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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: [compost_tea] Aquaponics Biology
  • Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2015 20:30:26 -0400

>From the expert, Elaine Ingham. Archive her posts for future use.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elaine Ingham soilfoodweb@aol.com [compost_tea] <
compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 21, 2015 at 6:03 PM
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Aquaponics Biology
To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com




In work that we are doing around the world, tomato, and related species,
grow best in a soil with at least 300 micrograms of bacteria per gram of
soil, and between 250 and 275 micrograms of fungal biomass, along with
about 50,000 beneficial protozoa per gram, and 2 to 24 beneficial
nematodes, which should include bacterial-feeders, fungal-feeders and
predatory nematodes.

Other plants require different ratios of these organisms.

But, you need to check your soil, first, and see what is present in your
soil. If you have strictly bacterial soil (no fungi, no protozoa, no
beneficial nematodes or microarthropods), there's some work needed. Even
in aquatic systems, and especially in hydroponics, having a full foodweb is
critical to cycle nutrients, maintain protection of the roots from diseases.

Getting fungi to flourish in compost is the difficult thing. But it is
what we need to do. Check with Harrington's Organics, or CompostWerks, to
see if they have fungal compost that you can use as an inoculum in your
pile to get the fungi established. On the west coast, talk with Kevin
Fretz, Loida Vasquez, or Molly Haviland to find out about good fungal
compost.

Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc. Soil Life Consultant
Since I travel a great deal, please consider that I may miss e-mails so if
I don't answer within 3 days, please try again.


-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Kern r_g_kern@yahoo.com [compost_tea] <
compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
To: compost_tea <compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Aug 20, 2015 5:32 pm
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Aquaponics Biology


Elaine,

I want to grow heritage tomatoes in my small greenhouse hydroponically to
get minimize pest and disease problems. I know a healthy tea contains both
fungi and bacteria. Since tomatoes are annuals, not perennials, is their
still a role for fungus in the tea. I am having a difficult time finding
fungi in compost tea made from my compost. Any thoughts, anyone.


Roger Kern, PhD
President, Agate Biosciences LLC

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 20, 2015, at 4:06 PM, Elaine Ingham soilfoodweb@aol.com
[compost_tea] < compost_tea@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


In my experience, many species of all the organism groups survive and grow
in aquatic systems. Root systems of all plants require nutrients to be
converted into plant available forms, and thus, the same system occurs in
water as in soil. In fact, most soil species were first aquatic species,
and adapted for the small spaces and narrow passageways found in soil.

The organisms in compost are pretty much mainly the same as occur in soil.
Consider where the organisms on plant surfaces aboveground come from
----- from the soil, carried to the plant surfaces by wind, or on the
surfaces of organisms that originally come from soil. Root systems need
those same soil organisms, of course.

So, the species of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes needed on root
systems, regardless of whether hte root is in water or in soil, are very
much the same. There will be some species unique to the fully aquatic
system, or fully terrestrial system, but the majority can do fine in either
water or soil.

Have to head out, I'll try to respond to the rest of your mail later

Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc. Soil Life Consultant
Since I travel a great deal, please consider that I may miss e-mails so if
I don't answer within 3 days, please try again.


-----Original Message-----
From: gcesinc@yahoo.com [compost_tea] < compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
To: compost_tea < compost_tea@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 19, 2015 8:16 pm
Subject: [compost_tea] Aquaponics Biology


Hi all, first post to the group so pardon the newbie questions. First off
let me say that one of my goals is to qualify to become a soil foodweb
consultant concentrating my efforts within the Caribbean region and South
America, home is Barbados. Given my aspirations, I'm constantly seeking
opportunities to apply the knowledge gained from the soilfoodweb courses to
real world scenarios. Recently I've been working with one of my clients who
installed his first Aquaponics raft system, it's a design based on the Dr.
James Rakocy design but geared towards veg production vs fish. While still
relatively young, I believe around 5-6 months old, it had reached a point
where they were producing 6-7 week lettuce consistently. Unfortunately the
productivity was short lived. Growth soon slowed in lettuce varieties that
had previously grown vigorously while other plants like the mustards, kale
and even brassicas seemed to be grow vigorously. Eager to assist I offered
to take a look at the root systems of a couple varieties of lettuce,
however am now wondering, given the completely submerged nature of these
root systems, is it realistic for me to expect to see biology consistent
with that of compost. Will bacteria, fungi, nematodes, amoeba and micro
arthropods able to thrive in such an environment? As I haven't yet
purchased a DO meter I haven't been able to verify DO levels, however I
understand they should be maintained at around of 6 ppm in the grow bed.
Leading me to believe the biology could compare to that of a compost tea
brewer. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Justin

__._,_.___
------------------------------
Posted by: Elaine Ingham <soilfoodweb@aol.com>
------------------------------
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__,_._,___



--
Lawrence F. London
lfljvenaura@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared/




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