Rare Fossil Find

Today we celebrate another fossildiscovery that appears to be extraordinary. We believe it is a three dimensional ankylosaur protected by a casing ofharder rock.  Most likely it sankdirectly into the ooze and was quickly fossilized.   Theexistence of tendons alone suggests that we may be even able to trace softtissue forms.

One takes luck wherever one findsit and this is a very lucky find that is worth following as it is likely athrove of new knowledge.

The same mechanisms that preservemarine fossils went to work on this particular LAND critter.  We will not be finding many of these.

Rare fossil find

Oilsands worker uncovers 'earliest, most complete' dinosaur in Alberta

POSTMEDIA NEWS MARCH 27, 2011

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Rare+fossil+find/4511129/story.html?id=4511129

A series of unlikely events over a span of 113 million years hasresulted in the discovery of what may be the oldest dinosaur remains in Alberta's history.

On Monday afternoon, a shovel operator at a Suncor oilsands mine sitenoticed what looked like brown discs in the black rock on a small cliff he wasexcavating. Per Suncor's policy, operator Shawn Funk shut off his machinery andreported that he'd found something unusual.

"It was really like finding a needle in a haystack," saidSuncor spokeswoman Lanette Lundquist.

The area remained closed to work while Suncor took pictures of thecurious find and sent them to the Royal Tyrrell Museumin Drumheller.

There, Don Henderson, the curator of dinosaurs, thought it could be theremains of a marine reptile, not an uncommon find in an area that used to beunderwater.

He thought he could see a fossilized flipper. On Tuesday, Henderson andanother Tyrrell employee travelled to the site, 50 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.

"After about 10 minutes, we realized it was somethingdifferent," Hendersonsaid. "We did a high-five."

Henderson realized the brown discs were thecross-section of a dinosaur's ribs. He could see bits of backbone, the edge ofa leg and tendons thick as broom handles, all encased and protected by amass of minerals and other material.

"This thing is in a giant lump, about 85 per cent of it is stillin the hill," he said.

"This is a perfectly preserved three dimensional fossil. This isthe earliest, most complete find in Alberta.This might be the best one so far."

Henderson believes the bones belong to an ankylosaur, an armouredherbivore covered in plates and spikes, with "wimpy little teeth."

When alive, it was roughly five metres long and two metres wide.

On average, dinosaurs found in Albertaare 65 million to 75 million years old, while this find is likely 113million years old, Hendersonsaid.

The location and structure of the find are highly unlikely. Forstarters, an ankylosaur was a terrestrial animal -this one ended up in an areathat was 150 km from any land at the time of its death. The dinosaur likelydied and was swept to sea before sinking.

The remains likely began to fossilize within days or even hours,forming a "bombproof" protective crust that lasted until Funkuncovered it.

Henderson praised Funk, who had just toured the Tyrrell last week, forhis caution. A massive shovel like Funk uses could easily destroy a fossilwithout anyone ever knowing, Hendersonsaid.

"This was just a series of very unlikely events," Henderson said.

Lundquist said the area of the Suncor site will remain closed until allof the fossil is excavated. A meeting will be held Monday to determine the bestway to do that. Once those parts have come loose, they will be taken toDrumheller on a flatbed truck.

The bulk of the fossil is sticking out from the side of a 3.5-metrecliff. Workers will sift through the rubble below for any smaller pieces.

"This crust is very good to protect the fossil, but it will be verydifficult to prepare over the next two to three years. It's worth it, though,for what we'll learn," Hendersonsaid.

Such a complete skeleton of an ankylosaur has never been found before;it's expected to provide new scientific information as it is uncovered by tinypneumatic drills and air-driven tools. That work will have to be careful, Henderson said, becausethe encasing material is harder than the bones themselves.

Read more:

http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Rare+fossil+find/4511129/story.html#ixzz1HqONQA4j

Brachiosaurus Like a Vacuum Cleaner

The only thing missing here ismention of the likelihood that these critters operated in swamps where theirmass was supported by water in the first place.  Young ones could well have been quiteambulatory, but once settled into a home swamp with ready access to water weeds,movement becomes a luxury.

This critter was not a grasseater and that pretty well restricts it to the swamps.  Obviously, the neck also floated as wellallowing the creature to vacuum out its immediate locale before moving on.

Curiously, traditions from Australiaconform to this model of behavior.  Those following this blog understand the importance of the Australasian biome.

Brachiosaurus and other dinosaurs like a vacuum cleaner

March 24, 2011 byDeborah Braconnier 

Brachiosaurus. Image credit: Wikia

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a recent study published in Biology Letters,Professor Graeme Ruxton from the University of Glasgow and Dr. David Wilkinsonfrom Liverpool John Moores University use mathematics and a comparison to theold 1950s style vacuum cleaners to explain the benefits of the very long necksseen in dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-brachiosaurus-dinosaurs-vacuum-cleaner.html

Dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus, who roamed theEarth from 200 hundred million years ago to their extinction 65 million yearsago, had extremely heavy bodies and very long necks. Debate between thescientific communities has been going on for years as to just why their neckswere so long and what its purpose was.

Many believed that these long necks would have been used to forage forhigh, hard to reach foliage, similar to that of a giraffe. However, otherpaleontologists believe that in order for these dinosaurs to raise theirnecks up high, the blood pressure required to get blood to the brain would havebeen too much to be feasible.

Looking at the basic body design of these dinosaurs, the team ofresearchers could best describe them as like the old style vacuum cleaners ofthe 1950s. With a large and cumbersome cylindrical body and a long reachinghose with a vacuum head, these vacuums worked in a similar manner to what theybelieve the dinosaurs did.

While these vacuums were generally placed in the center of a room andthe long hose extension used to vacuum and reach places without having to movethe central body, so did the dinosaurs. With their large bodies, the long necksallowed the dinosaurs to forage over more ground without having to expendenergy by moving their bodies.

Using mathematics to prove their theory, the researchers determinedthat the ideal neck length would have been around nine meters long. By keepingtheir body in one location and using their neck to forage, they were able tocut their energy output by as much as 80 percent.

More information: The energetics of low browsing in sauropods, BiologyLetters, Published online before print March 23, 2011, doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0116

Pre Clovis Site In Texas

The reality of this work is thatwe now have a site in which the Clovis occupation has a two thousand yearprehistory in which a non Clovis tool kit wasused.  At the least human occupation inthe Americascan now be firmly placed two thousand years earlier based on direct evidence.

 That should end that debate.

I would like to see a geneticstudy done of the Indian populations of the Americasto determine the level of genetic variation as compared to Asia.  We need to determine now small a population couldhave made the actual leap and if we can determine waves of contribution.  I am likely asking for the impossible but weshould think about it.

Paleo-Indians settled North Americaearlier than thought: study

March 24, 2011

These are some of the artifacts from the 15,500-year-old horizon.Credit: [Image courtesy of Michael R. Waters]

New discoveries at a Central Texas archaeological site by a TexasA&M University-led research team prove that people lived in the region farearlier – as much as 2,500 years earlier – than previously believed, rewritingwhat anthropologists know about when the first inhabitants arrived in NorthAmerica. That pushes the arrival date back to about 15,500 years ago.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-paleo-indians-north-america-earlier-thought.html

Michael Waters, director of Texas A&M's Center for the Study ofFirst Americans, along with researchers from Baylor University, the Universityof Illinois-Chicago, the University of Minnesota, and Texas State University,have found the oldest archaeological evidence for human occupation in Texas andNorth America at the Debra L.Friedkin site, located about 40 miles northwest ofAustin. Their work is published in the current issue of Science magazine.

Waters says that buried in deposits next to a small spring-fed streamis a record of human occupation spanning the last 15,500 years. Near thesurface is the record of the Late Prehistoric and Archaic occupants of theregion. Buried deeper in the soil are layers with Folsom and Clovis occupationsgoing back 12,000 to 13,000 years ago.

"But the kicker was the discovery of nearly 16,000 artifacts belowthe Clovis horizon that dated to 15,500 yearsago," Waters notes.

"Most of these are chipping debris from the making andresharpening of tools, but over 50 are tools. There are bifacial artifacts thattell us they were making projectile points and knives at the site," Waterssays. There are expediently made tools and blades that were used for cuttingand scraping."

Multiple studies have shown that the site is undisturbed and that theartifacts are in place and over 60 "luminescence dates" show thatearly people arrived at the site by 15,500 years ago, Waters explains.Luminescence dating technique is a method used to date the sediment surroundingthe artifacts. It dates the last time the sediment was exposed to sunlight.

For more than 80 years, it has been argued that the Clovis people werethe first to enter the Americas,Waters says. He goes on to say that over the last few decades, there have beenseveral credible sites which date older than Clovis found in North America --specifically in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Oregon.

"However, this evidence is not very robust," Waters observes.

"What is special about the Debra L. Friedkin site is that it hasthe largest number of artifacts dating to the pre-Clovis time period, thatthese artifacts show an array of different technologies, and that theseartifacts date to a very early time.

"This discovery challenges us to re-think the early colonizationof the Americas.There's no doubt these tools and weapons are human-made and they date to about15,500 years ago, making them the oldest artifacts found both in Texas and North America."

Waters has been working at the site since 2006, and analysis of theartifacts collected from the site is ongoing. Waters says, "These studieswill help us figure out where these people came from, how they adapted to thenew environments they encountered, and understand the origins of later groupslike Clovis."

Provided by Texas A&M University(news : web

Burger and Fries and Coffee Surprise

So much for using diet coke!

This is a bit unexpected and alsoquite surprising.  It indicates a pathwaynot understood before and explains the fattening capacity of fast food thatrelies on the deep fryer.  It alsoexplains the negative effect of caffeine as a fat promoting system.

We already know better. Now weknow why where previous arguments tended to be forgiving.  A Big Mac is bad enough, but have anythingelse except caffeine if you must eat it at all.

This is the first time I havecome across an argument for caffeine been active in the metabolic pathwayinvolving sugar and actually comes as a shock.

Expect dieticians and fooddesigners to really put their thinking hats on over this one.  Huge money is involved and the past has beenbased on erroneous assumptions that now will be addressed.

Having a burger and fries? Skip the coffee

By QMI AGENCY

Last Updated: April 1, 2011 10:24am

http://www.torontosun.com/life/healthandfitness/2011/04/01/17835861.html

Next time you're craving a Big Mac or Whopper, you should skip having acoffee along with it, new Canadian research shows.

Univeristy of Guelphresearcher Marie-Soleil Beaudoin discovered a healthy person's blood sugarlevels spike after eating a high-fat meal.

But the spike doubles after having both a fatty meal and caffeinatedcoffee - jumping to levels similar to those of people at risk for diabetes.

"The results tell us that saturated fat interferes with thebody's ability to clear sugars from the blood and, when combined withcaffeinated coffee, the impact can be even worse," Beaudoin said in arelease about the study. "Having sugar remain in our blood for longperiods is unhealthy because it can take a toll on our body's organs."

The study from the Ontariouniversity was published Friday in the Journal of Nutrition.

It is the first study to examine the effects of saturated fat andcaffeinated coffee on blood sugar levels using a "fat cocktail" whichcontains only lipids. The specially designed beverage allowed researchers toaccurately mimic what happens to the body when people ingest fat.

For her researcher, Beaudoin had a group of healthy men drink one gramof the fat beverage for every kilogram of body weight for their first meal. Sixhours later, they were given a second meal consisting of a sugary drink.

Typically when people ingest sugar, the body produces insulin, whichtakes the sugar out of the blood and distributes it to our muscles, Beaudoinsaid.

But the researchers found the fatty meal affected the body's abilityto clear the sugar out of the blood. The participant's blood sugar levels were32% higher than they were when the men had not ingested the fat cocktail.

The researchers then tested the impact of caffeinated coffee combinedwith the fatty meal. For this test, the men received the equivalent of two cupsof caffeinated coffee five hours after ingesting the fat beverage. An hourlater, they were then given the sugar drink.

The results showed blood sugar levels increased by 65% compared to whatthey were when participants had not ingested the fat and caffeinated coffee.

"This shows that the effects of a high-fat meal can last forhours," Beaudoin said. "What you eat for lunch can impact how yourbody responds to food later in the day."

She said while the results are important for everyone, people withmetabolic diseases and Type 2 diabetes will benefit from the research.

She suggested drinking decaffeinated coffee is a good way to improve aperson's glucose tolerance.

Natural Sequence Farming in Australia

It is nice to see that they arepaying attention.  I believe though thatthe important quick fix remains the implementation of the biochar protocol toboth increase soil carbon and general nutrient retention.

It is good to see the attentionbeen also paid to supporting the hydrological cycle.

The combination can restore soilvitality everywhere and through back dry lands to at least historicalreaches.  Australia is particularly promisingin these terms.

In the meantime, paying attentionto natural cycles should be a given and imitated as much as possible while alsobeen careful to take the right lessons from it all.

Natural Sequence Farming.

by Staff Writers

Washington DC (SPX) Mar 18, 2011

http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/Natural_Sequence_Farming_999.html

Improving land management and farming practices in Australia could have an effect onglobal climate change,according to a study published in the International Journal of Water.

Natural Sequence Farming is a descriptor used when sustainableagriculture mimics the once highly efficient functions of the Australianlandscape. NSF pioneer Peter Andrews of Denman in New South Wales andcoordinator of the NSF movement, Duane Norris of Hardy's Bay, New South Wales explain how NSF techniquescould re-couple environmental carbonand water cycles not only to improve farming yields but to avoid soil erosionand reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Agricultural practices such as clearing, burning, plowing, draining,and irrigation, have become commonplace across the Australian continent, asthey have elsewhere.

Their effect on the organic carbon content of soil has led to a declinein soil quality across farmland on the continent with levels currently a tenthof what they were 200 years ago prior to the major European settling ofAustralia.

Andrews and Norris point out that this has had implications foratmospheric carbon dioxide levels and will continue to impact on global warmingif farming practices are not modified.

"Soils hold twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, and threetimes as much as vegetation," the team explains, "But carbon in soilexposed by common agricultural practicesleads to the oxidation of the carbon and the release of carbon dioxide into theatmosphere."

Estimates suggest that soils that once contained carbon matter 4,000 to10,000 years old, are now holding carbon that is a mere two years old becausepoor management of livestock grazing leaves soil de-vegetated and in anoxidizing state.

Plants extract carbon from carbon dioxide in the air by photosynthesis,the team says. This carbon is critical to soil health and plant fertility, butit is lost when a ploughed paddock is left bare with no plant cover. Morecarbon is released when grassland and trees are cleared.

However, when vegetation is allowed to break down, even if it is weedycover, the carbon content of the soil is raised and growing conditions improve.

But plants also have another critical function - relevant to bothsoil fertility and to climate stabilization. This is the atmospheric coolingthat takes place through the evaporation of moisture from leaves, as it risesto form rain clouds,and then falls again restoring of the small water cycle to a local area. Inthis respect, hands-on NSF research in Australia converges with cuttingedge scientific research elsewhere.

The team adds that careful water management, planting, and mulchfarming all work together in NSF practices so remediating eroded land. NSFtechniques have been developed to restore ecosystems by re-coupling the carbonand water cycles and could overcome the calamitous decline in soil carboncontent caused by oxidation, soil erosion and loss to the sea because offast-running water flows and floods.

There are four guidelines for Natural Sequence Farming:

+ First, restoring fertility held by nutrients and organic matter toimprove the biological function of soils.

+ Second, reinstating the hydrological balance to increase groundwaterstorage in the floodplain aquifer, increasing freshwater recharge and hencereducing saline groundwater discharge.

+ The third principle is to re-establish natural vegetation successionthrough pioneer species to promote the healthy growth of native plantcommunities. The fourth guideline is to understand the hydrological andbiogeochemical processes that drive the natural landscape system, which willallow their management to restore ecological function.

The researchers recognize that Australians cannot turn the clock back100,000 years to recreate the forested continent of mega fauna and sediment-carryingflood plains that existed before humans arrived.

Finger Prick Cancer Test

The promise of this approach wasapparent in the mid eighties but was never advanced because it was simply tooearly.  I participated in a startup at thetime trying to make it all happen.  Nomatter, we now are on the way to having a pin prick blood test able to discernprostate cancer.

Right behind that we should beable to produce similar tests for each and every cancer type.  Perhaps in the end we will end up with a handheld testing device which is able to read out the results then and there.  Dr McCoy would be pleased.

Once this falls into place, acheck up at proscribed times should allow all cancers to be tackled very earlyin their careers when they can be readily cured.  Discovery through secondary effects hasproven to be mostly too little and too late.

All told, this is good news forthe war on cnacer.

Biomarker research could lead to finger-prick cancer test

By TannithCattermole

17:11 March 28, 2011

http://www.gizmag.com/finger-prick-cancer-test/18234/

Biomarker research could lead to finger-prick cancer test (Photo: AlishaV viaFlickr)

A new interdisciplinary breakthrough could see cancer being diagnosedthrough a quick finger-prick test. After five years of research, the team ofbiologists, clinical oncologists, pathologists and information scientists from ETH Zurich, UniversityHospital Zurich and the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen have determined abiomarker for prostate cancer – a particular pattern of proteins in theblood that indicate the presence of cancerous disease.

A common precursor to prostate cancer in both mice and men is theinactivation of the "Pten" gene, which can lead to uncontrolled cellgrowth. Thus mouse models were used in the hope that subsequent steps would becommon between species. The researchers began by examining prostate surfaceproteins and comparing protein sets in both healthy and cancerous mice that haddeveloped the disease following Pten inactivation. From this they determined apattern of proteins that is typical of the mutated version of Pten and thusalso for prostate cancer.

Examining tissues and serum samples from human prostate cancersufferers and a control group, and using the list of specific proteins drawn upusing the mouse model, the scientists were able to identify 39 correspondingproteins in humans that indicated the presence of cancer. The informationscientists then calculated the four most reliable proteins as cancer indicatorsusing 20,000 models.

"We then used this biomarker pattern to examine a cohort ofpatients whose blood had never previously been analyzed," says WilhelmKrek, professor of Cell Biology at ETH Zurich."We were able to predict with precision, stability and reproducibilitywhether they were suffering from prostate cancer."

It is presumed that the onset of cancer is often triggered by amutation, such as the deactivation of a gene, which can lead to a change in theprotein pattern of the affected organ. Separating off surface proteins of certaintissues allows 20 percent of these protein patterns to be detected in theserum, allowing a reliable method of diagnosis.

Currently, cancer is diagnosed by tumor antigens in the blood, butthese methods are often misleading and can involve expensive and painfulbiopsies.

The identification of a reliable biomarker that indicates cancer hasbeen the subject of advanced studies by scientists for many years, but oftenother factors were found to skew the results. "The protein patterns thatwere determined may have reflected the patients' eating habits, but were unableto provide any indication about whether or not a cancerous disease waspresent," explains Krek. By contrast, the biomarker pattern method isextremely precise, and even conveys information about the type of tumor whichhelps to identify the best therapy to combat it. Other cancer

The biomarker signature needs to be validated in further clinicaltrials, and the ETH Zurichspin-off company ProteomedixAG is currently developing a diagnosis kit. However it is hopedthat the study can be applied to other forms of cancer, bringing better earlydetection and more focused therapy. The collaborative work by theinterdisciplinary team highlights the progress that can be made when groups ofscientists work together. The work is to be published in the next issue of PNAS.

Organic Farming Triumphant in Thirty Year Field Trial

This is an extremely importantreport.  I have included Philpott’s takeon it and the article from the Rodale institute.

The take home is that unequivocally,industrial synthetic farming is clearly inferior to industrial organic farmingand rather importantly will continue to diverge because of the persistentdecline in carbon content in the synthetic soils.

This removes any further need tohedge ones choices.  An organic protocolwill out perform its competitor consistently. Read the articles carefully.  Thereis a lot of specific data that needs to be understood.

I personally go a lot further andalso call for application of biochar soil dressing as an ongoing soil buildingprotocol to sharply reduce the need if not eliminate the need for adding anyform of fertilizer at all.

Most noteworthy, we discover thatthe organic soils are slowly increasing their carbon content, so even withoutthe biochar, the soils improve.

Organic farming just as productive as conventional, and better atbuilding soil, Rodale finds 

BY Tom Philpott

25 MAR 2011 6:07 PM

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-25-rodale-data-show-organic-just-as-productive-better-at-building

Organic agriculture is a fine luxury for the rich, but it could neverfeed the world as global population moves to 9 billion.

That's what a lot of powerful people -- includingthe editors of The Economist -- insist. But the truth could wellbe the opposite: It might be chemical-intensive agriculture that's thefrivolous luxury, and organic that offers us the right technologies in aresource-constrained, ever-warmer near future.

That's the conclusion I draw from the latest data of thePennsylvania-based Rodale Institute's Farming Systems Trial (FST), which Rodalecalls "America'slongest running, side-by-side comparison of conventional and organicagriculture." Now, Rodale promotes organic ag, so industrial-mindedcritics will be tempted to dismiss its data. But that would be wrong -- itstest plots have an excellent reputation in the ag research community, and theInstitute often collaborates withthe USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

Housed on Rodale's 330 acre farm, the FST compares three systems forgrowing corn and soy, the first two organic and the third conventional: 1) onebased on rotating feed crops with perennial forage crops for cows, andfertilizing with manure; 2) another based on rotating grains with cover crops,with fertility coming from nitrogen-fixing legumes; and 3) a system reliant onsynthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Rodale's researchers have been comparing crop yields and taking soilsamples on these test plots for 27 years. Their latest findings? The threesystems have produced equivalent corn yields over the years, while"soybean yields were the same for the manure and conventional system andonly slightly lower for the legume system."

So the old canard about how organic ag produces dramatically less foodthan chemical ag has been debunked, yet again.

Corn in the organic-legume (left) and conventional (right) systemduring the dry summer of 1995. Both were planted on the same day, with the samevariety but only the conventional corn is showing signs of water stress.Organic corn yields that year were 29 percent higher than those of theconventional corn.Photo and caption: Rodale InstituteBut it gets moreinteresting. As the globe warms up, increased droughts are likely to reduceglobal crop yields. The ag-biotech industry is scrambling to come out with"drought-resistant" GMO crops. But organic ag might already have thatcovered: "In 4 out of 5 years of moderate drought, the organic systems hadsignificantly higher corn yields (31 percent higher) than the conventionalsystem."

Moreover, while conventional ag struggles with the "superweed" problem,brought on by Monsanto's herbicide-tolerant GMO crops, organic ag is showing itcan coexist with weed pressure without sacrificing yield: "Corn andsoybean crops in the organic systems tolerated much higher levels of weedcompetition than their conventional counterparts, while producing equivalentyields." Meanwhile, herbicide use in the conventionally managed plotfouled groundwater:

Herbicides were only detected in water samples collected from theconventional system. In years when the conventional rotation had corn followingcorn, during which atrazine was applied two years in a row, atrazine levels inthe leachate sometimes exceeded 3 ppb, the maximum contaminant level set by EPAfor drinking water. Atrazine concentrations in all conventional samplesexceeded 0.1 ppb, a concentration that has been shown to produce deformities infrogs.

\

In terms of building robust ag systems in an era of climate change, theresults related to soil are probably the most interesting. It turns out, theorganic outperformed conventional in both building organic matter and retainingsoil nitrogen. In the past 15 years of the study, the organic systems havecontinued building soil carbon, while the conventional system actually lostcarbon. (For more on the question of soil carbon and soil, see mypiece from last year's special series on nitrogen.)

The soil-carbon factor probably explains why organic outperformsconventional in drought years: carbon-rich soil tends to retain water better.And indeed, the results bear that out:

Water volumes percolating through each system were 15-20% higher in theorganic systems than the conventional system, indicating increased groundwaterrecharge and reduced runoff under organic management.

Inevitably in the comments section below, someone will ask about themanure. How much land does it take to support sufficient cows to produce enoughmanure to replenish organic fields? But the Rodale results show thatnitrogen-fixing legume crops can greatly reduce the contribution needed fromlivestock.

And anyway, let me turn that question around. Where do industrialagriculturalists intend on getting the synthetic nitrogen for their system --from what energy source? The main feedstock is natural gas; but the easynatural gas has been tapped in the United States. That leaves usreliant on geopoliticallyunstable foreign suppliers -- or on domestic shale gas, which relieson the water-foulingprocess of hydrofracturing. And where do they plan on getting phosphorous?

In the end, organic ag looks like the robust and wise approach toresponding to population growth and climate change, and chemical ag looks likethe gambler's approach -- a luxury for the well-heeled folks who own shares inthe agribiz industry.

Tom Philpott is Grist’s senior food and agric

Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial

http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/fst

Founded in 1981, the Farming Systems Trial (FST) is America’s longest running, side-by-side comparison of conventional and organic agriculture. The project shows the feasibility of making a transition to organic production and the multiple economic, environmental and energy conservation impacts. FST has shown the potential of organic agriculture to improve our soil and water, while at the same time produce crop yields and net returns that are comparable (or better) than conventional systems. About the trial We selected corn/soybean production as our research focus because large tracts of land, particularly in our region and the Midwest, are devoted to the production of these crops for animal feed. Throughout its long history, the FST has contained three core farming systems, each of which features diverse management practices including: a manurebased organic system, a legume-based organic system, and a synthetic-based conventional system. Essential guiding principles for each core system can be characterized as: Manure Organic This system represents an organic dairy or beef operation. It features a long rotation including both annual feed grain crops and perennial forage crops. The system’s fertility is provided by leguminous crops and periodic applications of manure. This diverse rotation also creates a primary line of defense against pests. Legume Organic ‘ This system represents an organic cash grain system. It features a mid-length rotation consisting of annual grain crops and cover crops. The system’s sole source of fertility is leguminous crops and the rotation provides the primary line of defense against pests. Synthetic Conventional This system represents the majority of grain farms in the U.S. It relies on synthetic nitrogen for fertility, and weeds are controlled by synthetic herbicides selected by and applied at rates recommended by Penn State Extension. Some key findings include: Yields Corn yields over 27 years of the trial were equivalent between the organic and conventional systems. Soybean yields were the same for the manure and conventional system and only slightly lower for the legume system. In 4 out of 5 years of moderate drought, the organic systems had significantly higher corn yields (31% higher) than the conventional system. Corn and soybean crops in the organic systems tolerated much higher levels of weed competition than their conventional counterparts, while producing equivalent yields. Corn in the organic-legume (left) and conventional (right) system during the dry summer of 1995. Both were planted on the same day, with the same variety but only the conventional corn is showing signs of water stress. Organic corn yields that year were 29% higher than those of the conventional corn. The soil Soil carbon and nitrogen have increased significantly in the organic systems, but not in the conventional system. Based on preliminary 2009-2010 soil sampling data, the organic systems have shown the largest increases in soil carbon since the beginning of the trial. In terms of carbon sequestration the manure system is leading, followed by the legume system. Increases in soil carbon were greatest in the first 13 years of the trial. Soil carbon continued to build in both organic systems during the 15 years following 1994, but at a slower rate than the first 15 years. The conventional system has shown a loss in carbon in more recent years. Water Water volumes percolating through each system were 15-20% higher in the organic systems than the conventional system, indicating increased groundwater recharge and reduced runoff under organic management. Overall, nitrate-nitrogen leaching was fairly low and the same for all systems. Water leachate samples from the conventional system more frequently exceeded the legal limit of 10 ppm for nitrate-nitrogen concentration in drinking water compared to the organic systems. Herbicides were only detected in water samples collected from the conventional system. In years when the conventional rotation had corn following corn, during which atrazine was applied two years in a row, atrazine levels in the leachate sometimes exceeded 3 ppb, the maximum contaminant level set by EPA for drinking water. Atrazine concentrations in all conventional samples exceeded 0.1 ppb, a concentration that has been shown to produce deformities in frogs (Hayes et al., 2002). Energy Total energy use in the organic systems was less than in the conventional system. Energy use in the conventional corn-soybean system was dominated by the production of nitrogen fertilizer and herbicide inputs, while seed and fuel use generated the greatest energy demands in organic systems. Economics Several economic studies of the early years of the Trial (1980’s and 1990’s) showed that net returns for the two grain operations, the legume and conventional system, were the same (assuming that all farm products received the same price at market). Seed inputs and equipment costs were higher in the legume system whereas fertilizers and pesticides were the most costly inputs in the conventional system. (These economic analyses do not include the manure system; only cash grain systems were compared.) Even with the inclusion of the transition costs (such as potential loss of yields in start-up years) and family labor costs, the organic price premium required to equalize the organic and conventional returns was only 10% above the conventional product. Throughout the 1990s, the organic price premium for grains exceeded that level, and premiums ranged between 65% and 140%. Agronomic, environmental, energy and economic analyses of the systems are all currently being updated to include the new rotations and tillage regimes as well as current information regarding inputs and prices.