Evan,
My experience is based on,1/ evaluating that a compost tea is finished by o=
bserving that there are more than 1000 mobile bacteria/archaea per 20X fiel=
d of view and 5 or more protozoa (usually flagellates) per 20X field of vie=
w (additionally fungal hyphae observed but not salient in this case) 2/ add=
ing fish hydrolysate at 0.4% 3/ then re-evaluting to see an approximate 40=
% loss of bacterial/archaeal and flagellate activity.
I have observed also that using much less hydrolysate has not had such an e=
ffect but I believe some trend to higher rates since the dilution factor gi=
ven by most producers is 3%. This is why on our farm we made the decision t=
o discontinue adding fish hydrolysate to compost teas unless at the onset. =
We applied the diluted fish hydrolysate, humic acid, etc directly to the so=
il in a separate application.
If one is using LCE rather than ACT, I believe this to not be a concern.
If one is doing a longterm/extended brew then of course foodstocks need to =
be added but there is normally a 'lag' time when the foods added offset the=
O2 levels a little and of course those foodstocks become consumed resultin=
g in renewed microbial multiplication.
Informal research conducted by Tad Hussey and myself showed a reduced bacte=
ria/archaea and flagellate activity when adding humic acids to a liquid env=
ironment with any except an exceedingly miniscule amount. Additionally we c=
ould not confirm that humic acid is a fungal food in a liquid. This has bee=
n observed on subsequent occasions.
Kelp meal can have the same inhibitory effects, based on our observations t=
hen and on subsequent occasions. As far as kelp meal goes it did not seem t=
o have an inhibitory effect on fungal hyphae growth. It did seem a good fun=
gal foodstock.
Because of these observations, I caution people to only add things to their=
compost tea at the onset of a brew and in resonable amounts. Those with mi=
croscopes may experiment as they wish.
Just because we observed these things does not write it in stone.
The value in a microscope is not much different than the value in a set of =
binnoculars if bird watching. With my binnoculars, in a given field of view=
, I might observe robins, crows, sparrows, finches and swallows. I can then=
say that I have observed some diversity. From knowledge obtained from othe=
r sources (people who have studied birds) I might speculate that the smalle=
r birds are going to lose a lot of eggs or hatchlings because of a high num=
ber of nest robbing crows.
When observing my soil, compost or compost tea with a microscope I can make=
similar observations. If there are different looking bacteria/archaea, pro=
tozoa and fungal hyphae it is a logical assumption to follow that they are =
different types and/or species and therefore diverse. Based on knowledge ob=
tained from other sources, I might learn that on average a flagellate eats =
around 1000 bacteria/archaea per day and that a flagellate uses only 30% of=
the energy derived from the consumption and eliminates 70% (approx) in ion=
ic form nutrient directly available to the plant. If I observe high bacteri=
al/archaeal populations with a reasonable number of flagellates, I might sp=
eculate that there is nutrient cycling going on. (the microbial nutrient lo=
op). I might see high number of bacterial feeding nematodes in my soil alon=
g with bacteria and surmise that a nutrient cycling ACT is not required at =
present.
That's all..just simple observation.
It is important to remember that this is an evolving science and as Evan ha=
s inferred there are few if any baselines to depend on. For instance I do n=
ot believe that based on the ratio and numbers of organisms observed that I=
will have 'X' pounds of 'N' per acre.
Absolutely yes seeing good results in one's garden is the pudding.
Salutations
Tim
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Evan Folds" <evan_at_...> wrote:
>
> May I ask what evidence there is for not adding food sources to "finished=
"
> tea? And may I also ask what defines "finished"?
>
>
>
> I understand people to have a wealth of experience looking at microscopes=
,
> and I respect that, we do as well. But very rarely do I see anyone connec=
t
> this microscope reality with their effects on growing plants. That's the
> point in the end, right? How are we so sure we know when something is
> "finished" when we have no biological baseline of what it "should" be?
>
>
>
> For instance, I just got off the phone with a humic acid distributor who
> works globally from Germany. We had a very interesting conversation about
> humic acids in regards to having no baseline. There is no objective way t=
o
> say one is better than the other except results considering it depends on
> oxidization, rate of oxidization, source material, binding sites (COOH, O=
H),
> fulvic:humic ratio, etc. And all humic molecules are not the same, even t=
he
> one structured similarly.
>
>
>
> This is even more complicated and true with microbes. One cannot measure
> true diversity, or more importantly strength or ability, of microbes unde=
r a
> microscope. We're all humans, and one of us may be the most accomplished
> soccer player (N cycler) on the planet, but we cannot tell that through a
> conversation or by looking at the individual. This ability is discounted
> when we look materialistically through a microscope. This "strength and
> ability" is one of the factors that defines BioDynamic composts and the
> organisms associated.
>
>
> We have used compost tea brewed for over 4 months perpetually by adding
> humus, catalysts, and food sources daily with spectacular results. Grante=
d,
> it may not be perfect, but, again, what does "perfect" mean if we are not
> attaching what we are telling ourselves to the results of growing plants?
>
>
>
> Be a farmer, start a garden.
>
>
>
> Evan Folds
>
> Progress Earth
>
> 6005 Oleander Dr
>
> Wilmington, NC 28403
>
> 910-777-5372 ext # 1
>
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>
>
>
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Received on Tue Apr 19 2011 - 13:12:08 EDT