Elements in Rye and Wheat at Different Times and Different Places (Review)

Abstract

Grains constitute an important part of our daily food. And grains are also an important source of our daily magnesium supply. Especially wheat in the western countries. But the amount of magnesium in wheat has gone down dramatically with on average 19,6 %, as the data of Guo have shown. This has among others to do with soils, varieties and fertilizing. In this article the focus is on fertilizing. How can we change fertilizing in order to get better and healthier grains? Here is made a comparison between conventional fertilizing, and fertilizing with extra seaweed and other sea minerals, or with rock flour, or silt. The available data make clear that the type of fertilizer makes a big difference. The data on Non Protein Nitrogen (NPN) are missing because they are not available in the historical records, nor in most actual analyses. High levels of NPN (a.o. nitrate; ammonium; nitrogen dioxide) are a serious health risk. The grains with conventional fertilizing are no longer in balance. Sodium has gone down dramatically. And from trials with ryegrass we know that extra sodium helps to restore the balance between the macro elements. Calcium in most grains is low, but the balance of Ca/P in the wheat from Normandy is much higher (= better) than in the other grains. And the Ca/P on silted soils is even better than on soils fertilized with seaweed and seaminerals as in Normandy. Not only the grains and the potatoes from Normandy are more in balance, even the dung of the cows shows a somewhat healthier balance than modern cow dung. But here we can’t draw conclusions yet, because the data from different eras and places are not really comparable. With a good quality of vermicompost the balance in crops can be restored also. But here the rule is that the feeding material for the worms is decisive. Magnesium is very important for human health. The first Homo’s Sapienses are found in areas where the soil is very high in magnesium. This magnesium is erupted there bij earth mantle volcanoes. Many important food crops also originated in these magnesium rich centers of origin. But others came from fault lines which originated from colliding earth crust plates which have a granitic origin.