Agro Homeopathy

The Plant Doctors – October 2015

Our plant doctors Radko Tichavshy, Pawan Singhania and Mark Moodie answer your questions about houseplants and crops for September 2015. Send your questions to [email protected] Please include your approximate location and climate.

Our plant doctors Radko Tichavshy, Mark Moodie and Pawan Singhania weigh in on your plant problems.

   Radkomar15img01                  Markmar15img01               Pawanmar15img01                                    

Radko TIchavsky           Mark Moodie            Pawan Singhania

Radko Tichavsky is a Czech born Mexican Agrohomeopath. He is a co-founder and director of Instituto Comenius in Mexico and author of Handbook of Agrohomeopathy, 2007 (Spanish) and Homeopathy for Plants, 2009 (Spanish) and creator and teacher of Holohomeopathy. http://icomenius.edu.mx/index1034.php?lang=esp   El 04/12/2014, a las 15:36, Radko Tichavsky [email protected]

Mark Moodie hosts the website Considera which provides a growing M.M and Repertory for plants and discusses resources for biodynamics and Agrohomeopathy The website allows the world community to contribute their experiences in planting.

Agrohomeopathy Course!

Radko Tichavskyi is now offering a one semester virtual course in Agrohomeopathy (in English). You can learn how to define and analyze holons and how to repertorize the specific homeopathic treatment beyond just disease or pest names. You can find out more here:   www.icomenius.edu.mx

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Mark Moodie hosts the website Considera which provides a growing M.M and Repertory for plants and discusses resources for biodynamics and Agrohomeopathy The website allows the world community to contribute their experiences in planting.


 

Dear Mr. Tichavsky,

My name is Tony and I live in Dobrich, Bulgaria, where winters are cold and summers hot and dry. USDA Hardiness Zone – 7a. I have 10 acres of land planted with grape. The problem is the devastating Grape Phylloxera. The soil is rich, drained and full of life. I use organic material on top of the soil and bio cow manure. Despite that… phylloxera has devastated my plants again. This year the infestation is stronger and bigger. Everyone in my area is dealing with this using agrochemicals. I will never use chemicals.  I’m sure there is a homeopathic remedy that will help all grapes in this condition. I have searched in google about this problem, but it seems no one has asked or wrote anything about dealing with this using homeopathy.

agrohomeopathy-oct15-image004

Thank you

Tony  

 

Radko Tichavsky:

Hi Tony,

I congratulate you on your decision to work clean without pesticides. Working in a holon surrounded by fragmented holons and / or contaminated with the application of pesticides can be difficult, because the application of pesticides generates resistance, eliminates the natural enemies of Phylloxera and converts acute diseases into chronic ones. As a first resource you can turn to the biological barriers such as sugarcane, Thuja or other plants according to local availability, to better define your holon.

Phylloxera sp. is normally attracted with the excessive nitrogen in the soil and in plants, these are expressed in the plant epidermis. It provokes tissue softening and facilitates insects penetration into the epidermis of the plant. Excess nitrogen in the soil stimulates the production of larvae of Phylloxera sp. and the cycle is perpetuated.
Apply soil Nosode 6 CH, Carbo vegetabilis 12 CH and then Calcarea carbonica 6 CH foliar (this can you apply once a month). Also apply nosode of Phylloxera 6 CH (prepared from eggs, larvae and adults). This signasl an excess of bug to the rest of the holon and draws the natural enemies of the Phylloxera (there are many of them, but we must learn to call and invite them.)

The key to eliminating the symptoms of Phylloxera is to change the work on the soil in the spring. The mulch helps, but the application of manure, albeit  a biodynamic one, can increase the problem. In my experience, the change of the “diet” of the soil to vegetarian (with zero applications of waste of animal origin products) harmonizes relations significantly in the holon, and consequently decreases the presence of pests, which are actually not the illness but the mechanisms of adaptation of the holon.

You can replace the application of manure by Ricinus communis leaves for example. Put 50% leaves and 50% water in a bin and leave it to ferment for a week, then remove the leaves (can be composted) and make a dilution in the ratio of 1:20 with water and apply it as an irrigation. A month before the harvest, Ricinus applications have to be suspended. The nitrogen content of this broth has characteristics and bioavailability different from manure, which increases the insect problems as Phylloxera. Oils and secondary metabolites of Ricinus generate a balancing effect in the presence of insects in the crop and revitalize it.

 


 

Dear Plant Doctors,

I live in Hyderabad India. We have Chikoo and Seetaphal tress. This year both the Chikoos and Seetaphal fruits remained hard, like rocks. Can you please suggest a remedy for this problem? Hyderabad has extreme heat in summer and it has a rainy season July/August. This year we did have rain but it was unseasonably early in June and some in Sept. We live in Jubilee Hills so there are many rocks and the soil not very fertile.

I have been following your plant doctors’ writings. I have used manure (cow dung) to draw the pests from the plants and also had good results with Salicylic acid for Krebs cycle and Silicea to enhance the soil.

The trees/plants at home do not yield much. The leaves do not come out healthy

In addition to homeopathy I use neem oil, emulsified organic manure, neem cake

and cocopeat. I am attaching a few pictures

Sincerely

Tadinada Syamala  

 

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear Tadinada,

Manilkara zapota and Annona sp. are south Mexican origin fruit, very rustic, normally, and they are not demanding too fertile soil and can thrive even on stony soil. Both plants require good watering during flowering and fruit development. The variations in rainfall can be partially counteracted by applying the aqueous extract of Opuntia ficus indica diluted in proportion 1:20 and applied to the soil. To modify the hardness of fruit apply Acidum nitricum 6 CH sprayed foliar, also Calcarea carbonica 30 CH alternating with Natrum muriaticum 6 CH in irrigation. Additionally you can apply a water ferment of lemon or orange peels (depending on the local availability) and water extract of Ricinus communis leaves at 1:20 dilution in water.

 


 

Hi Mr. Tichavsky,

We are having problems with the white grubs in our pomegranate farm. They are eating up roots and cutting stems. Here are pictures. We are in India. Telangana state (Hyderabad). This year rains are not so good. We have only pomegranate plants on the farm with 12 feet by 12 feet spacing. Lots of weeds in the farm. Trying to follow no tilling farming. Can you please suggest some homeopathic treatment?

agrohomeopathy-oct15-image005 agrohomeopathy-oct15-image006

Regards

Mallika Gogulamudi

Radko Tichavsky:

Hello Mallika,

The worms in the photo seem to be a larval stage of a beetle Phyllophaga sp. It is frequent on soils near wooded areas. The larvae usually feed on organic matter in decomposition, but under conditions of lack of organic matter and in the poor soils it feeds on plant roots causing damage to crops.

I suggest:
1. Increase the amount of organic matter in the soil (applying vegetal compost and tea-compost).
2. Apply nosode of soil 6 CH once a month.
2. Cut the weeds leaving them on the surface of the soil for the development of mulch
3. Apply Chenopodium 6 CH, and Capsicum 6 CH alternated with Melia azedarach 6 CH once a week on the soil.

I want to encourage you to continue with the agriculture of not tilling. With a little patience you will see wonderful advances in the vitality of your crops.

 

Pawan Singhania:

Hi Mallika,

The problem could be treated as chronic as well as acute. For SOS, you should incorporate liberal amounts of pure (best quality) neem oil cake, mixed to a depth of at least 6”. Repeat this application, at least once a month. The cause of heavy infestation is often from the use of raw or partially decomposed FYM in the region. You must avoid using such FYM. Instead, use fully decomposed aerobically fermented Biodynamic Compost. This is very important.

Experiment first by using Tarrentula cubensis and Sabadilla in two different plots and watch the results. Use the 6 CH, in the method described by Kaviraj (quoted in the journal on the top). You should spray the trees thoroughly and pour the remedy around the roots. Repeat the dose once every 7 to 10 days initially. You must wait and watch after 2 applications. If you find there is some relief, should reduce the frequency and it at 15 day intervals. Please share your results with us.

 


 

Hello again Mr. Tichavsky!

I am very thankful for your answer to my enormously long previous letter (published in July). I have to admit I could not understand a few things, but I guess that is the part of learning. Radko, you mentioned quite a lot nosodes of the soil from the garden. I’ve read you can use nosodes of the pests etc.

1) How do you prepare a nosode?

2) You mention repertorization. Which repertory is useful? I only know of Kaviraj’s Repertory from his book.

3) Could you explain the meaning of the pictures of the holon?

5) If I want to use agrohomeopathy in my small garden, how do I start ? 

Jolanta Senele  

Radko Tichavsky:

Hello Jolanta,

How To Make A Soil Nosode:

To prepare the soil nosode of biological predominance, take a representative sample of the soil where there are visually different soils. Eg. on the surface sample, at 15 cm deep and 30 cm deep, where the soil too dry, very vital, with the presence of a symptomatic type of plant, in the shade, in the sun etc. Then all the samples are placed in one bag and mixed well. Fill half of the bottle with soil and the other half with 30% alcohol and leave for a week in a cool and dark place.
Thus the biological predominance mother tincture is made. From this is made nosode 6 CH with the ordinary centesimal Hahnemann dynamization method.

The mineral predominance nosode of soil is prepared also from the representative soil sample. Place in a mortar 50% soil and 50% lactose and grind it for 30 minutes. After this put 1% of the milled material and add 99% lactose and triturate it for a half hour. In this way is obtained mineral predominance nosode 2 CH of the soil. This process is repeated once again getting nosode 3 CH. The preparation of the subsequent potencies is made in alcohol. Put 1 part of milled material against 99 parts of alcohol 30% and do the succussions. The subsequent dynamizations are made only in liquid form.

There are many other ways to prepare the soil nosode, eg “complex soil nosode” which include soils samples and all roots present in it, or “radix nosode” (where the nosode is made mainly of all the roots in the soil ) or even “live nosode”, prepared in physiological saline, sealed with alcohol preparation of the last potency and others.

The preparation of the bionosodes is an important tool for managing vitality in the the holon. In the repertorisation I use my own agro-homeopathic repertory that avoids the approach with anthropocentric focus frequent in existing agro-homeopathic repertories. It is not published yet, and I am preparing an edition in Spanish and English at this time.

Holon images published in the last column denote degrees of fragmentation: the more fragmented the holon is, the less biodiversity, less vitality and less vital resilience is seen in the soil and the plants in it. Conversely, the more integration, biodiversity and combination of certain plants and organisms in the holon, the greater the crop vitality.

Holons studies can be performed on agricultural areas regardless of size from micro-gardens to large areas of hundreds of hectares. They help detect “attractors” which are patterns of biotic behavior and abiotic settings and processes that influence the distribution of the vitality in the holon (which may present a high degree of variability in a conventional culture, and are more harmonic in agrohomeopathic crops). In the small garden you can begin to observe the behavior of the spontaneous weeds that are generally biomarkers of these subtle patterns of behavior called biotic and abiotic attractors. As a rule, between the weed plants you can find modificators and modulators of vitality of the holon, vitalizing and devitalizing attractors.

 

 


 

Dear Sir,

I am from Mangalore. I have grown Thuja plants in our Garden. I purchased them from a Nursery. Now the leaves are getting brown from the bottom. Can you suggest how to cure this plant problem? A photo of the plant has been attached for your reference (below).

agrohomeopathy-oct15-image007

Thank you

Chandrashekhar  

 

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear Chandrashekhar,

The Thuja in the image seems be affected by the fungal pathogen Phytophthora sp. The prevalence of this fungus can be caused by acid rain, the presence of ozone at ground level, poor ventilation or very close distribution of plants, use of chlorinated water in irrigation, climate change and other biotic and abiotic factors.

The constitutional remedy of Thuja sp. is Rosmarinus  officialis. And complementary remedies are Thymus, Achillea milenfolium and Apium graveolens
I suggest:
1. remove dead branches and burn them (not compost them)
2. Reduce watering and avoid large variations in humidity
3. Apply Magnesia carbonica 6 CH in irrigation 1 meter from trunk
4. Apply Rosmarinus 6 CH sprayed on the plant once every two weeks
5. Applying Thymus 6 CH and Apium 6 CH alternating once a week on the soil.

 


 

Dear Plant Doctors,

I am from South India on the west coast in the State of Karnataka. The climate is hot in summers and pretty good in winter. During summers (from March to May) the temperature reaches up to 40 °C and in winters (from December to February) it is usually between 32 °C and 20 °C. The monsoon period is from June to September with the rainfall averaging more than 4000 mm every year and heavy winds.

I planted 60 coconut dwarf varieties last October 2014 and I have lost close to 20 plants due to bud rot. Distance between 2 plants is 25 feet with inter- cultivation with Banana plants. Here is a detail on the disease.

BUD ROT caused by the fungus Phytophthora palmivora is a serious disease of coconut. Palms of all ages are liable to be attacked. The attack is more severe during monsoon season . Bud rot incidence is especially high in palms grown in highly humid environments.

Pest symptoms

In seedlings, the spear leaf turns pale and comes off with a gentle pull. In adult palms, the first visible symptom is discoloration of the youngest leaf and withering of the central spindle of the crown. The soft tissues of the crown rot into a slimy mass of decayed material emitting a foul smell. The rotting progresses downwards, ultimately affecting the terminal bud and killing the palm.

agrohomeopathy-oct15-image008

Pradeep Shetty  

 

Radko Tichavsky:

Dear Pradeep,

Cocos nucifera´s constitutional remedy is Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory) and complementary remedies are Anacardium occidentale (Cashew), Quercus rubra and Lactuca sativa.
I suggest the following actions to control the Phytophthora:

  1. Make holes for each palm and fill it with well-drained soil (sandy).
    2. Apply Helianthus annus 6 CH (prepared from seeds) once a week.
    3. Add a shake of banana leaves with a little ginger rhizome in the irrigation (both 1:20 diluted in water).
    4. Apply Caria ovata 12 CH (prepared fruits of the plant) in the planting hole, on the palm seeds without germinating, and when they leave the first leaves.
    5. During plant growth apply Anacardiumoccidentalis12 CH, Quercus rubra 6 CH and  Lactuca sativa 6 CH according to the symptomatology developed.

About the author

Radko Tichavsky

Radko Tichavsky was born in the Czech republic. He has lived in Mexico for more than 25 years and is one of the most important agrohomeopaths in Latin America. He is the author of the book "Manual de Agrohomeopatia", a homeopathy book on plants. Radko teaches agrohomeopathy in several countries and regularly publishes articles in special journals and internet portals. He works as a researcher and teacher at the university and has already taught agrohomeopathy to many students. He is the director of the Comenius Institute (comenius.edu.mx). More details can be found in the following interview: http://hpathy.com/homeopathic-interviews/radko-tichavsky/

About the author

Mark Moodie

For 25 years Mark Moodie has been fascinated by holistic approaches to tending the land. He hosts the website Considera which provides a growing M.M and Repertory for plants and discusses resources for biodynamics and Agrohomeopathy http://considera.org/hrxmatmed.html The website allows the world community to contribute their experiences in planting. He has also published books by V.D. Kaviraj and other cutting edge thinkers through Mark Moodie Publications http://www.moodie.biz/ . Mark Moodie lives in the Forest of Dean as a satellite / parasite of Oaklands Park Camphill Community. He is co-inventor of the ES4 and AirFlush water-saving sanitaryware. He would like to bring scientific rigor to the study of the spirit.

About the author

Pawan Singhania

Switched from chemical and poison use to Organic to Biodynamic to Biovedic methods of gardening and farming. Engaged in biological landscape designing, execution and maintenance for my living. Currently working on applied research on Bioenergetics and Agro-homeopathy.

3 Comments

  • For Tony in Bulgaria:
    I underline the first words from Radko Tichavsky: I congratulate you on your decision to work clean without pesticides! Here are my suggestions (the soil is ok):
    First Cuprum metallicum Q12, once 4 pills/Drops in 100 l of water (NOT 2 pills in 50 l), pour the plants with 2 litres each. Then mouse milk 2M (I don’t know, if this remedy exists, I produce all my remedies for myself), 3 Dates with 2 pills in 100 l: 10, 45 and 110 days after Cuprum. m.
    If it is difficult to get the remedies, I can send it. Here you find my Website (in German): http://www.pflanzenretter.com, or send me an email if you need further Information/help: [email protected]

  • Dear Tadinada,
    you could try for your trees also Strontium 1M, once 1 pill direct on the soil near each tree.
    Regards from Germany, Sabine

  • This is a marvelous column of cutting edge information. There’s nothing else like it on the internet. Thank Radko Tichavsky!

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