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[compost_tea] E coli problems, microbiology education, weeds and biological controls



Kirk and Frank, et al.,

I spoke with the lab in Coeur d'Alene about testing my compost for E.
coli 0157.  They had never done such a test and I asked in what
situations had they found E. coli 0157.  The response was in feed lot
applications.

I've got a long way to go on my compost pile.  I have used BD compost
preps for years.  I can't afford to have either my compost or my CT
tested by SFI.  I appreciate Elaine's need to fund their fantanstic work
and know she needs to be dealing with people who can afford the tests.
I will be trying to read everything that she recommends and have been
trying to access <http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/soilbiology> to get the soil
biology primer material, but I've only gotten the blurb on bacteria to
come through so I now know the four groups of bacteria--decomposers,
mutualists, pathogens and lithotrophs.  I need to find photos of these
soil bacteria.  Oh for some bibliography I can find the content of on
the web!  I persist.

I am doing a booth at the county fair in August entitled "Microscopic
Soil Jubilee," on their theme of "Barnyard Jubilee."
I found the <buckman.com> site and figured out the magnification
implications somewhat.  At 1000X, an earthworm would be the size of the
Washington Monument, kind of hard to do in an 8'x8'x8' booth.  I'm
visualizing one 8'x8' panel entitled "Forest soil" with a tree root and
ecto and endomycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere; another 8'x8' panel
with a vegetable root in garden soil showing bacteria, fungi,
actinomycetes and nematodes. in the rhizosphere.  I haven't figured out
the sizes for arthopods and fear they would be too large, but maybe I'll
figure that out by August.  The third 8'x8' panel could be "Depleted
soil," from a number of sources:  forest soil disturbed in road making,
farm soil with chemical fertilizer and pesticide use and no humus or CT
additions; sand in brittle environment with leaching, clay with
anaerobic conditions.  The possibilities for this one are endless, I'm
sure, but I'll have to choose one.  I'm planning to have a 30 gallon
container with the Bitti running and handouts.

I still haven't set up a test plot on our road for just NPK nutrient
supplementation and CT as opposed to the Tainio full nutrient approach
with BiogenesisI and PepzymeG.  So far, the spotted knapweed Tainio site
with full macro and micro nutrient additions that I put in last fall
looks a little better than the control.  The native grass looks very
happier, but there are so many knapweed seeds that have sprouted just
like the control plots, that I fear that the allelopathic influence has
overridden the sprouting of the clover seed we planted .  Maybe it died
over the winter?  I'm not pulling any knapweed plants there and waiting
to see what happens.  I have sprayed BD peppers for knapweed and tansy
on the whole road right-of-way.  The county has mowed the strip on the
edge of the road for about 3 miles leaving 5 miles unmowed.  I don't
know what their intent is on this.  Generally, I think knapweed is
waning, but not tansy.  We have our three mulch test plots (over
newspaper) on common tansy: cedar, hardwood (apple, cherry and pear),
and black walnut (no replications).  There is a little tansy coming up
in all three plots--the least in the black walnut.  I also have a cedar
mulch plot without newspaper underneath and that one is filled with
shoots coming out of it.  Right now I struggling with hawkweed.  I'm
sprinkling urea on rosettes and pulling off seedheads on any ground that
is not a test plot.  Taking pictures and then pulling the seedheads off
the test plots.

I had thought about applying for a SARE grant to have Elaine come and
speak here, but realized that she probably had applied for a SARE grant
herself and that we are small potatoes in the cutting edge work that she
is doing all over the planet.  I guess I will have to be the source
right now here.  There are some other people interested in the county
and in PFOS (Public Forum on Sustainability) in Sandpoint.  I spoke
informally at a Weed Awareness Day sponsored by the Native Plant
Society.  One of the main speakers was Sharon Sorby, the Chair of a
neighboring  county's weed board and the chair of the whole weed
management area group (four counties in ID,WA & MT).  She showed
micrograph slides from SFI and spoke of the Soil Foodweb.  She was
trying to cover all bases and also spoke of a class she took with a
professor at Washington State University on the human system's ability
to metabolize pesticide residue and excrete it.  I mentioned to her the
idea of having Elaine come and she looked over at the Weed Supervisor
who was standing there as I was demonstrating a flame weeder we had
bought on the grant and sort of asked him with her eyes whether they
should bring it up in the area weed group.  I haven't heard a word on
this and I'm terribly busy with my own commitments and have essentially
given up on that idea at the moment.  I'd love to go to a seminar on
compost at SFI, but can't afford it.  I'm doing a lot and I have to be
satisfied at my level.  I get a lot out of Compost_tea and BD Now
list/serves.

She and the Extension Agent also attended a seminar on Biological
Controls for knapweed by Mark Schwartzlaender and Carol Randall from the
University of Idaho in Sandpoint that deployed Bangasternus fausti and
Larinus minutus on our private road in the afternoon and gave out
samples to participants.  We found Urophora affinis and Metzneria
pauciunctella already on the site.

Best,

Merla






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