Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Seems to be quite a lot of progress within the research world on the gut microbiome and the wide ranging effects on human health. Quite a lot of parallels with the soil health discussion IMO.
Link between gut biology and soil biology
- Thread starter Feldspar
- Start date
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Big similarity between humus and dietary fibre.
newholland
Member
- Location
- England
Try reading the book "the diet myth" by Tim Spector. A great read, it changed my mind
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
They perform remarkably similar function, too.
Cue, another discussion of the benefits of kelp, shut up with it Kiwi Pete
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Thanks, downloaded it and a third of the way through- can't put it down
newholland
Member
- Location
- England
He knows his stuff is all I can say!
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
He sure does, incredibly similar to what you learn about soil microbiology, really.
I have a strange sense of deja vu at times, many thanks for the tip
One of the chaps at SFS chats about this quite a bit.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Soil Fertility Services?
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
I'm very interested in this topic.
With outdoor breeding sows we always have a deterioration in performance at the end of the two years that we occupy a site, presumably something is impacting sow and piglet health.
I'm looking into ways to stop this very economically damaging drop, spurred on by what I learned at Groundswell and read since.
If maintaining ground cover influences the soil microbiome then that would influence the pigs gut microbiome.
The problem is how to do that with all those trotters and snouts doing their worst even if there was a chance to establish cover before they went on. (The rest of the rotation is out of my control)
With outdoor breeding sows we always have a deterioration in performance at the end of the two years that we occupy a site, presumably something is impacting sow and piglet health.
I'm looking into ways to stop this very economically damaging drop, spurred on by what I learned at Groundswell and read since.
If maintaining ground cover influences the soil microbiome then that would influence the pigs gut microbiome.
The problem is how to do that with all those trotters and snouts doing their worst even if there was a chance to establish cover before they went on. (The rest of the rotation is out of my control)
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
Has anyone read " I contain multitudes "?
I have read reviews on it and heard an interview with the author. However I am loathe to spend money on a book that I won't read several times. The library can't get it.
I have read reviews on it and heard an interview with the author. However I am loathe to spend money on a book that I won't read several times. The library can't get it.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
I started to rethink about this when I watched this:
.
I am naturally a bit cautious about of lot material in this field because I think there is a lot claims that use a narrow evidence base and then overreach themselves. I only watched this because I thought that Stanford would probably do a bit of due diligence on their speakers which might reduce the chance of the speaker being a crank.
I am naturally a bit cautious about of lot material in this field because I think there is a lot claims that use a narrow evidence base and then overreach themselves. I only watched this because I thought that Stanford would probably do a bit of due diligence on their speakers which might reduce the chance of the speaker being a crank.
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
You are right to be very cautious about this subject. There are already numerous snake oil salesman about promoting their microbial wonder product/food. The research is in its infancy, the tip of the iceberg has not even been exposed yet.
newholland
Member
- Location
- England
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I tried some Inulin when I saw on the telly that it helps you sleep. White powder sprinkled on food. A soluble fibre. can't digest it but it provides some kind of benefit for gut bacteria. It definitely made me sleepy but also very windy at night. The Mrs was glad when I stopped using it.
Apparently it's made from ground up chicory roots. Also present in Jerusalem artichokes.
Apparently it's made from ground up chicory roots. Also present in Jerusalem artichokes.
newholland
Member
- Location
- England
I am sure you guys will have already seen this in the other thread, but @martian did well posting the link, its a great, straight to the point presentation. These guys are so very correct. Had some great days with Gary Zimmer in the states too.
But how on earth do you go about trying to get an average farmer to listen? the farmer who's idea of constructive conversation is to moan about black grass, the lack of chemicals blah blah - is it that they just don't care?.....can't understand?.....too greedy?......lack of education and imagination?......how do you go about trying to change modern farming attitudes?
But how on earth do you go about trying to get an average farmer to listen? the farmer who's idea of constructive conversation is to moan about black grass, the lack of chemicals blah blah - is it that they just don't care?.....can't understand?.....too greedy?......lack of education and imagination?......how do you go about trying to change modern farming attitudes?
- Location
- Essex Coast
Just read The Hidden Half Of Nature by David Montgomery and Anne Bikle, it's all in there.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Hal...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1501181745&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Hal...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1501181745&sr=1-1
If they do not wish to change the surely that will be their problem in the long run. Of course it may backfire on us all if we are to become a more cooperative industry.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
It's strange how much of this my Dad used to chatter away about in the late 80s when I was just a wee nipper in the passenger seat, puttering around sheep in a little Suzuki LJ50.. it beggars belief that more research hasn't been done on the ruminant microbiome- compared to the research done on "ways to make them grow"!!
It seems we are not that much further ahead in 30 years in terms of really understanding what we've been doing for centuries.
So many farmers still see an animal as one, and not the product of a trillion microbes. And soil is just a place to sprinkle fertiliser on..
It seems we are not that much further ahead in 30 years in terms of really understanding what we've been doing for centuries.
So many farmers still see an animal as one, and not the product of a trillion microbes. And soil is just a place to sprinkle fertiliser on..
Last edited:
