[Compostteas] More on Fungi & Keeping Teas
Scott Alexander
daylily@bigpond.com
Sat, 25 May 2002 10:01:27 +1000
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When I lift the hay mulch the springtails are there by the 1000's, so =
I'm wondering if I=20
should put that hay in the "hay teabag" and a couple of kg's of soil =
from=20
the top two inches of the soil in the "compost tea bag" and thereby=20
"capturing" lots of fungi. Once extracted they can then feed on the =
humic=20
acid, seaweed and rockdust in the tank. Am I on the right track???=20
Elaine replied -=20
I'm confused. Hay bags? Soil in the compost bag? =20
Hi Elaine and the CT Group - OK, lets start again. I have huge =
cultivated beds in which I grow my daylilies. The soil must very very =
fertile and have a pretty good soil food web because I plant a daylily =
piece the size of your thumb and a year later there is a huge clump with =
10 to 12 divisions in it. I mulch with organic hay between the rows and =
if I disturb the hay when digging plants, there are lots of springtails. =
So - I deduce, there could be lots of fungi in the top 2 inches & maybe =
some in the hay? If not, then maybe protozoa in the hay? I have a bag =
with alfalfa and hay hanging the brewer - is this not acceptable?=20
Is it not a good practice to have soil in the brewer? It has never =
blocked the spray equipment.=20
Another thing. When I dig a daylily I often see a dozen or more worms =
around the roots and crown. Doesn't this mean they are feeding on the =
micro-organisms which have gathered there? So . . . if I was to dig up =
a plant with a football-size ball of soil and place this in a bag in the =
tea, wouldn't the microbes from it be extracted? They certainly would be =
indigenous and wouldn't they be the "right" ones? The root growth three =
to four months after planting is quite phenomenal and from this i deduce =
that there must be billions of beneficials in that root ball feeding off =
the root exudates and feeding the plant as well. It is always difficult =
to shake the soil off the roots, so from that i deduce that there must =
be a huge population of microbes gathered there.=20
So in the brewer there is a bag of compost, a bag of vermicast, a bag =
of rock dust, a bag of alfalfa & hay, and a bag of old forest litter and =
old wood chips which have fungi threads in it, plus - kelp, fish, humic =
acid, fulvic acid, molasses, and saponim. Now how could e. coli get in =
there?
I don't think I mentioned it in the information I sent SFI with the =
last batch of tea that there was a daylily plant - leaves, roots and all =
- in a bag in the brew. Maybe it helped to build up the bacteria (Total =
=3D 983) and fungi (Total =3D 18.8)? Maybe it had no value at all?
A lack of springtails doesn't mean no fungi. Lots of other critters =
eat fungi. Some recent work by Andy Moldenke suggests that enchytraeids =
eat fungi. As do sow bugs, and earthworms, and beetle larve, and =
millipedes and centipedes and ..... a zillion other critters in the =
forest floor. Low springtails may just mean someone else got there =
first.....=20
That's good news! My next test will show fungi totals =3D 30 !?!? =
(VBG)=20
Bad news arrived yesterday. The Dept of Ag authorities in the state of =
Victoria have just passed legislation which will prevent me sending =
plants to my clients down there unless my farm is inspected regularly by =
the Queensland Ag Dept and seen to be rust-free. When rust appeared for =
the first time in Australia in my nursery, Quarantine closed me down =
for two months. During that time I negotiated with Qld authorities to =
allow me open again without having to dump tons of chemicals on the =
land, to experiment with alternative fungicides, and to select =
cultivars which would show resistance to the disease over a 12 month =
period. From these cultivars I could begin a breeding program in the =
future and hope to develop new cultivars which were also very resistant. =
Rust only develops on the above-ground parts of the plant so our =
mail-order plants were cut back to within half an inch of the crown and =
dipped in a fungicde.
The "alternative fungicide" was compost teas of course. I had a hell =
of a job trying to get them to understand just what a CT was! I then =
pointed them in the direction of Soilfoodweb website and gave them a =
copy of the article in IPM Practitioner Sept 2001 "Compost Tea for =
Organic Farming and Gardening". =20
During the past 6 months I have been applying a tea concentrate to the =
foliage in an acre plot and on the other 5 acres the remainder of the =
brew (50 gallons) has been spread through the overhead irrigation =
system. In the one acre plot I am seeing much better resistance to the =
disease than elsewhere although it is probably too early in the =
experiment to be sure about anything. I have other smaller experiments =
in progress with CT as well and I'm reasonably certain it is preventing =
the rust spores from entering the leaves (If I had unlimited funds, I'd =
be testing, testing, testing!)
As you can imagine, I am very disappointed with their decision. As =
expected, it was made by bureaucrats who:-
know nothing about daylily rust (and who have been "got at" by my =
competors?),
have not discussed my experimental program with me,
have not been in touch with the plant pathologists in the USA who are =
doing research,=20
and who have forgotten that I had already sent approx. 20,000 plants =
to clients in their State just prior to the detection of rust in my =
nursery. In other words, "the horse had well and truly bolted"
This is one law I feel sorely tempted to break but I shall think of =
something before Monday when i shall confront our State authorities. Why =
don't i use chemicals? I am an organic farmer and there is a condition =
in the lease of this land that no chemicals are to be used.=20
Scott
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<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>When I lift the hay =
mulch the=20
springtails are there by the 1000's, so I'm wondering if I <BR>should =
put that=20
hay in the "hay teabag" and a couple of kg's of soil from <BR>the top =
two=20
inches of the soil in the "compost tea bag" and thereby =
<BR>"capturing" lots=20
of fungi. Once extracted they can then feed on the humic <BR>acid, =
seaweed and=20
rockdust in the tank. Am I on the right track??? <BR><BR>Elaine =
replied=20
- <BR>I'm confused. Hay bags? Soil in the compost=20
bag? </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>Hi Elaine and the CT =
Group - OK, =20
lets start again. I have huge cultivated beds in which I grow my =
daylilies.=20
The soil must very very fertile and have a pretty good soil food web =
because I=20
plant a daylily piece the size of your thumb and a year later there is =
a huge=20
clump with 10 to 12 divisions in it. I mulch with organic hay between =
the rows=20
and if I disturb the hay when digging plants, there are lots of=20
springtails. So - I deduce, there could be lots of fungi in the top 2 =
inches=20
& maybe some in the hay? If not, then maybe protozoa in the hay? I =
have a=20
bag with alfalfa and hay hanging the brewer - is this not acceptable?=20
</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Is it not a good practice to have =
soil in the=20
brewer? It has never blocked the spray equipment. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Another thing. When I dig a daylily =
I often see=20
a dozen or more worms around the roots and crown. Doesn't this mean =
they are=20
feeding on the micro-organisms which have gathered there? =
So . . .=20
if I was to dig up a plant with a football-size ball of soil =
and=20
place this in a bag in the tea, wouldn't the microbes from =
it be=20
extracted? They certainly would be indigenous and wouldn't they be the =
"right"=20
ones? The root growth three to four months after planting =
is quite=20
phenomenal and from this i deduce that there must be billions of =
beneficials=20
in that root ball feeding off the root exudates and feeding the =
plant as=20
well. It is always difficult to shake the soil off the roots, so from =
that i=20
deduce that there must be a huge population of microbes gathered =
there.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So in the brewer there is a bag of =
compost, a bag=20
of vermicast, a bag of rock dust, a bag of alfalfa & hay, and a =
bag of old=20
forest litter and old wood chips which have fungi threads in it, plus =
- kelp,=20
fish, humic acid, fulvic acid, molasses, and saponim. Now how =
could e.=20
coli get in there?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I don't think I mentioned it in the =
information I=20
sent SFI with the last batch of tea that there was a daylily plant - =
leaves,=20
roots and all - in a bag in the brew. Maybe it helped to build up =
the=20
bacteria (Total =3D 983) and fungi (Total =3D 18.8)? Maybe it had no =
value at=20
all?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>A lack of springtails =
doesn't=20
mean no fungi. Lots of other critters eat fungi. Some =
recent work=20
by Andy Moldenke suggests that enchytraeids eat fungi. As do sow =
bugs,=20
and earthworms, and beetle larve, and millipedes and centipedes and =
.....=20
a zillion other critters in the forest floor. Low =
springtails may=20
just mean someone else got there first..... </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><STRONG><FONT size=3D2>That's good =
news! My next=20
test will show fungi totals =3D 30 !?!? (VBG) =
<BR></FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>Bad news =
arrived=20
yesterday</STRONG>. The Dept of Ag authorities in the state of=20
Victoria have just passed legislation which will prevent me =
sending=20
plants to my clients down there unless my farm is inspected regularly =
by the=20
Queensland Ag Dept and seen to be rust-free. When rust =
appeared for=20
the first time in Australia in my nursery, Quarantine closed me =
down for=20
two months. During that time I negotiated with Qld authorities to =
allow me=20
open again without having to dump tons of chemicals on the land, to =
experiment=20
with alternative fungicides, and to select cultivars which would =
show =20
resistance to the disease over a 12 month period. From these cultivars =
I could=20
begin a breeding program in the future and hope to develop new =
cultivars which=20
were also very resistant. </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rust only develops on the =
above-ground parts of=20
the plant so our mail-order plants were cut back to within half an =
inch of the=20
crown and dipped in a fungicde.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>The "alternative =
fungicide" was=20
compost teas of course. I had a hell of a job trying to get them to=20
understand just what a CT was! I then pointed them in the =
direction=20
of Soilfoodweb website and gave them a copy of =
the article in IPM=20
Practitioner Sept 2001 "Compost Tea for Organic Farming and =
Gardening". =20
</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT size=3D2>During the past 6 =
months I have=20
been applying a tea concentrate to the foliage in an acre plot and on =
the=20
other 5 acres the remainder of the brew (50 gallons) has been =
spread=20
through the overhead irrigation system. In the one acre plot I am =
seeing much=20
better resistance to the disease than elsewhere although it is =
probably too=20
early in the experiment to be sure about anything. I have other =
smaller=20
experiments in progress with CT as well and I'm reasonably certain it =
is=20
preventing the rust spores from entering the leaves (If I had =
unlimited funds,=20
I'd be testing, testing, testing!)</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>As you can imagine, I am very =
disappointed with=20
their decision. As expected, it was made by bureaucrats =
who:-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>know nothing about daylily rust (and =
who have=20
been "got at" by my competors?),</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>have not discussed my experimental =
program with=20
me,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>have not been in touch with the plant =
pathologists in the USA who are doing research, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>and who have forgotten that I had =
already sent=20
approx. 20,000 plants to clients in their State just prior to the =
detection of=20
rust in my nursery. In other words, "the horse had well and truly=20
bolted"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This is one law I feel sorely tempted =
to break=20
but I shall think of something before Monday when i shall confront our =
State=20
authorities. Why don't i use chemicals? I am an organic farmer =
and there=20
is a condition in the lease of this land that no chemicals are to be =
used.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Scott</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT=20
size=3D2><BR> </DIV></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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