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Re: re. "proving" biodynamic techniques

Certainly "long term" studies are extremely important to understanding
soil biological processes.  I am not sure that less long term research
is now being funded.  It has always been pretty rare.

If governments are really funding less long term research lately, it
would be partly because they are funding less ag research of all types.
It has become much tougher to get public funds for ag research in many 
countries in recent years.  I have heard this from scientists in USA,
England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, etc.  This month 
the US Congress is considering large cuts in federal funding for ag
research, perhaps closing the Federal ag research agency.  Maybe
people interested in sustainable and environmentally friendly food
and fiber production systems need to become aware of the need for 
research on how to develop such systems (that must include much
basic research), and press their government representatives to
support such research.  Arguing for redirecting research more toward
sustainable and systems investigations might also be a good idea.

If funding of ag research is to be left to private entities, 
researchers will have to write grant proposals that meet the goals
of those private entities.  The public will get no more than it pays
for, and usually less if the paying is left to corrupt or short
sighted representatives.

Tom Hodges
Tom Hodges, Cropping Systems Modeler 
USDA-ARS                   email: thodges@beta.tricity.wsu.edu          
Rt. 2, Box 2953-A          voice: 509-786-9207
Prosser, WA 99350 USA      Fax:   509-786-9370 
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If this represents anything, it is only my opinion.

On Fri, 7 Apr 1995, E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor wrote:

> substantiated much of what you stated.  Very few "long term" studies 
> (in space or time) are conducted anymore, which allows us to monitor 
> short term responses to (largely purchased, proprietary) inputs but 
> which diverts us from observing and acknowledging the long term, 
> often biologically mediated responses to those inputs.  If time and 

> their sales prospects.  What I cannot figure out, however, is why 
> government funding priorities are increasingly supporting the short-
> term, profit-motivated priorities of individual companies, instead of 
> the long-term, societal and environmental good of the people at 
> large.  Can they think that the two are synonymous?  Ann