SOIL FERTILITY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH By SIR ALBERT HOWARD, C.I.E., M.A.

(Formerly Director of thc Institute of Plant Industry, Indore, Central India, and Agricultural Adviser to States

In order frilly to rtpprelicnd oiir siibjcct, it is ncccss;iry to look linck nciirly :i Iiiintlrctl ycrtrs iiiitl p s s bri~fly i n rcvicw the' p e n t intliist,riiil c*rit of tlic niiictccntli ccntury, ninrking the dcvclopiiiwit of ;igriculturnl scicncc rind practice t h i n g tliiit period of rcniarkiiblc iiintcrinl prosperity iirid suggesting w h r c i n it Iiiis proved inndc- cliiatc to ride t,lic st orni in wli~cli tliosc yciirs ciiliiiiniitcil - - i i storm :is iiiif~rcsccn ns it hiis proved tlisiistroos to itpricult.urc.

I n tho yci1r Id10 Liebig ~iiil~lislictl his celebrated essay cmt,itlerl *' Clicniist,ry in its t\lll)liciit~iolis to Agriciiltnrc ;ind l'liysiology,'' ciiibotlying his wcll-kno\rn iiiincrnl tlicory based on tho siiI,stiiliccs foiintl in the rislics of crops. Up to this time t,lic fertility of tlic soil Iiritl been niiiintiiincd by iii(!ii1is of soitic' forin of orgiinic niut.tcr, sucli ;is fiirmyiirtl niriniir(1. xiiplilcinentctl by siiit:iblc c'rop rotiitions, including fiillo\rs ; tlic ricccptcd view tliiit soil required Iiiinius \vits iinclinllciigctl: I h n i 18.1:3 oiiwnrds cspcrinicntiil tlicory ccntrctl in tlic new tlioiiglit :itlvniiccil liy 'Liebig ; tlic itlcii tlint stiiiiirlittion nlilst of licccssity lliciill progress giiinctl crctlciicc in ill1 :igc \~licli progress wiis tlic wtcliworcl : soil clicniistry ns irc know it. totlily wis borii. \Yitli tlic fiirt,Iirr tlcvclopniciit. of tlic IAicbig triitlitioii ii t. .Itot.li:inistc!tl illid clscwlicrc ciiiiic ste:iily progrrss" in tlic ni;iiiiif:ictiirc illid iisc of rirtiliciiil Iiiiiliilrcs. After the Clrciit, \Y:ir wlieii tlic fiictorios c ~ i i p i g ~ ! ~ I i n tlic lisittioii of iitliiosplicric nitrogcii for tlic iiiniiufiicti~rc of csplosivcs l i i i i l t,o find 0 t h iiiiirkcts, the iisc of iiitrogcnoiis fi*rtilizcrs in iigriciiltiirc incrciisctl, until totlily thct iiiiijority offiirnitw iintl market, giir(lciiiw in t.liis coiintry i>iisc tlwir iliiiiitlriiil progruniinc! \vliolly

'on tIie cIiriipcst fornis ofnitrogcn, pIiospIiiitcs, i i l i t l potusli 0 1 1 the iiirirkct. \Yhtit, liiiiy I W coiivciiicntly tlcscriI)ctl ris the &'PIC Iiiciitiility t lo l i i i i i i i tw fiirIiling prilctice iilikc i n tlic cqicrinicnt:il stiitioii r i ~ i t l t lie ceoiintrysiclc. l'cstctl intcrcsts cntrciichvtl i n tiiiic of niitioiiiil cnicrge~icy Iiiivo

\\'lint. hiis brc~n lirip~ieniii~ to tliv lriiid tliiriiig tlicst! Iiiiiitlrctl yciirs '! IJor 11 tinic iill wcnictl to 1.w w l l rintl :igic:ultiire sliiirctl i n tlic gewriil Iirospcrity. .I list iis soon, however. :is t lie originti1 storc of IiiiiiIiis, wliicli is I'oiintl in nll fertile soils, I ) c y ~ i to tliiniiiisli 11 Iiiiliilicr of

c*onibiit tlicse with poison sl)riiys ; : i n i ~ n i ~ l tlisriiscs tire iiow rift>. I h q i r r r i n d niorv.cs twsivc ciiltiviitioii lil!wiiic ii iicccshity i i i i tI incrciisc i n lihidiict ioii wiis tIic oilIy goiil. Old-tiinc trs ts sirrli iis tiistc i i i i t l qiiii1it.y i n ~~roclurc w r i !

iipplicd, tiicy would hive s l io \v i i ClciirIy in whit tlircwtioli clieiiticiil ~ i i r i i i i i ~ ~ ~ s \rcri! 1i:iiding 11s. For iiibtificiiil iiiiiiiitring l i d s tortuously to iirtiliviiil tlcnirind nntl it I I I I S nut. I)cc~i

gilinctl i1 strilngl~ll~ll~l. .

siibtlc vlitli1pt.s Iiintlt> tlitalr iiIiIie;irii1ict!. I I I S C C ~ iiiitl I'iiiigoiis 1liSciIses incrciisctl i i i i c l it bcc.iililc i iec~!ssiir~ to

iil)iiiitlolit*tl, i l i i t l i i t II Iiloiiiciit \rlit*li, Ii i i t l tlitby l)llcIi

cnougll thilt~ \V(' slloultl rcgnlir tl! ~"'u'lurtion to tlcnuintl.

i n Central .India and Rajputana)

..\griciiltiiriil policy inust iicliicve n tlcfinite god, iind that goiil is ncitlier thc econoniic neccssity of t.hc lioiir nor yet tlic building up of cnicrgcncy reserves-it is tlic licnltli of the nation.

The SPCC~CV of : I C C O I I I I ~ , tliiit Jlotlicr Erirth is likcly, sooncr or later, to prcscnt to tliosc who misiisc licr rcsoiirccs niny be cs:iniincd in tlic United Stntcv oP Aiiicrica. Tlicrc tlic vast Iicritcigc of rcscrve fertility crcntctl i n t.lic past hy tlic forest nnd tlic prtiiric lins bccn used 1111 to producc the lnrgc untl cvcr-increasing qunnt i - tics of food nncl rnw iiintcriiils nccded by thc urbnir popiliitions engaged in coiiinicrcc. Tlic cnrly gcttlcrs procccdcd to cnsli in t licir hiiiiius mine and lint1 no thought but to get rich quickly. Tliu whole siibjcct of soil fertility rcniiiincd iincsplorcd : such questions :is tlic correct bnlniicc bctwccn nniniiils and c r o p did not, iirisc. Lnrgc c r o p wcrc obtaincd iritlioiit iiinniirc of uny kind rind wliilc tlic originiil storc of orgiinic liiattcr lasted nll i ippcmd to go \rcll. 'I'oclny tlic bill is in tlic liniitls of the Aniericnn pcoplc and tlicir Clovornnicnt. In 1033 u n oniincnt ti-nicriciin engineer uttcrcd n solciiin wnrning t.liiit. if tlic soil i rere to be continuoiisly squriiiderccl, iis tlicii, the coiliitry iiiiglit cspcct " less tlinii 11 Iiimlrctl ycrirs of virile iiritionul rsistcnrc."

Ovcr viist w e n s of tho country tlic loss of orguiiic inrittcr Iiiis Lccn followed by tlic tlcstructioii of tlic criinil) structure ; tlic compound soil pirticlc Iius lost ;in itsscntial const,itiicnt-tlic ccnicnt. I)rovidcd by hiiiiiiis. I n tlic drier wlieiit nrciis, like I):ikotii, fiirnis tire blowing i i y y ; the tlcscrts :ire on tlic ninrch. In tlic triict. tlriiined by the Jlississippi river tlic destruction of t.lic

bility to siicli i i I i cstcnt tlirit tlic liintl is un:iIilc to drink i n tlic rnilifiill i ~ n d cstcnsivc erosion lius bccn tlic! inc\~ittlI)lc rcsrilt. I t IltlS bccn stntcd that tllC tlcllutlccl iirc:is iipproiicli in size iill cultivntctl Clcrniiiny. Over- stocking, over-cropping, over-stiiiiuliitioii, tlic ~wliolcsiill~ dcstriictioii of timber-tlicsc rire tlic niiil1)riicticcs wliicli tlcs t roy fcrt il i t y .

~ ~ l l l l l b StrllCtUl'C h l S bCCll fOllOWCt1 by 10% Of Soil pCrlI1t':l-

I 1 1.11~ IOSSOIIS tiilIglit, by tlic Jlidtllc \Vest i i i i t l by tlic prriiric I)ro\.iiices of Ciiliiidii, ~ h c r c iigriciilttire I I ~ I R colliipsed witli siicli ilriiiniitic siiddrnncss, iirc being rrliciitctl i n ccrtuiii rireiis of this country wliicli Iiiivc Iiccw rcgiilrirly niiiniirctl with iirtificiiils only. h t l i tlic North I\nicriciin nnd tlic .British iiictliotls of crop prodiiction Iirivc slio\vn tlicnisclvcs to IN liicking in the onc thing t liri t inti ttcrs in iijiriciiltiirc!-~~eriiiiiiiciicy.

l.ct iis csiiiiiiiie II system tlint ivill p s s tlic test of ~icr~iiriiieiicy ; let 11s tiirii to Cliinii, wlicrc tlic systcni of agriculture is tit. lcrist, four tlioiisiiiid yeiirs old nnd not(: tlic innjor respect in which it tlilYcrs froiii oiir OWII. . ln C l l i l i i i the Ilroccsstls of dcciiy iiivnriiibly rcccivc (1s iiiiit!Ii attention 11s tlic processes of growth. I3vcry powible

1166 OHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRY Doe. 26, l W i

kind of \raste--vcgctnblc, auiiunl, niid Iiuinnu-is care- fully collcctecl niid put bnck into tlic soil. Aiiiiiinl rcsiducs, nnd iiiorc cspcciiilly urine, arc utilizcd to t.lic f d t . This lins becn done for forty centuries and Chinese iigricrilturc prcscnts tlic oiic uiiniiswcrnblc iirguniciit in its fnvoiir-succcss. Thc soil has continued to innintnin ii tleiisc population without the importation of foocl froin otlicr count.rics ; t.11~ good cnrth is linndcd on ns n greiit possession from oiic gcncrntioii io niiotlicr. W c I iwc Iicrc n rciiiiirknblc c*snniplc of ~iriicticc niiticilintiiig

't'hc st,rikiiig contrast Ixt\~cmi tlic fnilurc of westcrii ,vicncc to mnintniii soil fcrtilit,y nud tlic siicccss of tlic iiict~liods folloivcd by t h pe:isiiiits of C h i n wns onc of t lie fnctors which gnvc rise t o t h Indorc poccss for tlic conrcrsioii of vcgctnble nnrl nniinnl wastes into Iiumus. The iiiiiiicdi:itc coiisidcrntion, Iio~rcvcr, wns tlic need for increasing t.hc fcrt.ilit;Y of tbc soil of Indin i n order that iii;provcd v:irictics of crops inight conic iuto t,lieir own. 'l'lic int.rotluction of iiiiprovcil vnrictics 1)s themselvcs yiclclcd only n smcill iiicrcincnt~ ; tlic coiiibinat.ion of iniprovctl viirict,ics plus iiiiprowd soil conditions doiihlcd thc crop mid Icft tlic land in good condition.

A lrrycr iil)oltt ci in. cIcep of iniscd vcgctri1)lc irnstcs is liglitly c.ovcrccl with iibout 2 in. of fiiriiiyiird iiinnurc folloirctl hy ii good sprinkling of cartti. If WOO^ :IS~WS iirc iiviiilnhlc thcsc arc nddetl \rit.h thc soil. 'I'hc proportion of iniscil wastes to fnrniyard iiinniirc iniist iiot cscccd 3 : 1 by volume. Tlic snndiricli process is rcpcntcd iiiitil tlic material in the hcnp or pit is riftcr fcrmentnt,ioii 3 ft,. thick. Thc layers must be kept moist, but not wet,, lest the iiir supply be intcrriilitctl. !I'hc iiioistcucd liciip slioiild resciiiblc its far ns ~~ossiiblc a presscrl-out spoiigc. 'Flic tempcrmturc rapidly rises to nbont 150' F. iintl the ~vliolc iiiiiss bccoincs covered irit.11 grcyisli-wliitc i~iyccliirin. After two to three wccks the liciips or pits arc turned ti l id \vntcrctl if iicccssnry. A sccoiitl turn iirltl witcriiig ~ C J I I O W S iit tlic end of six ivccks froin t.lie shirt, by ~rliicli tiiue the iiinss Iins criiniblcd niid tiirncil Mack. I n three iiiontlis from thc 1)cginning the cnrboii : nitrogen ritt io falls froiu 33 : 1 i n tlic origiiinl mixture to nlioiit 12 : I , when the hiuiias, which rcsciiiblcs old leaf iiiould, is rcndy for tlic Innd.

Over-ucidity, fiililt,y iienitioii, too inuch ~iioist~irc, or U I I uiisiiitiiblc site-tiiiy of tlicsc may lwcseiit R p i t ~ ~ i ~ ~ g problcm in this country. Such problciiis must bc tncklctl hciiriiig in miiid t,lic special circuinstniiccs giving rise to

Tho process is it pnrtiul rcwrsiil of tlic work of tlic grccii lcaf. In the cells of tlic lcnf siniplc sii1)stiiiiccs o1)tiriiictl from tlic soil niitl tdic !itinosplicrc arc syiitlicsizcd by ineaiis of t . 1 ~ ciicrgy of siiiiliglit into ciirboliydriites iiiid protcids. 'J!h fungi u i i d lwctcriii in tlic coaiposl hiyip prudcirlly uiitlo t,liis syiit,licsis until u coiiiprii- tivcly stiiblc coiiditioii of orgniiic iiiiittcr is rciiclicd i i i tlic sliuupc of humus. 'l'liis is t.11~ rcnl food of the soil itlid of thc crop. Tlic secoiid stagc in hrciikiiig down tlic iiiutcrinl8 iriiidc by tlic leiif is oiily rcitchctl \rhcri tlic soil orgaiiiNma oxidize Iiuuiua i1it.o siniplc siil)sttiiiccs iiiioe mart wliicli riili IJC ir I~sorbctl by t,lic roots of pliints. 'I'hc wliccl of M i a Iriir; tlicii c~onilhtctl ii siiigic rch\*oliitioii.

t hcory.

'l'lic Jntlorc process is sinq~le.

t h i n . III 110 ('iisc p t I I ~ V C t,licy p ~ o d iiisolublc.

1)CC. 96,lUSi CHEMISTRY AND INDUSTRY 1167

115s s

CHEIIISTRY AND INDUSTRY Dec. 26, 1937

tlic coiiiitry who iisc Iiiinius 0~113’ for growiiig tlicir l”r0dncts.

I n rcgiirtl to iiiiiiniil (1isc:iscs iiiy cspcriencc in Iiidiii \WY \.cry siiniliir. Fro111 1910 on\\.itrcls I \viis dlo\vcd to hii\rc 111y O\YH OSCII a t l’llsn, Qucttn, a~id I I I ~ O ~ C , i l l i d I nindc full iisc of tlicsc iiiiiiiinls for t,hc study of diseuse. ilic grcntest ciirc ~vi i s tiikcii in t.lic sclcct.ioii of tlic: I)rccd iiiid of tlic type of a l i i d ; thc fcciling, Iiygieiic. a i i d iniiiiiigcinciit were iis i!ciir 1wfectioii :is 1 coultl Innkc tlicrn. For twciity-one yciirs--2910 to 1931-1 ~vns iil)lc to st,utly the rcnctioii of \wll-fcil ; i l l i d s to the cpidciiiic disciiscs sucli ns riildcrpcst, foot nncl moiitli discnsc, sept.icmmiii, iiiitt so forth, which freqiiciitly dcv:istiitccl tlic couiit.ryside. None of niy animals were scgrcgiitccl ; IIOIIC wcrc itiocdiitctl ; t h y frcqiicntlg Ciitlie in colitnct \ ~ i t h disciiscd stock. NO C~LSC OE iiifcc- tioiw diseiise occurred. The rc\viird of well-iiourishcil protopliisin wns n very high degree of tliscnse rcsistimce, \vliicli iniglit c w i i be described i i s iininiuiity.

A simplc espliiniit~ioii of the results described in the liist portion of t,liis irrticlc is that n fertile soil ciinblcr the grecn lcnf to ciirry oiit thc syiitlicsis of curbo- Iiydriitcs and protcids in iiii cll’cct,ivc niimiicr. Two iiiiportniit rcsiilts t.licii follow : (1) iiisccts rind friiigi Jiiitl si!cll c ro l )~ iIii1)itliititbIc, n11t1 (2) tllc orginisins w1Jcli arc iissociiitctl with t,lic disciiscs of niiiiiiiils fiiil to flourish. Tlic energy of suiiliglit tlirougli tlic iigciicy of n fertile soil ciiii t,licrcforc be cffect.ivcly traiismittcrl, first to t . 1 ~ plitltt i i i d t.licli to tltc iiliiiiiiil. It follO\vs I’roiii t,Jicsc results t.liiit tlierc inust IJC t i coininon Iiiisc- liiic-soil fertility-iii dl fiitnrc work coiiiicctcd wit11 iiiitrition. If this is not ciisurccl coiifiiwioii nnd uiiccr- tiiiiity ill result. Thc rcsciircli str!i(:ttlrc must iibovc? it11 t.liiiigs h u \ ~ ,Z firm foundittion ; tlic results olitniiictl i i i t hc viirioiis coiiiitrics iind n t tlic various cciitrcs nirisk be cwiiipiiriilJIc. I t will not be sufliciciit in tlic futnrc to work on nintcriitl of viiryiiig niitrit,ivc wiliic. In tlic pist iiivcstigiitors hiivc used siicli pro(lucc 11s csist.ct1 ; tlicjv Iiiive riircly groivii their owii cspcriiiiciitirl lniitcriiil oil reiilly fertile soil ititil Iiiiscd t.lieir espcririiciits oil t.lw very best prodim Nnturc ciiii provitlc ; tlic iigriciilturiil I~iisis of ~iiucli of tlic rescrircli striicturc is tlicrcforc

1 1

fit11 I t y . 1teseilrcll IlI’oll tllc lilies 1 suggest. ~~r~- s l lppo~cs , or

coiirsc, ri coiiscioiis i i i i t l tlclil)eriitc furwiir(1 policy i i i iigriciiltiirc, biiscil upon Iiincl i n good Iiciirt iuid vigorously i)iirsnctl in 1)crlicips tlic grciitest of‘ rill iiiit,ioniil iiitcrcsts- ht!illtll.

1 NcCnrriaoii, H., Intliiiii Jouriiiil of Jlcdiutl Ilc~ciiroli, S lV, 1926, 11. 361 ; Siitritioii i t i i t l 11eiiltli, C;iil)ricllu Ifo\vnrtl ~leiiioriiil I,cc*t!lrc., .\lily, l!)37, 1111. 24 i d 25.

INDUSTRIAL NOTES FROM ABROAD

RUSSIA

‘l’lic tlycstlitT \vorks i r t ~ ~ I i ~ J ~ S ~ l l l i l j i ~ i i i the I)on hsii i iitliilit tluit the present plan, wliic.li wiis to Iiiivc irdtlctl i i witlo riiiigct of colours to their outpiit,, litis uot Iiet!ii fiilfilletl. Only two niiplit,liol coloiirs, hliic iind rctl, i iro Iwiiig I)rodiicetl. ‘I’lic iiuiuuliicttiru of iiiiIiiiittlirwc coloiirs Iins prov(v1 fiir iiiorc tliliiciilt t h i wiis esl)cctctl,