I found many of the points made in the newsletter that could be useful, mor=
e for large scale ag, than gardening.
In commercial fermentations, adjusting the pH to keep in within a specific =
range is standard procedure. I suspect that most compost brewers do not ha=
ve a the controls and metering pump to make pH adjustment effective tool. =
Thus I would not recommend the practice for brewers.
The use of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin degraders in stubble breakd=
own is a great application for extracts. Having some level of trichoderma i=
n the extract liquid is key.
There are a few species of free-living nitrogen fixers that lend themselves=
to mass fermentation. Freeze-drying is an effective manner to keep the mi=
crobes dormant.
Working in large scale ag, I agree with Stephen, that there are some specif=
ic applications for specific microbial groups that make sense. To make this=
happen, you either need a pre-made product and/or solid experience in spec=
ialty compost making. You need to understand the wee beasties and what mak=
es them happy and sad..........
My 3 cents.....
Happy Holidays !
Mike
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Steyn" <ssteyn_at_...> wrote:
>
> Tim;
>
> I note your reservations about Graeme Saits article. I think your points =
are
> valid.
>
> I have never found anything that Sait has written or said to be based on
> poor research. In fact much of the information he provides is cutting edg=
e.
> He seems to scour the globe ( or academic literature) for information.
>
> He provides a new and different way of addressing problems which are
> typically associated with ACT. Freeze dried biology. Tried and tested foo=
ds
> and with quality determined by him. Nitrogen fixing bacteria. Stubble
> digesting fungi. These are problems of large scale agriculture (and I
> suppose to gardening but probably to a lesser extent). We try to use ACT =
and
> hope that it has the ingredients to address problems we think we may have=
.
> He tries to brew ACT with remedies for specific problems. He produces his
> freeze dried inoculum so it is probably produced specifically for breakin=
g
> down straw. This we know is easy enough to do. Producing nitrogen fixing
> fungi I would assume is more complex.
>
> I think we can benefit from the article.
>
> Maybe it gives you some ideas too...
>
> SS
>
>
>
> From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Tim Wilson
> Sent: 18 December 2011 22:27
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Sustainable Farming News & Biological Agricult=
ure
> Information. > Blog Archive > 8 Essentials for Successful Microbe Brewing
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi Stephen,
>
> People can try what they wish but I don't like to mess around with adjust=
ing
> pH in a brew as it just throws things out of balance (IMO).
>
> Do these people supply any data or do they do any research? Their stateme=
nt
> that molasses selects for a limited number of bacterial species seems to
> indicate a lack of time looking down a microscope tube. That molasses fee=
ds
> only bacteria is old information which was started 'I don't know where'.
> Black strap molasses feeds both bacteria/archaea and fungi equally well, =
in
> my experience. Paul Stamets uses molasses to grow out fungal hyphae.
>
> [as a side note, I believe that it has yet to be proven that the fungi gr=
own
> out in ACT is the same type of fungi we refer to when we speak of fungal
> dominated soils. I'm not saying that the fungi grown in ACT does not
> contribute to the health of soil, just that I've not seen supportive data
> that the species of fungi grown in ACT have a direct role in nutrient
> delivery to the roots of plants similar to endomycorrhizal fungi. I am
> hopeful of related research)
>
> I do not usually have trouble extracting and growing fungi in an efficien=
t
> brewer using [vermi]compost which has fungi in it. The time it takes usua=
lly
> ranges from 10 to 24 hours depending on how active the [vermi]compost is.
>
> Here is my data from two brews made with only 2.38% vermicompost mixed wi=
th
> 0.50% black strap molasses. Judge for yourself.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZz7vnaX2S8
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZz7vnaX2S8&feature=context&context=
=C3016b7e
> ADOEgsToPDskJTsOMGQcbl821vfr-OSCGP>
> &feature=context&context=C3016b7eADOEgsToPDskJTsOMGQcbl821vfr-OSCGP
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR7ZTrZQuFg
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR7ZTrZQuFg&feature=context&context=
=C3016b7e
> ADOEgsToPDskJTsOMGQcbl821vfr-OSCGP>
> &feature=context&context=C3016b7eADOEgsToPDskJTsOMGQcbl821vfr-OSCGP
>
> Tim
>
> --- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>=
,
> "Stephen Steyn" <ssteyn_at_> wrote:
> >
> > Dear fellow composters:
> >
> > Received this via my subscription to Graeme Sait's site. I hope you fin=
d
> it
> > as interesting as I did. The idea of buffering the ACT to different pHs
> > depending on whether you wanted bacterial or fungal dominance seems a g=
ood
> > one.
> >
> > SS
> >
> >
> http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/blog/2011/12/8-essentials-for-microbe-brewin=
g/
> >
> > -- Shared using Google Toolbar
> >
>
Received on Mon Dec 19 2011 - 10:52:15 EST