Excess nitrogen can also introduce another problem — which
makes ionized substances less available for root development, lead-
ing to further water shortage for the plants. Nitrates have negatively
charged ions (anions -) that capture the positively charged ions
(cations +) of elements such as magnesium and calcium, removing
them from the root zone. Magnesium is essential for chlorophyll
production.
Natures remedy is to bring in parasites (the 'Health Police') to
remove the diseased organisms, requiring the application of pesti-
cides and fungicides. After passing on a pesticide-treated crop to
the consumer, the ground is fumigated with poisonous gases
injected through plastic sheets, to eradicate these supposedly per-
nicious pests. Everything dies — earthworms, micro-organisms
and beneficial bacteria alike. A diverse biosystem gives way to a life-
less desert. The green revolution was justified as a way of feeding
the world, just as is biotechnology today. The holistic biologist Mae-
Wan Ho gives many examples of how sustainable organic agricul-
ture can be more productive than chemical farming, which is both
unsustainable and destructive of life.^4
- SOIL FERTILITY AND CULTIVATION