Compost Teas: 24 hour, EM, IM, BD & fermented plant extracts

[Steve Diver <steved AT ncat.org>]

The microbial analysis techniques used by Elaine
Ingham at Soil Foodweb, Inc. have resulted in a
greater appreciation of soil biology in agriculture.

It can be helpful to gain an understanding of these
microbial techniques by reading papers that use
these methods.

Here is an online paper from the 17th World Congress
of Soil Science that used these microbial techniques
to evaluate soil microfloral and microfaunal populations
in organic and conventionally managed soils.

The 17th World Congress of Soil Science has a
number of interesting papers on compost, humic
substances, organic matter, microbial studies,
cover crops, and so forth.  Web links to
symposium papers, titles, and keywords are
provided below.

Regards,

Steve Diver
http://www.attra.ncat.org

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1.

Soil microfloral and faunal populations in an organic
agroecosystem in Oregon, USA
WU Shanmei, Elaine R. Ingham, and Hu Dunxiao
17th WCSS Symposium, August 2002, Thailand
Symposium No. 58, Paper No. 1906

Abstract:
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/Abstracts/1906.pdf

Paper
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/papers/1906.pdf


Abstract:

Soil microbial and fauna populations in paired organic
and conventional green pepper vegetable farms, both
on the same Mollisols soil (Woodburn soil series) in
Corvallis, Oregon, were assessed.

Thirteen years following conversion to organic from
conventional farming practices, densities of bacteria,
protozoa, nematodes, and arthropods in the 0 to 10 cm
depth of soil were higher in the organic than in the
conventionally managed soil. Soil fungal biomass was
higher in the conventional agroecosystem.

Microbivorous and predatory of nematodes and the
plant parasitic nematode Xiphinema sp. were higher in
the organic agroecosystem throughout the year, except
in May. Greater numbers of Rhabditida, such as Rhabditis
sp. were present in the organic agroecosystem while
Panagrolaimus spp. were higher than Rhabdilitis sp. in
the conventional agroecosystem.

Collembola were greater in number in the organic than the
conventional system, while individuals of the Family
Eupodidae (mites) were equally numerous in both systems.
Omnivores and predators in the Mesostigmata, such as
Digamasellidae and Laelapid, and Prostigmata, such as
Alicorhaiidae and Rhagidiidae, were more abundant in the
organic agroecosystem. Fungivorous Prostigmata such as
Terpnacaridae and Nanorchestidae and Astigmata such
as Acarida were higher in the conventional ecosystem.
These results support the fact that fungal biomass was
greater in the conventional agroecosystem.

There was a seasonal decrease in the numbers of the
populations because of a marked decrease in soil moisture.
Higher diversities and numbers of soil biota survived in
favorable, extremely hot and dry conditions in organic
soil ecosystem.

Keywords: organic agroecosystem, soil microbial population,
soil faunal population, protozoa, soil nematodes, mites


Materials and Methods

Sites description
Soil sampling
Soil microbial enumeration
Soil Microfauna - Protozoa - Most Probable Number (MPN)
Soil Mesofauna - Nematodes
Micro-arthropods mainly Collembola and mites
Statistical Analaysis
References


2.

17th World Congress of Soil Science, August 2002, Thailand
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/pages/MainPage.htm

List of Symposia
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/pages/MainIndex.htm

Abstracts
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/pages/MainAbstracts.htm


Index of Transactions Papers
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/pages/MainIndex.htm

Symposia
Grouped by symposia and sorted by authors or titles


Authors
Sorted by authors


Titles
Sorted by titles of papers


Countries
Grouped by country of presenters and sorted by authors or titles


Keywords
Grouped by keywords and sorted by authors


3.

Transactions Papers List Sorted by Titles, Alphabetical
http://www.ldd.go.th/Wcss2002/pages/Ti_Link.htm

Selected papers and topic examples:

Humic substances as potential antimutagenic agents in
root tip cells of horticultural plants

Can non-legume crops be as successful as legumes
when used as green manures?

Catch crops in organic farming systems without
livestock husbandry-model simulations

Characterization of humic fractions from coirdust
based composts

Chemical and bio-chemical characterization of coirdust
composts as influenced by pretreatment and enrichment

Composition of soil bacterial communities: new insight
from old and new technologies

Microbial biomass and its turnover: a potential diagnosing
tool for soil fertility quality?

Modeling of the mineralization processes after manure
fertilization in soil

Occurrence and enumeration of predator bacteria,
bdellovibrio, and their prey in plant rhizosphere and soil

On-farm early indicators of cover crop effects on soil quality

Phosphorus mobilization by organic-acid exudation: processes
governing benefits in rotational cropping

The role of humic substances in increasing ecosystem stability

The role played by micro-organisms in the biogenesis of soil
cracks: importance of substrate quantity and quality

The use of different earthworms for processing agricultural
wastes in Siberia

Transformation of earthworm composted by aquatic weed

Earthworm density and diversity reflect soil nutrient balance
under four different vegetation types

Effect of P-solubilizing bacteria as coinoculant with
Bradyrhizobium in presence of FYM on soybean grown
with different doses of P under rainfed conditions

Effects of water-soluble organic substances on the
stabilization and mineralisation of lignin and peat

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