Re: [compost_tea] Re: CTTF Report - Tests (and others)

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 22:00:31 -0700

From: Jeff Lowenfels
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: CTTF Report - Tests (and others)


Please, folks, relax. Ted, yeah, by now the discussion of biosolids is gett=
ing off the topic. What has been said has been said and said well. I would =
add that I would love to see your report published and peer reviewed and du=
plicated etc, so we can us it for the good of the cause.

I will disregard your other comments because they were totally uncalled for=
 and I know you didn't mean them. No need to apologize or comment.

Moderator



I mentioned before that it will not withstand peer review because I did not=
 totally use a certifiable control. I had a control but the first time tea=
 was applied, some got into the control. None was used after that but it c=
ontaminated the control status. It was a boneheaded mistake.

As far as topic, I think the group should be experimenting with all types o=
f things and out of this some practical usage will be derived. Biosoilds h=
andling and fecal coloforms is an area where compost tea can be used to con=
trol the pathogens. Just because you don't have any interest in the topic =
doesn't mean that there isn't practical knowledge found here that can be tr=
ansferred.

You know, I am getting a little sick of having to explain that technology c=
an be transferred. I would think that people interested in minimizing chem=
ical inputs would be interested in an organic product that, if treated corr=
ectly, can be a valuable soil additive. Biosolids treatment is a very good =
use of tea and a business opportunity for brewers.

It has been discovered that compost tea can control pathogens BETTER than p=
asturization in compost because it is longer lasting. I still don't see wh=
ere this is off topic no matter how long the discussion goes on. There are=
 many things that should be discussed on this group that I don't see. Supp=
osedly a best practices manual was put forth by people who did no extensive=
 testing and who did little practical brewing. I haven't seen the manual b=
ut I'm sure the compilation work was done well. However, with no challenge=
s to the 'best practices' how does anyone know they are the 'best?"

I brew a lot of tea. I brew about 120 - 240 gallons per week in 30 gallon =
brewers. I do a lot of testing and apply a lot of it on different crops. =
Right now, I'm trying a test on fruit trees that are having a hard time get=
ting established. You know, ACT is working but I found that I had to brew =
a certain way and it took a lot of applications. My assumption is that the=
 early tea was good for foliar and turf and some shrubs but not so great fo=
r fruit trees. So I started to brew more fungally dominate and also starte=
d brewing protozoa then mixing before applying. I started brewing for high=
er order biology.

On the other side, if we are having problems because of pathogens and I wri=
te about biosolids and pathogens I suspect that people reading the emails w=
ill be able to make the connection between biologically controlled pathogen=
s and pasturization to control pathogens and see where compost tea can fit =
into the process.

I have found that any time someone tries to limit discussion there is anoth=
er agenda at work. I don't know what the agenda is or what it represents. =
 I thought we were in this fight together and that we would all learn from =
each other. Isn't that the program? If you the moderator find my input so=
 "off topic" please just delete the emails you don't like and send me a not=
e stating that you bounced my post. Eventually I may get the message.

You will notice, however, that every one of my post discusses how people ca=
n use tea or my experiences with tea. Sheesh, I even admit when I am wrong=
. What else do you want?

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE




Received on Thu Apr 29 2004 - 02:14:54 EDT

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