[Avodah] shemitta

[Dr. Josh Backon]

>I don't understand.  The bark will be placed in above-ground trays of some
>sort and filled with soil, and the seeds placed there?  Or the bark will
>be used instead of soil?

The ground coconut bark is used instead of soil and is placed in some
sort of above-ground tray [not "mechubar l'karka"]. All I read  was that
the Rabbanut OK'd use of this coconut bark method for Shmitta
as it just like hydroponics (but without the water). I think they are also
investigating the method to provide insect-free vegetables as there 
is something
in the coconut bark that repels insects [A search on MEDLINE shows the
effectiveness of coconut oil as a larvacide and mosquito repellent]. Farmers
have an incentive to use the new method since it saves them a lot of money
in fertilizer and water.

KT

Josh