Albert Howard

Sir Albert Howard ( * 1873, † 1947) was a British mycologist and a pioneer of organic farming.

Life

He was a lecturer in agriculture at the Imperial Department of Agriculture in Barbados. Originally strictly chemically oriented, he discovered that the indigenous population generated there with natural crop rotation without fertilization astonishingly high returns.

1905 Howard was appointed by the British for " Empire botanist of the Indian government." In the city of Indore Howard bred on a specially designated area plants without the use of herbicides and pesticides. He did not use any artificial fertilizers, but only compost which consisted of stored waste from plants and animals.

Over time, Howard optimized the method and developed, named after the research site " Indore Mix " - a special compost. Howard's experimental fields remained free of disease. The cattle that were fed exclusively with these plants were also free from foot-and- mouth disease. 1935 Howard returned to England and was knighted for his services from the British Crown.

Together with Lady Eve Balfour Howard is now considered one of the founders of the organic farming in the UK. Howard was married to the botanist Gabrielle Matthaei.