Re: [compost_tea] Re: Anaerobic Activity

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 08:31:35 -0400 (EDT)


 MOST pathogens of humans are facultative anaerobes. The exceptions are sk=
in surface pathogens, which will not likely kill you, although they can be =
very unpleasant.

Second, E. coli will not grow in aerobic condition WHEN THERE IS COMPETITIO=
N FROM GOOD GUY AEROBES.

I think that's what is being missed here. Competition prevents pathogen gr=
owth in aerobic condition.

When something becomes anaerobic, the aerobic organisms can't grow, the com=
petition goes away, and human pathogens bloom.

 
Lactobacillus, actinobacteria, and some yeasts are facultative anaerobes, a=
nd in fact grow better in low oxygen or anaerobic conditions than the human=
 pathogens. So, if you have them in the brewer, the pathonges will be out=
competed even in anaerobic conditions.

BUT, anaerobic conditions also result in other not-good-for-your- plant pro=
blems. Nitrogen is lost, sulfur is lost, phosphorus is lost in anaerobic c=
onditions, as gases. Strong acids are produced in anaerobic conditions tha=
t drop pH to below levels healthy for plants. Some very toxic compounds ar=
e made in anaerobic conditions that will outright kill your plant. Damage =
to the plant is highly likely when anaerobic materials are applied to the p=
lant.

Please note that in the case of EM, the makers should be very careful to ma=
ke sure that only lactobacillus, actinobacteria, some pseudomonas, and yeas=
ts grow, so that pathogens are outcompeted, and the toxic compounds are not=
 made....... However, these organisms do made low pH acids, so be careful =
about what the loww pH (or high acidds) do to your plant.

Please note that in biodynamics, the plant teas, or plant preps (504,505, 5=
06, etc) do go anaerobic at first, but you do not use them until the intens=
e microbial growth is past, and oxygen moves back into the liquid becasue r=
apid microbial growth is over, because the organisms used up all the plant =
sugars and stopped growing. Therefore, most biodynamic preps are aerobic w=
hen applied. You just have to wait 3 to 6 weeks for a biodynamic prep to b=
e ready to use, or some toxicity problems can occur.


Microbes are no more complex or hard to understand than humans, but you do =
have to recognize the full implications of the factors involved.

Too much food means rapid growth, which means oxygen gets used up, the mate=
rial becomes anaerobic and bad things can happen. Unless you added lactob=
acillus, actinos and yeasts....... by any other name, yogurt. Or EM. Just=
 be careful if you buy EM that the product actually has the needed organism=
s in it. As far as I am aware, the companies selling EM in the US do not c=
heck to see if there are any organisms in it at all, so often we were just =
buying very expensive water.

Same thing with compost or extract or tea. You can learn to use your own m=
icroscope, or send a sample to an SFI lab, or send a sample to Ryan Chalmer=
s, and he will do a qualitative assessment for $25, I think it is . Same d=
ay as the tea arrives, you get the info back. ryan.chalmers_at_soilfoodweb.co=
m

Once oxygen is low, the anaerobes grow, and in that group are almost all of=
 our bad human, animal and plant pathogens. Given time, and use of all the=
 food in the mix, aerobic conditions will return, and aerobic organisms wil=
l outcompete the human pathogens. Good thing, or humans would have died of=
f long ago.

Elaine R. Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: mikethewormguy <mikethewormguy_at_aol.com>
To: compost_tea <compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, May 29, 2011 12:23 pm
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Anaerobic Activity


  
    
                  


Jeff,

If memory serves, Ecoli is a facultative anaerobe that can adapt and grow i=
n an aerobic and anaerobic environments.

This is one of the reasons why adding simple sugars to an ACT brew process,=
 where the feedstock and/or equipment is contaminated with Ecoli, can resul=
t in an Ecoli bloom into the brew liquid.

To make things more complicated, not all species of Ecoli are outlaws.

1 more cent.....

Mike Flynn
Green Quest LLC
BioSpecific LLC

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, Jeff Lowenfels <jeff.lowenfels_at_...> wro=
te:
>
> I don't think it is so much that anaerobic microbes are all bad ( see. E.=
M.), it is just that in compost tea we don't want E. coli ,in particular, a=
nd some of the other potential bad anaerobic microbes so we keep the system=
 aerobic.
>
> Teaming
>
> jeff
>
> Plant one row in your garden to feed the hungry. It is so easy and so nee=
ded: http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=par/index.html (And don't fo=
rget to read "Teaming WIth Microbes: The Organic Gardener's Guide to the So=
il Food web").
>


    
             

  
 


Received on Wed Jun 01 2011 - 09:03:46 EDT

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