[compost_tea] Re: compost tea additives and NOSB (was CTTF Report)

From: Steve Diver <steved_at_ncat.org>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 23:46:31 -0000
You asked for the link to the NOSB Compost Task
Force Final Report.  Here it is again:

Compost Task Force Final Report
http://www.a= ms.usda.gov/nosb/finalrecommendations/
may02/composttaskforce.pdf

This link does not fit on one line.  You have to paste
it together, then click.

Eric asked for the vermicompost guidelines, and
they are in the Compost Task Force Report.

Here are the relevant sections:

"Compost, in addition to that described in section
205.203(c)(2), is acceptable if (i) made from only allowed
feedstock materials, except for incidental residues that
will not lead to contamination, (ii) the compost undergoes
an increase in temperature to at least 131° F (55°C) and
remains there for a minimum of 3 days, and (iii) the compost
pile is mixed or managed to ensure that all of the feedstock
heats to the minimum temperature."

"Vermicompost is acceptable if (i) made from only allowed feedstock materials, except for incidental residues that will not lead to
contamination, (ii) aerobicity is maintained by regular additions
of thin layers of organic matter at 1-3 day intervals, (iii)
moisture is maintained at 70-90%, and (iv) duration of
vermicomposting is at least 12 months for outdoor windrows,
4 months for indoor container systems, 4 months for angled
wedge systems, or 60 days for continuous flow reactors."

The CTTF says you can use NOP compliant compost OR
NOSB guideline composts. 

The primary concern with additives is they are specifically
amended to grow microbes, and may also grow pathogens if
the compost substrate is not of good quality or the tea
brewing process is not of good quality. 

Thus, if you can lab verify that substrate and brewing produce
pathogen-free compost tea, below the threshholds levels
for indicator species, then you can use these teas without
restriction.

Steve Diver



--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Kirk Leonard" <kirk@o...&= gt; wrote:
> Thanks, Eric for pointing out the "additives" definition.&nb= sp; I should
have
> said "specific additives".  Millner suggested additives= themselves
can be
> pathogen sources (pg 3).  If that's the case, I think additives n= eed
to be
> fully stated, not just left to an "et cetera." 

..... stuff deleted .....



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Received on Tue Apr 20 2004 - 20:56:54 EDT

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