Re: RES: [compost_tea] bio composted lime sulpur ?
Thiobacteria, or bacterial species that require oxidized sulfur to serve as
electron acceptors in the last step of the cytochrome respiratory chain in
order to produce energy, typically require anaerobic conditions.
They produce some really nasty organic acids, and reduced sulfur compounds
that we all know and love as rotten egg odors.
Thiobacillus is one typical genera of these kind of bacteria.
Under aerobic conditions, there are a huge variety of bacteria AND FUNGI
that will immobilize calcium sulfate, calcium sulfide, and other forms of S
as their biomass, and incorporate that S into waste materials, that will be
used by some other organism as food.
Clearly the bacterial inoculum used in the commercial process is one of those
bacterial species.
So, addition of a food resource for bacteria or fungi after having reacted
sulfur with lime (e.g., calcium hydroxide) will exit the "salt effect" of
adding gypsum (calcium sulfate) to the soil, because the organisms have
turned that "salt" into a wide diversity of organic materials that do not
have osmotic shock capacity.
Anything biologically activated by having organisms turn the inorganic
compounds into organic compounds UNDER AEROBIC CONDITIONS (please, listen to
that part, aerobic conditions), will help keep that nutrient from leaching
below the rooting zone, be more available for mycorrhizal fungi to utilize,
and will, if the right biology is present, be more easily available for plant
uptake at the right time and in the right place.
Some really interesting work is being done by Paul Hendrix, and David Coleman
at the University of Georgia on the spatial dynamics of nutrient cycling
processes. I think Phil Robertson at Michigan State University is also
working on these, as well as Diana Wall's research program at Colorado State
University. If you want more detail on these processes, and the most recent
research results, those are the people to contact.
Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com
.
Received on Sat Nov 30 2002 - 19:41:32 EST
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