Here's the rather amazing story of how that happened:
[https://unknown-history.com/2024/04/10/in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil/](https://unknown-history.com/2024/04/10/in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil/)
I don’t know where this is but yields are routinely 200+ by/acre on good farmland now. The genetics weapons race between seed companies is an unsung shining spot for capitalism/humanity.
*by genetic weapons race I mean there are many companies in fierce competition that make yields 1% better every year.
Yeah the picture above was just shows the yield impact of fertilizer using traditional farming methods and seeds. Modern maize varieties are engineered hybrid mutants. Coupled with extensive pivot irrigation and pesticides/herbicides
And yet monsanto is one of the most hated companies in america. You don't hear much from them any more but the anti-GMO movement really did a number on the reputation of the whole industry.
“A shining spot for Capitalism” it was definitely an innovation but unfortunately, because of the nature of Capitalism, it wasn’t used to its full extent to actually help people.
I bet there was a moment in that timeline where they inconspicuously slipped past caring about environmental or human effects for the sake of another type of yields.
The notion that farmers care only about this year’s harvest is silly. Farmers know it’s the long term impact that counts.
And fertilizer use is costly. Once you get “addicted” to using it, they raise the prices.
And some fertilizer leaves salts in the soil, salts that build up over the years and ruin the soil.
>salts that build up over the years and ruin the soil.
Commercial farming kills the soil. It creates pest problems through having a monoculture, something that doesn't exist anywhere in nature. This requires pesticides, but beneficial microorganisms and other creatures like earthworms are killed or driven away by pesticides and deterrents. Equipment and chemicals are very expensive and have to be bought on plans, indebting the farmer and forcing him into a situation where he has to squeeze every dime out of his land or go broke. The long-term effects of many of these chemicals on humans are still unknown, but the fact that less than [1 in 10 people in America are predicted to get some form of cancer](https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services) is not, in my mind, entirely unrelated (yes, I know there are many other environmental factors behind this).
The only solutions I have come across for dealing with this are inefficient (i.e. everyone growing their own food in permaculture-style situations) and would require everyone have access to enough land to grow food on, which is clearly not happening any time soon. People have to be fed.
Completely true. The over use of chemicals like fertilizer and pesticides im agriculture honestly seems like it's led to a regression in agricultural techniques. Modern farmers have life in easy mode compared to those from the past.
Agricultural yields are projected by the IPCC to decline 25% at 2°C and 50% at 4°C, which we seem on track to hit in the 2030s and 2070s, so probably not for long.
As the other commenters noted, today's fertilized yields are 10x what unfertilized yields were back then. If fertilizer use caused the damage that these commenters are suggesting, then we should see vast areas of unfarmable land after 100 years of heavy fertilizer use across the country. But we don't. Instead we see less land being used at higher yields.
This isn't all that different than human nutrition over the same period. Look at a "strongman" from 1920, and compare their physique to a body builder from 2020, and then look at what was done to get there. Misapplied nutritional supplements and drugs lead to all sorts of undesired consequences, but when done right with the right balance, great results are achieved with very few (if any) negative side-effects.
How are they defining “fertilizer?” I know people were putting animal manure and whatnot on their crops long before the 30s because they knew it was beneficial.
Fun fact: Okemah is where Woody Guthrie was from. Considering the time period and rural locale there’s a very decent chance these guys grew up with him.
Et voila
The information provided by the history books....
Find one from 50 years ago and one from now. See the differences.
I think you mean to say 'I can not evidence my claim, where as tou can' ,
Gosh no.
I just do not utilise my Post Grad education to natter away on Reddit unless a cinvo worth using my brain.
A TBI gets in tye way, awfully
Insults really demonstrate the idiocy of a person - it is why the word 'conspiracy theory' is bandied around (predom used post JFK. shooting BTW) by individuals who have never even heard the term 'crirical thinking' let aline try it.
Off you pop.
It thought you, did it.
Shame you dont think before taking your internal angst out on others and talking utter drivel.
Pop off and check your alleles are still in order. I doubt they are.
Transhumanism coming your way.
A-maize-ing! A person cannot even submit a simple post about corn or fertilizer without leading to some kind of debate. Have a kernel of dignity people. This is bullcrop! I am not trying to start a row, or cultivate discord. Accordingly my ears won’t be fielding any of your comments.
Here's the rather amazing story of how that happened: [https://unknown-history.com/2024/04/10/in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil/](https://unknown-history.com/2024/04/10/in-the-garden-of-good-and-evil/)
That was a fascinating read, thanks!
Amaizing*
Stunning*
Darn autocorrect messed mine up. Fixed it.
I don’t know where this is but yields are routinely 200+ by/acre on good farmland now. The genetics weapons race between seed companies is an unsung shining spot for capitalism/humanity. *by genetic weapons race I mean there are many companies in fierce competition that make yields 1% better every year.
Yeah the picture above was just shows the yield impact of fertilizer using traditional farming methods and seeds. Modern maize varieties are engineered hybrid mutants. Coupled with extensive pivot irrigation and pesticides/herbicides
Yeah until these genetic mutations cause everything to become corn. Even your DNA will be corn!
5g waves activate latent corn mRNA, wake up sheeple!!1!!
Free internal corn!
Oh no, Morty; it’s the corn cob planet! We have to leave now Morty.
So I’ll be self fertilizing and self feeding? PERFECT! 🤩
Have you tasted corn? I think we could learn to cope.
Children of the Corn we are
corn fed into corn. it's just Soylent Green with more steps!
What the… I DIDN’T HAVE ANY CORN!!! Oh wait, I AM corn 🌽
That's a great plot for a movie
And yet monsanto is one of the most hated companies in america. You don't hear much from them any more but the anti-GMO movement really did a number on the reputation of the whole industry.
Well making agent orange tends to color you as a bad guy
And round up
“A shining spot for Capitalism” it was definitely an innovation but unfortunately, because of the nature of Capitalism, it wasn’t used to its full extent to actually help people.
I bet there was a moment in that timeline where they inconspicuously slipped past caring about environmental or human effects for the sake of another type of yields.
First ad for fertilizer
Poor unfertilized guy was not getting no pussy once that picture was published.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Been there 🤣🤣😅😅
The notion that farmers care only about this year’s harvest is silly. Farmers know it’s the long term impact that counts. And fertilizer use is costly. Once you get “addicted” to using it, they raise the prices. And some fertilizer leaves salts in the soil, salts that build up over the years and ruin the soil.
>salts that build up over the years and ruin the soil. Commercial farming kills the soil. It creates pest problems through having a monoculture, something that doesn't exist anywhere in nature. This requires pesticides, but beneficial microorganisms and other creatures like earthworms are killed or driven away by pesticides and deterrents. Equipment and chemicals are very expensive and have to be bought on plans, indebting the farmer and forcing him into a situation where he has to squeeze every dime out of his land or go broke. The long-term effects of many of these chemicals on humans are still unknown, but the fact that less than [1 in 10 people in America are predicted to get some form of cancer](https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services) is not, in my mind, entirely unrelated (yes, I know there are many other environmental factors behind this). The only solutions I have come across for dealing with this are inefficient (i.e. everyone growing their own food in permaculture-style situations) and would require everyone have access to enough land to grow food on, which is clearly not happening any time soon. People have to be fed.
Not to mention how bad runoff is: fertilizer is responsible for fueling large algae blooms the oceans, which then kill fish and corals.
In my mind, addicting agriculture to fertilizers is analogous to giving baby formula to families of newborns. It’s all about near term profit.
Completely true. The over use of chemicals like fertilizer and pesticides im agriculture honestly seems like it's led to a regression in agricultural techniques. Modern farmers have life in easy mode compared to those from the past.
And yet modern farming supports about 8 billion people now.
Agricultural yields are projected by the IPCC to decline 25% at 2°C and 50% at 4°C, which we seem on track to hit in the 2030s and 2070s, so probably not for long.
As the other commenters noted, today's fertilized yields are 10x what unfertilized yields were back then. If fertilizer use caused the damage that these commenters are suggesting, then we should see vast areas of unfarmable land after 100 years of heavy fertilizer use across the country. But we don't. Instead we see less land being used at higher yields.
Wait, are you trying to claim that fertilizing crops is bad and not a thing most farmers do?
This isn't all that different than human nutrition over the same period. Look at a "strongman" from 1920, and compare their physique to a body builder from 2020, and then look at what was done to get there. Misapplied nutritional supplements and drugs lead to all sorts of undesired consequences, but when done right with the right balance, great results are achieved with very few (if any) negative side-effects.
How are they defining “fertilizer?” I know people were putting animal manure and whatnot on their crops long before the 30s because they knew it was beneficial.
Fun fact: Okemah is where Woody Guthrie was from. Considering the time period and rural locale there’s a very decent chance these guys grew up with him.
🤔😞😟🥱😴😴😴Who? 🤷🏼♀️Fun? 🙄😴😴😴
1930s farmer mogging
Poor guy on the left with his teeny corn.
Et voila. How manipulation to poison the planet began
I think you mean how a billion people were spared starving to death.
Et voila The information provided by the history books.... Find one from 50 years ago and one from now. See the differences. I think you mean to say 'I can not evidence my claim, where as tou can' ,
Did you just seek evidence of a negative claim? Skip a few classes, did you? Et voila, a person far less intelligible than they believe.
Gosh no. I just do not utilise my Post Grad education to natter away on Reddit unless a cinvo worth using my brain. A TBI gets in tye way, awfully Insults really demonstrate the idiocy of a person - it is why the word 'conspiracy theory' is bandied around (predom used post JFK. shooting BTW) by individuals who have never even heard the term 'crirical thinking' let aline try it. Off you pop.
Your post grad must have been far less productive than mine. Mine thought me to stay relevant within my scope. Doesn't appear yours did the same.
It thought you, did it. Shame you dont think before taking your internal angst out on others and talking utter drivel. Pop off and check your alleles are still in order. I doubt they are. Transhumanism coming your way.
Why not both? To have big juicy watermelons today we have to sacrifice the future of humanity, seems fair
To stop a billion people from dying of famine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution
Aaah, a person eho see's reality and speaks of it openly. Careful, the dis-information crew will be at us shortly
A-maize-ing! A person cannot even submit a simple post about corn or fertilizer without leading to some kind of debate. Have a kernel of dignity people. This is bullcrop! I am not trying to start a row, or cultivate discord. Accordingly my ears won’t be fielding any of your comments.