Monday, November 2, 2009

Agroforestry Marketing and News


Earlier today I registered Planeta Verde Reforestación S.A. with a new agroforestry trading service out of Serbia, with a representative in Argentina. They call themselves Agrofood Planet and have ambitious plans to become the one and only true internet based agricultural portal for suppliers and buyers. I like this approach to marketing, because it allows suppliers like ourselves to be found by potential buyers anywhere on the planet. Since the market for tropical hardwood lumber is international, this is a very cost-effective and efficient way of making trading contacts. While they get started buyers and suppliers can register for free. Their new web site is located at http://www.agrofoodplanet.com/.

Studying nutrient uptake by plants
A very interesting technology has been invented by Gary Lewis, a Canadian farmer and Alberta rancher. This technology has experienced several years of testing in places like the UK, Australia and China, and promises to revolutionize some aspects of agriculture. What Mr. Lewis discovered is that if one injects the CO2 emissions from one's tractor directly into the soil, the mineral rich emissions seem to act as a catalyst that breaks up soil nutrients and minerals in such a way as to boost whatever one is planting. All farmers testing this technology state that they have not had to use fertilizers now for several years, a savings that can often run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The other intriguing aspect of this process is the fact that the emissions are held in the soil where they can become part of the biomass of the plant or tree, and are not discharged into the atmosphere. This makes the process a win win win for the farmer, the customers and the environment.

Tractor Exhausts are injected into the soil
Two former Agriculture Canada scientists turned consultants, Dr. Jill Clapperton and Dr. Loraine Bailey, have stated that the exhaust emissions have had a positive effect on crop growth, yield and quality, and may have positively enhanced soil nutrients and chemistry. The process results in a significant release of soil nitrogen (N) and stimulates crops to take up that nitrogen. There is also a small increase in the uptake of phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. The World Health Organization published a Volkswagen study that seems to confirm the potency of diesel exhausts. A light duty Volkswagen diesel engine emits by weight 75 per cent nitrogen, 15 per cent oxygen, seven per cent carbon dioxide and 2.6 per cent water vapour. Several other substances are also emitted in quantities of less than 0.1 per cent. Needless to say this offers amazing opportunities for tropical tree afforestation projects on marginal land. By reducing or eliminating the CO2 emissions caused by the tractors and reduced fertilizer costs, together with the carbon sequestration capacity of tropical trees and a promising excellerated growth rate, this becomes a very attractive situation for Amazonia Reforestation investors.

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