ABSTRACT
The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of Moon rhythms on yield of carrot roots under biodynamic management sown on different dates. As a background to the trials, some examples are provided of the use of ethno-astronomy in the South (mainly from Brazil), and then, selected scientific research on the influence of the Moon on plants and animals is reviewed, including in biodynamic agriculture. The author’s own field trials were carried out over two periods on a biodynamic farm in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. Lunar rhythms were tested observing the effects of seeding at different planting dates. The experiment was performed with 4 randomised blocks and 31 treatments (different dates) in 2005 and 14 treatments in 2006. The harvest was made 82 days after sowing. The effects associated with planting at a specific lunar position were measured by the deviations from the trend curve. The following characteristics were evaluated: fresh mass of roots and leaves and dry mass of roots. Dry mass was the only one that, in the contrast between averages, showed significant results in the two periods of the experiment. The results suggest that sowing during the synodic new phase produced better results than sowing during the other lunar phases.
