> I quote from the "Recommendations of the Technical Committee on Chilean
> Nitrate, an evaluation of its use...in organic agriculture" IFOAM 1989:
>
> [...]
>
> Therefore, the IFOAM Technical Committee recommeds that the use of Chilean
> nitrate should not be allowed in any standard of orgnaic farming..."
Yes indeedy, but as of 12/1998 it was allowed (with restrictions) by at
least eleven of eighteen US organic certification programs in a comparison
of organic standards I am currently finalizing. Those eleven include two
IFOAM-accredited programs (Oregon Tilth, which is phasing it out now and
prohibiting completely as of November 1 1999, and CCOF, which prohibited
as of January 1 1999). (Ronald, was the date on your quoted piece 1989 or
1999?).
Anyway, I think I now have a feel for why it is allowed by some organic
programs - and why it *was* allowed, by most, until relatively recently:
(1) it is natural, and (2) it gives a good shot of soluble nitrogen.
One more specific question: does it work better in cold soils than some
other nitrogen sources? (This is what I have heard before, but from
not-necessarily-reliable sources.)
Rob
*****************
T. Robert Fetter
Research Assistant
Dept. of Resource Economics
Draper Hall
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
phone 413-545-5716
fax 413-545-5853
trf@student.umass.edu
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