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Organically grown produce

  1. Jan 3, 2004 #1
    I'm sure most everyone here's seen produce which is advertised as being "Organically Grown", yet (unless I'm horibly mistaken), the only materials plants intake from the soil are inorganic.

    Sure the claim of only being nourished organically might work with meat or mushrooms, but as far as I can see, not plants.

    So, are they just blatently lying to make their produce seem more attractive or am I missing something?
  2. jcsd
  3. Jan 3, 2004 #2
    I believe they are only referenencing the fact that pesticides, ect.. are not being used.

  4. Jan 3, 2004 #3


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    Depending on the culture, animal or plants, it referes to the way its grown. The techniques employed are based on a guided lines. For plants, no synthetic fertilizer or pesticides is used. Natural pesticide or biological control agent can be used. The best example is Bt (bacterial incesticide), parasitoid, viruses, bacteria and fungi. The also agricultural techniques that prevent pest infestation. For animals, growth hormone, antibiotic as feed and animal flour as feed cannot be used.

    Organics only referes to the old fashion way of agriculture with modern tools.
  5. Jan 3, 2004 #4
    But any sort of fertilizer used would have to be inorganic, regardless of if it's synthesized or not...
  6. Jan 3, 2004 #5


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    It is accordin to its source. Cow produce fertilizer. We can also produce fertilizer out of tin air (i.e. nitrogen).

    Organic farm will use bovine and porcine manuor (spellling) as a fertilizer whereas the normal farmer use synthesised nitrogen, phosphourous and potassium.

    The bottom line is everything is inorganic but that is not it is why it is called organic food.
  7. Jan 3, 2004 #6
    But aside from any undigested food in feces, it's all inorganic. And any undigested organic matter in feces would be useless to the plant until it was decomposed.

    I hate people who claim to grow organic produce, lying filthy bastards...
  8. Jan 4, 2004 #7


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    Waste, maybe you should give your definition of organic, and tell us why you don't think feces are organic.
  9. Jan 4, 2004 #8
    Turns out I was horribly mistaken, just found out that mistletoe and dodder plants are both auto and heterotrophic. Though I don't think any plants that are grown on farms have this quality.
  10. Jan 4, 2004 #9
    I'll check on this tommorow, but I always was taught that feces was the inorganic byproduct of digestion. I also have been taught that a substance is deemed organic or inorganic due to whether or not it has a carbon/hydrogen bond, though it may be some other kind of bond, I don't quite remember.

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