From steved@helios.oit.unc.eduThu Apr 4 11:11:42 1996 Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 23:28:03 -0500 (CDT) From: Steve Diver To: soils-l@unl.edu Subject: Albrecht and Reams fertility Soil Scientists, What can you say about the soil fertility concepts and practices advocated by the late Drs. William Albrecht and Carey Reams? I have access to literature and know of several alternative soil labs and consultants who work within the framework of these fertility systems, but want to know what ASA/SSSA members can offer in support of or against these methods. On another level, to the extent that these consultants are working with farmers who manage well over 1 million acres of farmland via these alternative fertility practices, why doesn't this garner more interest amongst soil scientists? Specifically, what about: The Morgan Soil Test, published as a Univ. of CT Agric. Experiment Station Bulletin decades ago. How common is this in soil labs these days? The LaMotte Soil Test The Morgan Universal Soil Extract The Albrecht method of cation balancing, with Ca:Mg at an optimum ratio of 7:1, etc. The Reams concept of Biological Theory of Ionization, which says plants derive energy from the resistance between elements The concept of anionic (vegetative) and cationic (fruiting) phases of plant growth, as per Reams Importance of rock phosphate and hi-calcium lime The use of an electrical conductivity meter to evaluate soil energy (ERGS=Energy Released per Second per Gram of Soil) The use of a refractometer to monitor sugar content of leaves, to predict tolerance to pests and devise foliar feeds Radionics, or the use of radionic instruments as a bioassay/diagnostic tool in fertility programs, used by practitioners of Reams I am working on a publication that will summarize these alternative practices, and any insights, research, or citations you can offer will be appreciated. Thanks! Steve Diver Fayetteville, AR U.S.A.