NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF CROPS AS INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER TREATMENTS
Results of 12 years' experiments with vegetab les (1960-1972)
WERNER SCHUPHAN
The problem of fertilizing food plants, whether on an organic or inorganic
basis, and the response to the nutritional value of tile crops so
treated are of tremendous interest all over the Western world (1). The
so-called 'Organic - or Biological - Farming', or 'Biodynamic Management'
in agriculture and gardening and the value of their products found favour
with many people and entered the sharp limelight of public discussions.
The experimental work we have done in this special field from 1960 to
1972 should help to elucidate the real situation, 'Quantity - Quality,' and
may reduce emotions in favour to more objectivity.
The background of this problem as seen overseas could be taken from a
recent publication of an American food scientist. M. Salomon (1) made in
1972 the following statement:
'The organically grown food idea is not new but our present cultural
responses are such that the concept takes on a whole new dimension leading
to special diets, a kind of mysticism, a certain fear of anything chemical or
artificial, and in the extreme may find expression in ancient religious
practices and a questioning and turning against the establishment'.
In the same publication M. Salomon (1) pleads for 'strong definitive work with composts in comparison with chemical
fertilizers and their effect on 'quality".
Let us try to get rid of the myths and establish independent scientific
inquiry instead.