AW 125-874

'아힘사'는 산스크리트어로 모든 형태의 폭력을 피하는 뜻입니다. 비폭력의 계율은 세계 모든 종교의 기본적 교리입니다. 친절한 여러분, ‘사랑스런 삶의 터전, 지구'입니다. 오늘 농업과 관련된 '아힘사'의 의미를 알아보며 생명체를 전혀 해치지 않는 과일과 채소 재배의 대체방안을 살펴보겠습니다.

수프림 마스터 TV직원들과의 화상 회의에서 칭하이 무상사는 특정 농작물 재배에 흙을 사용하지 않아 유익한 벌레 등 다른 생명체를 해치지 않는 '아힘사' 농업이나 대체 농업에 대해 많은 설명을 하셨습니다.

최소한 벌레를 해치지 않는 많은 유기 농법이 있습니다. 물에 심거나 높인 화단에 채소를 심는다면 곤충을 해치지 않습니다. 가령, 어울락 (베트남) 사람들은 모래 땅에 땅콩을 재배합니다. 흙이 아니니 어떤 벌레도 거기 살지 않지요. 손수 채소를 심으세요. 그러면 수확하는 방법, 수확하는 것과 먹는 것을 완전히 조절할 수 있습니다.

전세계 사람들은 생명체에 폭력이나 고통을 주지 않는 동물성이 없는 식사를 택합니다. 유기농의 완전채식 생활은 소중한 지구를 유지할 최고의 방법입니다. 하지만 '아힘사'는 잘 알려지지 않은 미묘한 특징이 있죠. 가령 자이나교도는 작은 곤충이나 다른 생명체에 해를 입히지 않으려고 합니다. 그래서 감자, 비트, 당근 같은 뿌리작물의 섭취는 자이나교도에게 장려되지 않지요. 수확하며 흙 속의 벌레에게 해를 줄 수 있으니까요. 작은 벌레도 해치지 않고 과일과 야채를 재배할 수 있을까요? 이런 농법으로 수경재배, 분무수경 높인 화단과 모래에 재배하는 방법이 있습니다. 가장 널리 사용되는 방법은 수경법으로 흙이 필요 없지요. 물과 영양소가 녹은 용액에 뿌리가 자라며 뿌리는 때로 화산재의 일종인 진주암이나 자갈 코코넛 섬유 같은 비활성 매체로 지탱됩니다.

수경재배는 기존의 흙에 재배하는 것보다 여러 이점이 있습니다. 수경법은 땅파기 갈기, 잡초제거 괭이질 같은 여러 힘든 노동이 없어집니다. 또 수경법으로 재배된 식물은 좋은 영양을 받기에 보통 더 빨리 자라고 기존의 정원이나 들판에서 키운 방식보다 더 많은 작물을 생산합니다. 플로리다대학 연구원들은 수경법이 기존의 농업 방식보다 평방미터당 거의 10배나 많이 생산할 수 있다고 합니다. 뉴질랜드 캔터베리의 아일랜드 원예 온실 운영자 데이비드 바튼 씨는 25년 이상 수경법으로 채소를 재배했습니다. 그가 기존 농법보다 수경농법이 더 효율적인 이유의 하나를 설명합니다.

유리 온실에서 상업적으로 재배하기에 농작물 손실이 없는 장점이 있어요. 우리가 키운 모든 작물은 일관된 양을 생산합니다. 끝까지 변함없는 양을 생산하지요.

아마 수경법의 최대 장점은 기존 농법보다 90%까지 물 소비를 줄이는 점일 겁니다. 수경재배는 물이 낭비되지 않지요.

화창한 날엔 식물마다4리터의 물을 줍니다. 4리터 중 80%는 식물이 소모하고 나머지 20%는 배수됩니다.

땅 위로 흘려버리는 물이 거의 없지요. 모든 물이 식물에게 갑니다. 낭비되는 물이 없죠. 여긴 1.4헥타르입니다. 예, 낭비가 있지만 조절하고 다룰 수 있어요. 모든 물은 잘 사용됩니다.

극도로 효율적인 물의 이용으로 수경법은 사막 같은 환경에서 풍부한 수확이 가능합니다. 사실 세계 최대의 상업 수경재배 시설은 미국 애리조나 윌콕스의 덥고 건조한 사막입니다. 유로프레쉬 농장 소유의 시설로 2005년에 약 5천6백만 킬로그램의 토마토를 팔았죠. 오랫동안 유로프레쉬는 운영을 확대해 이제 1.29평방킬로미터의 놀라운 크기의

유리 온실로 미국의 상업적 수경온실지역의 약 3분의 1을 차지합니다. 수경재배는 특히 기후나 대기 여건상 농작물재배가 힘들거나 불가능한 지역에 가능합니다. 길고 혹독한 겨울을 가진 캐나다는 난방 온실의 수경재배에 적극적입니다. 미국 항공우주국 나사는 수경재배 기술을 폭넓게 연구해 우주공간이나 다른 행성에서 식품을 재배할 방법을 찾으려 노력했습니다.

‘사랑스런 삶의 터전, 지구’를 시청하고 계십니다. 잠시 후, 작물을 재배하며 어떤 벌레도 해치지 않는 비폭력 농법의 하나인 수경법을 계속 알아봅니다. 알아봅니다. 수프림 마스터 TV를 계속 시청해 주세요.

오늘 ‘사랑스런 삶의 터전 지구’에서 재배 과정에서 이로운 벌레 같은 어떤 중생도 해치지 않는 비폭력 농사법으로 여겨지는 농사법들을 알아봅니다. 앞서 논의했던 식물을 미네랄 영양 용액에서 재배하는 수경법에 대한 얘기를 계속 하겠습니다. 실제로 많은 사람이 수경법으로 재배되는 과일과 야채의 맛이 좋을까 궁금할 겁니다. 사실 맛이 좋아요! 유로프레쉬 농장은 지난 10년간 『미국에서 제일 맛있는 토마토』의 본산지로 미국요리대학의 인정을 받았지요. 수경법으로 재배한 과일과 야채는 전통 재배방식과 같이 영양이 풍부합니다.

식물에게 필요한 영양분은 어디서 자라든지 모두 같습니다. 재배 방법은 중요하지 않지요. 식물에게 필요한 것은 동일합니다. 식물은 같은 방식으로 영양을 흡수합니다. 가장 중요한 것은 식물이 잘 자라면 여러분에게 좋다는 겁니다.

2008년 중국 베이징올림픽에서 선수와 임원에게 제공된 신선한 생산품 중 상당수는 지역 수경온실에서 재배하는 유기농 제품이었지요. 세계적인 수경재배 전문가 마이클 제임스 스트라우미티스는 『수경법은 엄격한 품질관리 안정된 공급, 환경적 이로움과 영양가 높은 작물을 제공하기』에 대안으로 선택되었다고 합니다. 수경법은 어디에서 생겼을까요? 개념은 고대에서 유래하며 수경법을 처음 사용한 사람들 중엔 잉카와 아즈텍인이 있습니다.

수경재배는 아주 오래된 기술입니다. 아주 오래 전 바빌론의 공중 정원에서 처음 개발되었습니다. 2차 세계대전에서 미국인들이 섬의 군인들을 먹이기 위해 더욱 발전시켰습니다. 다음엔 영국의 쿠퍼 박사가 상업적으로 발전시켰고 네덜란드와 전세계의 다른 나라들이 상업적으로 아주 확장시켰습니다. 현재 전세계의 상업 온실에서 재배되는 작물의 90% 이상이 다양한 수경법의 형태를 사용해서 재배됩니다.

수경법에 대한 최초의 책은 실바 실바럼이지요. 영국의 프란시스 베이컨 경이 1627년 출판했습니다. 영국의 자연주의자 존 우드워드는 스피어민트를 수경법으로 재배하며 실험을 계속했지요. 1699년 결과를 출간했는데 증류수보다 강이나 연못 물로 기른 식물이 더 잘 자랐다고 했습니다. 자연의 물의 영양에서 식물이 이로움을 얻는다고 결론지었습니다. 1842년 독일 식물학자 줄리어스 본 작스와 빌헬름 크놉이 식물 성장에 필수적인 9가지 성분을 확인했습니다. 이 성분들을 물에 용해하여 식물에게 주므로 성장과 과일의 생산이 현저하게 좋아졌습니다. 1929년 수경재배 개념이 미국에 뿌리를 내리고 퍼졌습니다. 캘리포니아 버클리 대학의 윌리엄 프레드릭 게릭 교수의 열성적 노력에 기인했지요. 사실『수경법』 이란 용어는 게릭 교수가 만들었습니다. 그리스어로 『물』과 『노동』을 합쳐 만든 말입니다. 현재 수경재배는 몇 가지 미네랄과 영양분을 녹인 물에서 식물을 재배합니다. 6종의 주요 영양분은 질소 인, 칼륨, 칼슘, 마그네슘, 황이며 붕소, 동, 철분, 아연, 망간 같은 미량의 다른 성분을 첨가하여 작물이 풍작이며 맛이 좋고 영양이 풍부하게 합니다.

오늘 사랑스런 삶의 터전,지구’에서 '아힘사' 농법의 시청에 감사합니다. 다음 주 수요일, 2부에서 벌레와 다른 생명체를 해치지 않는 수경법과 다른 대체 농법들을 계속 알아보니 기대해 주세요.

‘주목할 뉴스’와 ‘깨달음이 있는 문화예술’을 수프림 마스터 TV에서 계속 시청해주세요. 삶이 천국의 빛과 사랑으로 충만하길 빕니다.

Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning “to do no harm” or to avoid all forms of violence. The precept of non-violence is a basic tenet of all the world’s religions.

Kind viewers, welcome to Planet Earth: Our Loving Home. Our program today will explore the concept of ahimsa in relation to agriculture and look at alternative methods of fruit and vegetable cultivation that cause no harm to living beings.

In a videoconference with Supreme Master Television staff, Supreme Master Ching Hai explained more about ahimsa agriculture or alternative farming methods that do not employ soil to grow certain crops, thereby avoiding harm to other sentient beings such as the beneficial worms.


HOST:  
Around the globe, people are adopting animal-free diets to avoid causing violence or suffering to any living being. An organic vegan lifestyle is also the most sustainable for our precious planet.

However, ahimsa has subtle qualities that are not commonly known.  For example, followers of Jainism make great efforts to avoid hurting even tiny insects and other small beings. Thus, consuming root crops such as potatoes, beets and carrots is discouraged among Jains, as the harvesting of these crops can harm worms in the soil.

But can fruits and vegetables be grown so as to avoid harming even the smallest worms? Yes, these farming techniques include hydroponics, aeroponics, raised bed cultivation and farming in pure sand.

The most widely used of these systems is hydroponics, a method that requires no soil. Instead plants are grown in a solution of water and minerals with the roots sometimes being supported by an inert medium, such as perlite, a type of volcanic ash, gravel or even coconut fiber.

Hydroponic gardening has several advantages over traditional, soil-based methods. In hydroponics several labor-intensive tasks such as digging, tilling, weeding and hoeing are virtually eliminated.

Also, because hydroponically grown plants receive better nutrition, they usually grow faster and produce much higher yields than those crops grown in traditional types of gardens or fields.

According to University of Florida researchers, hydroponics can produce almost ten times more food per square meter than traditional farming methods.

Mr. David Barton is a greenhouse operator of Island Horticulture in Canterbury, New Zealand
who has been growing vegetables hydroponically for over 25 years. He explains one of the reasons why hydroponic farming is more efficient than traditional methods. (http://www.vigour.co.nz/articles/show/Carmen+springs+into+action)

David (m):
For us, because we are commercial growing in a glass house, the benefit is that we do not have plant losses. Every plant that we grow produces a consistent amount; it produces consistent quality right to the end.   

HOST:
But perhaps the greatest advantage of hydroponic gardening is that it uses up to 90% less water than crops grown through traditional means. In hydroponic farming, no water is wasted.

David:
On a sunny day, four liters per plant will be given to each plant. Of that four liters, 80% will be consumed by the plant and the other 20% will be used as drain.

David (m):
We have almost no run-off. All our water is going to the plant. There is no waste water. On the site, we have 1.4 hectares. Yes, we do have waste, but it is controlled and managed. So all our inputs are utilized.

HOST:
Because of its extremely efficient use of water, hydroponics can yield abundant crops even in desert conditions.

In fact, the world’s largest commercial hydroponics facility is in the hot, dry desert area of Willcox, Arizona, USA. Owned by Eurofresh Farms, the facility sold 125 million pounds of tomatoes in 2005. Over the years, Eurofresh has expanded its operations and now has an incredible 1.29 square kilometers (318 acres) under glass, representing about a third of the commercial hydroponics greenhouse area in the US.  

Hydroponic gardening is also particularly applicable in areas where it is difficult or impossible to grow food due to climate or atmospheric conditions.

For example, because of its long, harsh winters, Canada actively pursues hydroponic agriculture in heated greenhouses. The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been conducting extensive research on hydroponic techniques in an effort to discover ways of growing food in outer space or on other planets.

You’re watching Planet Earth: Our Loving Home. When we return after these brief messages, we’ll learn more about hydroponic farming, one of the ahimsa agricultural methods in which no worms are harmed in the cultivation of crops. Please keep your dial tuned here to Supreme Master Television.

HOST:
On today’s Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, we are exploring farming methods which would be considered as ahimsa agriculture, in which no sentient beings, such as the beneficial worms, are harmed in the cultivation process.  

Let’s continue with our discussion from our previous segment of hydroponic farming, a method of growing planets in mineral nutrient solutions.

Practically speaking, many of us would probably like to know, do fruits and vegetables grown using hydroponics taste good? Indeed they do!

In fact, Eurofresh Farms has been recognized by the American Culinary Institute as the home of “America’s Best Tasting Tomato” for the past ten years. Fruits and vegetables grown in hydroponics are also just as nutritious as conventionally grown produce.

David (m):
The nutritional requirements of the plants are exactly the same wherever they’re grown. It doesn’t matter how they’re grown. The requirements of the plants are the same. The plant has to take up the nutrient in exactly the same formula. The most important thing is that the plant is grown well, then it will be good for you.

HOST:
Much of the fresh produce provided to athletes and officials at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China was grown locally in organic, hydroponic greenhouses.

World-renowned hydroponics expert Michael James Straumietis states that this alternative was chosen because “hydroponics allows strict quality control, reliable supply, environmental benefits and it produces high-nutrition crops."  

Where did the concept of hydroponics come from? The idea is actually ancient, and some of the first peoples known to practice this method of gardening were the Incas and Aztecs.

David (m):  
Hydroponic growing is a very, very old technique.

It was first developed by the hanging gardens of Babylon, which is very, very old. The Americans developed that further in the Second World War to feed their troops further into the islands.

Subsequently, it was developed commercially by Dr. Cooper in England and taken up and expanded very, very much commercially by the Dutch and other countries around the world.

Today, worldwide, I would guess that at least 90% of commercial greenhouse crops are grown hydroponically, using one or another form of hydroponics growing.

HOST:
The first book about this form of agriculture was Sylva Sylvarum, written by Sir Francis Bacon of England, published in 1627.

English naturalist, John Woodward, continued in hydroponics experiments by growing spearmint hydroponically. In 1699, he published his results, stating that plants raised in water obtained from rivers or ponds grew more abundantly than those grown in distilled water. He concluded that the plants benefited from nutrition found in natural water.

This was confirmed in 1842, when German botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop identified nine elements they believed to be essential to plant growth. By dissolving these elements in the water fed to a plant, both growth and fruit production were greatly enhanced.

In 1929, the concept of hydroponic gardening began to take root and expand in the US, fuelled by the enthusiastic efforts of Professor William Frederick Gericke of the University of California at Berkeley.

In fact, the term “hydroponics” was coined by Professor Gericke and is derived from the Greek words hydros meaning "water", and ponos meaning "labor."

Today, hydroponic farmers grow plants in water containing several dissolved minerals and nutrients. The six primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, along with trace amounts of other elements such as boron, copper, iron, zinc and manganese, ensuring harvests that are abundant, good tasting and filled with nutrition.

HOST:
Last week, we have been talking primarily about hydroponics, a farming method that requires no soil. Instead plants are grown in a solution of water and minerals with the roots sometimes being supported by an inert medium.

Today we will examine how this system of growing food actually works. One hydroponic technique is the water culture system, in which the roots of the plants are placed on a floating platform, and the roots grow in the nutrient solution.

Mr. David Barton is a greenhouse operator of Island Horticulture in Canterbury, New Zealand who has been growing vegetables hydroponically for over 25 years.

He will further explain about this system, sometimes called the nutrient film technique.

David:
NFT stands for nutrient film technique. That is where a thin film of water is running along a channel; all the nutrients are dissolved in that water and the roots are growing in that water. So the plant gets its oxygen and nutrient, everything, out of that water.

HOST:
A second, and by far the more widely used type of hydroponic system, is the drip system, in which the plants are placed in an inert growing medium. Then a drip line, which is a hose filled with tiny holes, is placed near the root of the plant, allowing the nutrient solution to be dripped directly onto the base of each plant.

Excess nutrient solution runs off into an overflow, and is collected back in the reservoir for re-use.

David: 
The plant is getting its water and its nutrient out of the water, and it is fed by a dripper which is linked to a light source.

So the higher the light, the more water and nutrient that plant gets.

So we are matching the demand of the plant with the conditions that the plant is growing in. This gives us very, very efficient use of nutrient and water and virtually no waste. These plants been planted out for 2 days.

They are all grown in a grow wall cube, which is manufactured from rocks, bun basalt rock, basically like commercial insulation.

You can see the roots growing through the media and out the bottom. These are simply set on our pillow of media, which we use coco peat and each plant is fed by a dripper.

You can see the water now feeding each plant.

HOST:
Several types of inert mediums, such as vermiculite, perlite, expanded clay, rock wool or coco peat can be used.

These inert materials are disease- and worm-free and can hold varying quantities of both water and air, which aids in root growth and development.

They also provide support for plants, allowing for a wider variety and larger plants to be grown.

David:
Behind us at my feet, we have a slab of coco peat, which is the substance that we’re growing in. Coco peat is the waste product from the husk of the coconut. It is graded and compressed into a pillow. We put that onto a hanging gulley and it is fed water and nutrient.

The coco peat as you can see, is quite a fine substance, there is nothing but pure coco peat. The coco peat is inert, it contains nothing at all.

So everything that the plant requires to grow, we give to the plant. We give the nutrient to the plant in the right proportion that it will grow to its very, very best.

Any plant that is growing very, very well, the produce from that plant will be good for you.  The important thing is we must keep the plant growing very well without stress.

HOST:
Almost any type of plant can be grown using hydroponics.

David:
You can grow strawberries, you can grow lettuce, you can grow silver beet, you can grow beans, tomatoes, cucumber, the list is endless. With lettuce, you need a media or straight pure film of water, NFT. With silver beet, because of its rich structure, there media is better, that can just be a fine shingle, crushed metal, or in our case, coco peat.

You can have a variety of different systems in the one basic set up.

HOST:
Hydroponics is actually very simple to apply and even home gardeners can grow produce without the use of soil.

David:
It can be grown outside. We only use the greenhouse as a controlled environment. But a basic set up can be done in anybody’s backyard for very little expense and great enjoyment.

HOST:
You’re watching Planet Earth: Our Loving Home. When we return after these brief messages, we’ll learn more about hydroponic farming, one of the ahimsa agricultural methods in which no worms are harmed in the cultivation of crops.

Please keep your dial tuned here to Supreme Master Television.

HOST:
On today’s Planet Earth: Our Loving Home, we continue to explore farming methods which would be considered as ahimsa agriculture, in which no sentient beings, such as the beneficial worms, are harmed in the cultivation process. 

HOST:
David Barton, a veteran hydroponic farmer, explains the importance of hydroponics for our ecosystems.

David:
Hydroponic growing today is all about growing with nature, not against nature. We need to enhance and complement Mother Nature. It is about doing the best for the customer to ensure the customer gets healthy produce, and for us to do the best in an environmentally responsible manner.

Hydroponic growing I believe is going to advance further and further as more technical advances are made, as water becomes more precious, as land use becomes more scarce for horticultural purposes, we have to look after what we’ve got and ensure that it is used wisely and to the best manner, so we can produce efficiently what our people, our customers require.

HOST:
The benefits of hydroponic farming far outweighs the initial costs of setup, which are eventually offset by the savings of this more efficient method.

With hydroponic growing we do have to put a lot of infrastructure into our greenhouses. This is expensive but it is warranted because we can produce the quantity in a small area, which brings about efficiencies.

So, we are using technology and Mother Nature, I think, in harmony together. So, we can lock out the harsh environment, we can lock in the heat from the sun during the day.

I personally enjoy the challenge of hydroponic growing and the rewards that it gives.

HOST:
Recently, a derivative of hydroponics called “aeroponics” has been developed. In this system, plants are grown only in an air or a mist medium. The roots of the plants are suspended in the air and misted by a nozzle coming from a nutrient pump.

The system usually operates on a timer, and after misting, the unused nutrient solution drips back down into a reservoir to be recycled for later use.

The plants are usually grown in a closed or semi-closed system, which helps to minimize plant diseases and prevent insects from entering into the growing areas.

One of the advantages of this system is that root crops such as potatoes can be harvested just by opening the growing box and selecting ones that are ready, without having to dig up soil or a growth medium. In addition, aeroponics is extremely efficient, using even less water than traditional hydroponics.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States has conducted extensive research on aeroponics, including the development of a natural solution called ODC (organic disease control), which eliminates the need for pesticides. Also, in Hà Nội, Âu Lạc (Vietnam), a post-graduate doctoral program in aeroponics has been established.

The main crop being grown there is potatoes, with distribution planned to farmers whose seed potatoes will be disease-free and grown without pesticides.

Currently, lettuce, salad greens, herbs, potatoes and other root crops and medicinal plants are most commonly grown in aeroponic systems.

Another type of farming that involves no harm to worms is “raised bed” gardening. Traditional raised bed gardening is done by placing soil in elevated beds or pots above ground.

However, another version of so-called raised beds is being developed in which plants are grown in pots filled with an inert porous medium.

The pots sit in a shallow solution of water and dissolved nutrients, and the water solution is drawn up to the roots by capillary action.

The main types of inert materials used in this method are expanded clay or coconut husks, both of which have more air space than traditional potting mixes, allowing more oxygen to be delivered to the roots.

This method, like traditional hydroponics, eliminates much of the labor from weeding and tilling soil, and requires a minimal amount of water. 

It can be used to grow several types of plants from leafy greens to orchids. Additional techniques of ahimsa agriculture are currently being tested and developed, one of which allows farmers to grow lush, productive crops entirely in sand, where worms are not present.

For farmers in the coastal village of Đông Bàn, in Hà Tĩnh province, Âu Lạc (Vietnam), fresh water and available soil are scarce.

However, white sand is everywhere and sweet potatoes, peanuts (khoai lang) (lạc) and vegetables (rau) can be grown there. Peanuts are grown from November to April, while the season for sweet potatoes is August to January.

Another area, Bãi Dù, also specializes in planting sweet potatoes in the sand along with other vegetables such as lettuce.

If provided with sufficient water, sand can provide abundant produce.

For many years, farmers in China have grown plentiful crops in the sand washed up in drifts by the Mekong River. Crops such as peanuts, corn and sweet potatoes are planted at the end of the rainy season around October and harvested around March.

The roots of the plants are nourished by the retreating water table in the sand. The effects of global warming is seen through the shortages of both water and food. With these highly efficient types of farming, that also respects all life, may more people opt for this viable solution of organic vegan food production.

HOST:
Thank you for joining us for today’s Planet Earth: Our Loving Home. Our show airs every Wednesday on Supreme Master Television. Up next, stay tuned for Enlightening Entertainment, right after Noteworthy News. May your life be graced with abundant fulfillment and happiness.