pit sho"ld be kept cool by "lchin$ with paddy straw or si ilar and shaded with a low thatchin$ of cocon"t fronds. The preparation when ready after + onths sho"ld ha,e t"rned into dark h" "s and sho"ld be sweet s ellin$. !t sho"ld be stored in a cool place and in $lazed pots or in $lass Iars s"rro"nded by da p coir pith as an ins"lation.

!t is sprayed "p to fo"r ti es a year. The best ti es are in 1ctober and =o,e ber and then a$ain in -ebr"ary and ?arch. !t is i portant to apply in the late afternoon. !t is "sed in s all 0"anitities at the rate of %5 grams in 3 2itres of water "er acre. !t is stirred for one ho"r akin$ a ,orte# or crater in one direction and then re,ersin$ the direction and akin$ a ,orte# in the other direction. The stirred preparation can then be sprinkled with a whisk br"sh o,er the land. 1n lar$er areas a lar$er ,ol" e of li0"id can be stirred in a &'' litre dr" with a tripod s"pportin$ a stirrin$ rod or with a 4irbela flow for cascade i#in$ "p to 5'' litres and applied with a spray nozzle. Preparation 5'' is sprayed at the descendin$ phase of the oon.

3it! regu2ar a""2ication7 "re"aration #$500 wi22 give a soi2 a22 t!e c!aracteristics needed to sustain a -iving ,oi2. Stron$ h" "s for ation !ncrease in all soil bacteria% s"ch as rhizobacta acti,ity (nod"lation) on all le$" es% e$ dals% etc. and an increase of the phosphate sol"bilizin$ bacteria !ncrease in the ycorrhizal f"n$i and their hyphae ! pro,ed cr" b str"ct"re and res"ltant i pro,e ent in soil tilth 8arthwor acti,ity is increased

6bsorption and retention of water is $reater. !nternational research has fo"nd that ./ soils re0"ire &5@ to 5'@ less irri$ation than con,entional soils. 6 deep rootin$ syste is de,eloped in all plants !t will work e0"ally well in any soil type% clays% ,olcanic% peat silt or weathered silica .io(/yna ic Preparations ./5''% ./5'1% ./5'&(5') are !ndia and can be p"rchased fro B ade in se,eral places in

(urin)i *rganic +arms in ;odaikanal% C. 9eyakaran ,u"a Pvt. -td. in =ainital% .inita Shah

./5'1 C Cow >orn Clay

./5'&(5') C ./5'K

./ Preps !ntro

Compost

Abstracted from Biodynamic Agriculture in India by Peter Proctor

Introduction

Plant n"trients are aintained in the soil by addition of co posts% ade fro anima2 manures which are "s"ally co bined with "2ant materia2s% s"ch as $reen le$" e crops and dry strawy aterial% where the or$anic aterials are con,erted into a stable h" "s thro"$h a fer entation process. Co postin$ the or$anic aterials% will a,oid the n"trient losses fro o#idation or leachin$ that wo"ld happen if these or$anic aterials were to be applied directly on the $ro"nd. 4ario"s rock d"sts can be applied thro"$h the co post heap to s"pply depleted essential ineral ele ents. Com"ost 8aking ?akin$ 0"ality co post is ,ery i portant as a way to aintain h" "s in the soil. The ethod is relati,ely si ple and the best way to "nderstand the akin$ of co post is to do it.

5se a i#t"re of "rotein rich aterials e.$. ani al an"res% lawn clippin$s% fresh $reen $rass% lea,es and shoots of le$" e trees s"ch as $lirisidia% erythrina% crotalaria

and carbon rich aterials e.$. shredded cocon"t fronds% coir pith% paddy straw% hay% wood chips% dry lea,es and $rasses

in a proportion of 609 "rotein and &09 carbonaceous.

6ttention "st be $i,en to the aeration of the aterial. 3itho"t air% the heap will not heat "p and it will beco e anaerobic and s elly. ."ild an air t"nnel at the botto of the heap% with layers of hay fro a bale% or corn stalks or si ilar. This stops the heap fro settlin$ down too "ch.

5s"ally a co post is best ade in a 2ayering met!od7 with the carbonaceo"s layer abo"t 1'c deep% alternatin$ with the protein aterial which is abo"t 15c deep. !n this way the protein of the $reen will s"pply the nitro$en% that the bacteria re0"ire for their $rowth% to break down the carbon aterial. ;eep the layers loose% do not fir the aterial down too "ch% as that will e#cl"de the air.

The ani al d"n$ sho"ld be ade into a sl"rry and watered onto the carbon layer. This will brin$ the ani al effect into the co post and also feed the icro or$anis s which will break down the dry aterial.

To ha,e a s"ccessf"l fer entation% attention "st be $i,en to $ettin$ the ri$ht a o"nt of oist"re as well as the ri$ht air content and then (((the ri$ht te perat"re will arise% which is abo"t 6'LC for &(* weeks d"rin$ which ti e f"n$al acti,ity is e,ident ( chan$in$ $rad"ally to bacterial acti,ity. Therefore% care "st be taken that the dry carbon aterial is oist eno"$h. <enerally it is best to wet any dry aterial before it is p"t on to the heap. 6 test to assess proper oist"re content is that water sho"ld drip o"t of the aterial when it is s0"eezed in the hand.

6dd hydrated li e to the $reen ,e$etation layer. 9"st a d"stin$ like s"$ar on dosa.

!f the soil needs phosphate% rock phosphate can be also applied to the heap% appro# &5k$s per 5 *. !t can be sprinkled on the carbon layer. The theory is that the or$anic acids in the heap will $ently work on the phosphate rock and ake the phosphate a,ailable.

The heap sho"ld be b"ilt as a windrow. The di ensions of the heap sho"ld be two metres wide at t!e base and one and a !a2f metres !ig! and as 2ong as is "ractica2. .asically 5 etres lon$ appears to be a con,enient len$th. 1ne etre len$th will $i,e appro# one c"bic etre% or one tonne appro#% of finished co post% dependin$ on the nat"re of the aterials. So e far ers ake heaps of bi$$er proportions than this% b"t "s"ally they will r"n into a breakin$ down proble d"e to co paction of the lar$e ,ol" e and conse0"ent lack of aeration. The s all $arden can ha,e a windrow style heap of s aller di ensions.

3hen the co post heap is co pleted then ?ake 5 deep holes in the side of the co post heap P"t 1 $ each of the ./ 5'&(5'6 preps in the holes M 1 prep7hole ?ake a hole on the top of the heap

Stir 1' l of ./ 5') in 1 litre of water for 1' ins and po"r N of it into the hole on top Sprinkle the re ainin$ N ./ 5') e,enly ro"nd the heap in a clockwise direction !nsert a stick into the heap to eas"re heat 3ater re$"larly

!t is best to ake co post where there is shade. S"ch trees as bananas% sesbania or an$os are beneficial to co post akin$ and will pro,ide ,al"able shade d"rin$ the hot dry onths. 6,oid b"ildin$ heaps "nder trees with ra pant roots e$. prickly accacia or S"b"b"l.

The heap sho"ld be t"rned re$"larly. Probably after abo"t 6 weeks. This will aerate the heap and it also will $i,e a chance to check oist"re content. The co post sho"ld be ready in abo"t + onths dependin$ on the a bient te perat"re. !t will be a brown% cr" bly h" "s.

APP-ICA.I*: ;A.1, A;1 -or hea,y feedin$ ,e$etables (( 1' * per acre -or paddy (rice)% fr"it trees% cocon"ts% $rapes% citr"s (( 5 to 1' -or tea 7 coffee $ardens (( * to 5 * per acre.

per acre

1ne

ore co post heap in !ndiaJ

CPP -- Ma ing the Pit ! "nea#ing the $%ough$

8aking t!e Pit Choose a site with $ood draina$e% well( shaded and aerated. 6 ,e$etable $arden is ideal. /i$ a pit 9'c # 6'c # *'c deep (*ft # &ft # 1ft) Oine the side of the pit with "sed bricks. 8ns"re that the bricks are wet prior to placin$ the d"n$. The bricks are a $ood edi" for the walls of the pits in that they absorb oist"re% and can be watered to keep the d"n$ fro dryin$ o"t. The botto is left as bare earth.

The pits can be ade in series of "p to 1'' pits in a $ro"p with a central path in between two do"ble rows% or so e syste that s"its the far sH needs.

The pits are "s"ally sit"ated within a shade ho"se which is "s"ally roofed with thatch. This will keep the pits cool d"rin$ the hot onths and stop the d"n$ fro dryin$ o"t% and will be shelter a$ainst the rain d"rin$ onsoons. ?ake s"re the shade ho"se is hi$h eno"$h to work "nder.

8aking t!e CPP Collect 6'k$s of cow d"n$ fro cows preferably fed on biodyna ically $rown fodder. =o concentrates or $rains sho"ld be fed two to three days before collectin$ the d"n$. 6dd water by sprinklin$ it o,er the cow d"n$ if dry. Cow d"n$ sho"ld not be too dry or too wet. The d"n$ sho"ld be fir as this facilitates the breakdown processes. !t is i#ed with &'' $ra s of powdered e$$ shell. >eat e$$ shells in a hot o,en for ten in"tes which will aid the $rindin$ of the shell into powder and &'' $ra s of powdered basalt d"st. !f there is no basalt% "se bl"e $ranite 0"arry d"st or bore well soil instead. Sprinkle the basalt rock or bore well soil% and cr"shed e$$ shells% o,er the cow d"n$.

;nead ( i#) for 1' ( *'

in"tes.

The kneadin$ of the d"n$ is i portant to aerate it. :o" will notice the consistency will chan$e. So e far ers i# for as lon$ as 1 ho"r.

Place the d"n$ i#t"re into the pit. 3hen fillin$ the pits ake s"re that they are not filled ore than a brick and a half deep (1&c ). 6ny deeper wo"ld take too lon$ to breakdown into h" "s. The d"n$ sho"ld not be ti$htly packed. S ooth off the top of the d"n$.

?ake si# holes & inches (*(+c ) deep after $ently pattin$ the d"n$ into the pit. !nsert * sets of preps ./5'&(5'6 indi,id"ally into the holes by placin$ each into a handf"l of co post% i.e. * sets of ./5'& in a handf"l of co post into hole P1% * sets of ./5'* in a handf"l of co post into hole P&% etc.% etc. Then co,er o,er the holes.

Stir ./5') in *5' l of clean water for 1' in"tes. 6dd 17& of stirred ./5') into the re ainin$ hole% then sprinkle the balance e,enly o,er the entire pit and the I"te ba$ that will co,er the pit.

Place a wet I"te sack o,er the cow pat pit to aintain oist"re. (3aterproof co,ers sho"ld be raised at one side to allow water to r"n off and air to circ"late.) 1nce a onth $ently t"rn7aerate with a $arden fork% lea,in$ the s"rface s ooth and co,ered on co pletion to a,oid e#cessi,e dryin$. !f an"re wor s (( Eisenia foeti!a ($old banded la,ender colo"r) or "um#ricus re#ullus (s all red) are not already present they can be introd"ced to aid the later sta$es of break down. 6fter the first onth% t"rn each week. This will speed "p the breakdown process. 2e o,e at"re CPP in * to 5 onths.

3hen ready the CPP will be well broken down with a $ood h" "s content. !t will ha,e a $ood earthy s ell. !t can be "sed strai$ht away% or stored in an earthen pot in a cool place. ?aintain oist"re and "se within 6 onths. The e pty pits can be refilled a$ain.

Preparation 50& - Cow Horn Si'i(a

This is finely $ro"nd 0"artz crystals specially prepared. The crystal sho"ld be of $ood 0"ality and shape and clear. !t is b"ried in a si ilar anner to Preparation ./5''% b"t this ti e it is b"ried in the cowHs horn d"rin$ the hot ti e fro ?arch to 6pril and lifted in Septe ber. !t is stored in a $lass Iar on a s"nny window sill.

!t is "sed ainly d"rin$ the $rowin$ season and is "sed at the rate of gram in 3 2itres of water "er acre. ./5'1 is applied in the ,ery early ornin$ as a fine ist that drifts o,er the plant or tree. !t is stirred for 1 ho"r in the sa e way as ./5''. This spray enhances the photosynthesis of the leaf% and as s"ch co pli ents the acti,ity of the preparation ./5''% which works ostly in the root zone of the plant. !t also stren$thens the plants a$ainst so e f"n$"s attack% rots in passion fr"it% and r"st on coffee and rice.

5s"ally it is "sed at the be$innin$ of the plantHs de,elop ent% and then a$ain shortly before at"rity or har,est. !t has been fo"nd to i pro,e the 0"ality of the plant in re$ard to taste% n"tritional ,al"e% and shelf life. !t has also been fo"nd to brin$ "p the .ri# le,el in all fr"its. Preparation 5'1 is best sprayed when the ?oon and Sat"rn are in opposition which occ"rs once each onth. So e far ers are practisin$ se0"ential sprayin$ where ./5'' pl"s CPP is applied in the e,enin$ and the followin$ ornin$ ./5'1. Try to ti e this sprayin$ so as to apply ./5'1 on the ornin$ of the day before ?oon is opposite Sat"rn.

)ew Preparation - Cow Horn C'a*

Clay is the ediator between calci" and silica. This prepared clay is b"ried in the soil in the sa e way and at the sa e ti e as the horn cow d"n$ (./5'') and the horn silica (./5'1). So the horn clay is ade twice a year. The horn clay b"ried with the ./5'' is applied in the e,enin$s at the sa e ti e as the 5''% stirred in the sa e water. The horn clay b"ried with the ./5'1 is applied at the sa e ti e as

the preparation 5'1 in the

ornin$s% stirred in the sa e water.

This is a new preparation and it is bein$ "sed at the rate of 0 grams in 3 2itres of water "er acre. This preparation appears to ake ./5'' and ./5'1 ore effecti,e. .io(/yna ic Preparations ./5''% ./5'1% ./5'&(5') are places in !ndia and can be p"rchased fro B ade in se,eral

(urin)i *rganic +arms in ;odaikanal% C. 9eyakaran ,u"a Pvt. -td. in =ainital% .inita Shah

./5''

./5'&(5') C ./5'K

./ Preps !ntro

Stirring +arge ! Sma'' ,uantities

3ater 2ainwater is preferable and% in areas of little poll"tion% can be collected off the roofs of ho"ses% woodsheds and hay barns. !t can be stored in concrete% $al,anised iron or "ntreated wooden tanks. !f sprin$ water is "sed% it sho"ld be checked for poll"tants and che ical resid"es. !f fo"nd to be clean% it sho"ld stand in the li$ht and air for two days% as it ay ha,e been "nder$ro"nd for any years. 2i,er water sho"ld likewise be checked for p"rity. 3ater for stirrin$ sho"ld be between &5L and *'LC% and is best heated with a nat"ral heat% s"ch as a fla e or s"nli$ht. S"itable heaters are b"tane or woodb"rners and solar panels. /o not "se electricity.

5ow to ,tir %or up to & acre of land

5p to 1* litres can be co fortably stirred by hand with a s all stick. Stir while restin$ yo"r elbows on yo"r knees. To ake a $ood ,orte# re0"ires a wristy o,e ent. Start slowly at the ed$e of the b"cket and o,e into the centre% increasin$ the stirrin$ speed. 3hen a crater appears in the water% break it by stirrin$ in the opposite direction. :o" can chan$e hands when chan$in$ direction% and it is easier to always stir o"tward% i.e. with the ri$ht hand clockwise and with the left hand anticlockwise. There sho"ld be abo"t three direction chan$es a in"te.

Start slowly at the ed$e of the b"cket...

....and

o,e into the centre% increasin$ the stirrin$ speed.

5ow to ,tir %or &-&' acres of land 5p to 1*' litres can be stirred "sin$ a &''(litre plastic dr" or an oak barrel% with a 1.*(1.6 lon$ &.5c dia eter wooden rod% s"spended by eans of a nylon cord tied fir ly to an o,erhan$in$ branch% bea or a tripod of sto"t poles. The rod is tied so that it swin$s )c abo,e the botto of the barrel. The rod th"s takes all the wei$ht and akes the stirrin$ and creatin$ of the ,orte# relati,ely easy.

Tripod

Tripod 2od

<i,e it a t"rnJ

-asterJ

<ood IobJ >ere co es the ,orte#J

3ant ore chaos on the re,erse t"rnG 6dd so e Hbr"shH to the rod.

5ow to ,tir %or &'-(''-)'' acres of land 5p to 55' litres an ho"r ( eno"$h for o,er +' acres ( can be stirred in the 4irbela -lowfor s "sed by biodyna ic far ers in !ndia. The o,e ent the water akes as it passes thro"$h the flowfor cascade is one of alternatin$ ,ortices. This is ,ery si ilar to the s"ccession of ,ortices prod"ced in a b"cket wheel stirrin$% e#cept that yo" can see the whole s"ccession laid o"t in front of yo" at once. The ,ortices% howe,er% occ"r one after another% I"st as they do in a b"cket% beca"se the water flows fro a clockwise(rotatin$ cha ber into an anticlockwise one% and so on. 6 flowfor cascade always has a separate HentryH for at its head% which sets "p the ri$ht conditions for water enterin$ the syste . 3ith a cascade of se,en bowl for s (pl"s entry for ) it is possible to stir "p to 55' litres in one ho"r. 3ith )(1+ (pl"s one) bowl for s it is possible to stir "p to &)'' litres in one ho"r. 6t the o ent a hi$h(,ol" e% low(press"re p" p is "sed to circ"late the water contin"o"sly for an ho"r. 1ther p" ps with a softer action are bein$ in,esti$ated.

4irbela flowfor with kidney(shaped cascade bowls

6nd kidney(shaped reser,oir tank.

4irbela -lowfor s...

...for lar$e far s

6nd for >o"se <ardens tooJJ

5ow to ,tir %or &' ml of Preparation B*)'+ - ,alerian 1' l of Preparation ./5') 4alerian in 1(& litres of p"re water is stirred for 1' in"tes before addin$ to a co post heap% a cow pat pit or li0"id an"re. 1ne of the ost efficient ways of stirrin$ s"ch a s all 0"antity is the rhyth ic horizontal back and forth o,e ent% at chest le,el% of a 1(& litre water bottle. This creates the re0"ired ,orte# o,e ent.

Strai$ht C le,el

See that chaosJ

3ell doneJ

H-M-S - the .oun#ation o. +/V/)0 S1/+

5U8U, - t!e organic constituent of soi27 usua22y formed by t!e decom"osition of "2ants and 2eaves <-atin7 2itera22y =soi2=> -!ford *ictionary 1r$anic far in$ has as its ain basis% the health of the soil. .efore the ad,ent of odern a$ric"lt"ral techni0"es at abo"t the be$innin$ of the &'th cent"ry% all soils ri$ht across the world were healthy and li,in$. This fertility bein$ the res"lt of tho"sands of years of caref"l h"sbandry where all the plant resid"es and all the cow and other do estic ani al an"res were ret"rned to the soil. 6 wonderf"l soil icrobial life had been b"ilt "p o,er these years. This has been doc" ented in any articles on soil written o,er the cent"ries. ?odern a$ric"lt"ral science holds the belief that to feed a h"n$ry world and eet the de and for an increase in food s"pply artificial for s of nitro$en% phosphoro"s% potash and all icron"trients "st be added as so e for of che ical salt to $row food. 6cid based che ical fertilisers kill off the ,ario"s soil bacteria% beneficial f"n$"s and earthwor s% which s"pport the all i portant h" "s% which is the $reat basis of soil str"ct"re. So the soil lost its nat"ral fertility. Plants now weakened by bein$ fed with artificial fertilisers ha,e de,eloped all kinds of f"n$"s diseases and s"sceptibility to any insect attacks% and as a conse0"ence a whole re$i e of che ical plant pesticides and f"n$icides are now also bein$ "sed. These che icals are ca"sin$ poisono"s poll"tion of the soil% the water and of h" ans. The end res"lt is that hectares and hectares of far in$ soils the world o,er ha,e lost their str"ct"re% and are now de$raded soils. Im"ortance of 5umus for ,oi2 ,tructure 6 +erti2ity in ,oi2s Soils that ha,e a hi$h h" "s content% ha,e ab"ndant li,in$ biolo$ical acti,ity to con,ert plant resid"es% leaf litter% ani al d"n$ and ,aio"s bio ass into stable h" "s.

$t is sai! that the %eight of the organisms in the soil& e uals the %eight of the animals a#ove the groun! that that soil can support' The micro organisms are #acteria& inclu!ing rhi(o#ia )nitrogen fixing*& phosphate solu#ili(ing #acteria& m+corrhi(al fungi& algi& actinom+cetes an! proto(oa' Then there are the macro organisms& such as nemato!es& springtails& mites& ants& millipe!es an! earth%orms' >" "s $i,es the soil the ability to absorb and retain not dry o"t and re0"ire si$nificantly less irri$ation. oist"re. S"ch soils do

>" "s pro,ides a reser,oir for the plant n"trients a,ailable in the soil for balanced plant $rowth. >" "s plays a part in s"pportin$ soil bacteria% s"ch as rhizobacta so i portant for all le$" e nod"lation and other well known bacteria% s"ch as the phosphate sol"bilizin$ bacteria. 6n e#"date fro bacterial acti,ity res"lts in polysaccharides (a sticky s"bstance) bein$ released% which helps bind the s all soil particles into a n"tty cr" b str"ct"re to a depth of *'c or ore. >" "s also s"pports the all i portant ycorryhzal f"n$i% which for a sy biosis with any plants and are an i portant factor in the soil food web. The hyphae fro these f"n$i help bind the soil particles to for $ood soil str"ct"re.

#io-dynamic +arming 6 5umus A#stracte! from Grasp the Nettle #+ ,eter ,roctor 6n essential part of the art of far in$ is the obser,ation of soil 0"ality. 3hen the biodyna ic acti,ity is workin$ well in the soil of the far % soils of all types ha,e a co on look to the . They ha,e a cr" bly% n"t str"ct"re% and the h" "s content $i,es a slippery feel when r"bbed between fin$er and th" b. 6 coarse feel indicates a lack of h" "s. .y r"nnin$ yo"r fin$er down the len$th of the profile yo" can deter ine the depth to which the h" "s is in the soil. 1n a biodyna ic far % as the years pro$ress% yo" will find that the soil has this slippery feel to lower and lower depths. The roots also penetrate deeper and deeper. 8arthwor castin$s are fo"nd deeper too (( down to where the s"bsoil and topsoil eet. The earthwor s work to i# the s"bsoil and topsoil where they adIoin% increasin$ the depth of the li,in$ topsoil layer each year. !t is i portant to obser,e the de$ree of i#in$ of earthwor castin$s between the s"bsoil and the topsoil. 6 $ood soil on a dairy far after a few years of Preparation 5'' can ha,e o,er 1'' earthwor s in a c"bic foot. 6 $ood fertile li,in$ soil will ha,e a stron$ icrobiolo$ical life where azobacter and rhizobacter s"pport healthy nod"lation on all le$" e plants% especially where Preparation 5'' is bein$ "sed.

=od"lation on a ./

ana$ed plot

=od"lation on a che ically treated plot 6 $ood biodyna ic soil allows roots to penetrate widely% so that they are not cra ped and all the root hairs ha,e plenty of roo . 1bser,e also that the soil clin$s persistently to the root hairs. This does not happen in a non(biodyna ic soil. !n a soil that has been treated with water(sol"ble fertilisers the roots are contracted and t"rned in. !n trials cond"cted at the 6$ric"lt"ral Colle$e of !ndore co parin$ the effect of biodyna ic preparations with that of con,entional fertiliser application% there were dra atic contrasts in root de,elop ent in the different plots. The biodyna ic plot showed root de,elop ent deep into the soil% whereas in che ically treated plots the roots were ainly near the s"rface. There is a far in <"Iarat% which has been "sin$ all the biodyna ic preparations for the last fo"r years. The far er has been "sin$ Preparation 5'' and CPP (cowpat pit) since &''1% fo"r ti es in a year. The plo"$h an who has been plo"$hin$ on this land with a b"llock(drawn sin$le(f"rrow plo"$h for the last twenty years said to the far er% HSahib% what ha,e yo" done to the soil to ake it so softG !t is like plo"$hin$ cotton and y feet no lon$er $et soreJH S"ch anecdotal stories are backed "p research. 2esearchers at ?assey 5ni,ersity in =ew Qealand ade se,eral standard soil(0"ality eas"re ents on soil fro se,eral pairs of nei$hbo"rin$ biodyna ic and con,entional far s. (2e$anold et al% 199*). They fo"nd that the biodyna ic soils were $enerally si$nificantly s"perior to con,entionally ana$ed soils in re$ard to soil str"ct"re% friability% aeration and draina$e% lower b"lk density% hi$her or$anic atter content% soil respiration% and

ineralisable nitro$en%

ore earthwor s and a deeper topsoil layer.

Soil fro

a ./

ana$ed plot

Soil fro

a che ically treated plot

.!e vita2ity and ?ua2ity of soi2 can be im"roved by regu2ar a""2ication of@ Preparation 5'' co post ade with Preparations 5'&(5') li0"id an"res ade with Preparations 5'&(5') cowpat pit an"re ade with Preparations 5'&(5') and in addition by@ t"rnin$ in plant aterial s"ch as $reen crops and straw not "sin$ che ical fertilisers and pesticides a,oidin$ soil co paction by achinery or ani als% partic"larly in wet weather

keepin$ soil co,ered by past"re% crops or "lch not destroyin$ the soil str"ct"re by poor far in$ practices s"ch as e#cessi,e "se of the rotary hoe or c"lti,ation in "ns"itable weather (too wet or too dry) fallowin$ the land by plantin$ deep(rootin$ per anent past"re species or "sin$ $reen crops.

The 2io-%*nami( Preparations

Introduction .iodyna ic a$ric"lt"re "ses a series of preparations n" bered fro 5'' to 5'K which are based on ,ario"s ineral% plant% and ani al s"bstances. These enhance all the bacterial% f"n$al and ineral processes that are fo"nd in the or$anic far in$ syste . There is always the 0"estion the world o,er% DSho"ld we not "se indi$eno"s plants for akin$ the preparations and not e#otic plants fro northern he isphereGD ! (Peter Proctor) wo"ld a$ree that we sho"ld b"t% then that 0"estion is answered by another% D3hich onesGD ! do not do"bt that there are indi$eno"s plants in e,ery re$ion of the world that wo"ld ha,e the ri$ht characteristics% b"t to $et the desired infl"ences% with re$ard to the enhance ent of the ineral processes or the infl"ences of the related planets% will take "ch obser,ational st"dy. So "ntil the ti e co es when s"bstit"te plants are fo"nd to be effecti,e% we "st contin"e to "se those herbal plants that ha,e been akin$ 0"ality preparations for any years. There are ob,io"s e#ceptions% in !ndia% "sin$ an indi$eno"s oak tree in the >i alayan footShills% Quercus glauca% the bark of which has a hi$h percenta$e of calci" % and there always see s to be indi$eno"s perennial nettles (Urtica

species) $rowin$ in ost co"ntries% that ha,e the sa e 0"alities as that of the 8"ropean nettle Urtica !ioica' Urtica parviflora is the nettle $rowin$ in the >i alayan foothills. !n the hot co"ntries it is diffic"lt to $row the te perate cli ate herbs and in !ndia we are $rowin$ the in the cooler cli ate of the hills. !n the hill stations of the so"th at &''' etres aro"nd ;odaikanal and in the foothills of the >i alayas in areas s"ch as =ainital and /arIeelin$ at 15'' and &''' etres respecti,ely. #$500 ( Cow >orn ?an"re #$50 ( Cow >orn Silica #$50% ( :arrow #$503 ( Cha o ile #$50& ( Stin$in$ =ettle #$505 ( >i alayan 1ak .ark #$506 ( /andelion #$50' ( 4alerian #$50A ( Cas"rina Tea The relationship between soil icrobiolo$y and the biodyna ic preparations ./5'' ./5'1 C Cow >orn Clay ./5'&(5') C ./5'K

.io(/yna ic Preparations ./5''% ./5'1% ./5'&(5') are places in !ndia and can be p"rchased fro B

ade in se,eral

(urin)i *rganic +arms in ;odaikanal% C. 9eyakaran ,u"a Pvt. -td. in =ainital% .inita Shah

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