[compost_tea] Fw: CTTF Comment - Tests

From: Kirk Leonard <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 13:46:30 -0700
H'ok, time to roll on this stuff.  Said I'd post, here's a shot.  Appreciate
comments and other thoughts, especially better ones!:)  Send your own
comments, too!  Thanks to Jim T and Eric G for input.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirk Leonard" <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
To: <NOSB.crops_at_usda.gov>
Cc: "Katherine Benham" <katherine.benham_at_usda.gov>; "Darlene Hooley"
<darlene.hooley_at_mail.house.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 1:25 PM
Subject: Compost Tea Comment

> Dear members of the NOSB Crops Committee:
>
> You recently received the Compost Tea Task Force report and
recommendations
> on compost tea.  This is the first of several comments I would like to
make
> on it, concerning test requirements in the recommendations.  The report
> itself is a pretty good treatise on tea, so some good work was done.
Thank
> you.
>
> The pathogen test recommendations are manageable but restrictive - even
> prohibitive in some circumstances.  USDA could not do all the testing
> implied in recommendation #5!
>
> I suggest tests be re-oriented to machine (or "brewer") performance with
all
> composts and additives, rather than specific tea combinations.  Here's
why:
>
> Compost tea producers need to 'customize' products for different
> applications.  For instance, blue berries require a much different set of
> microorganisms for nutrient cycling than beans.  Typically, different
> compost mixes are used to achieve the best application - different
additives
> are used, as well, depending on soil- and plant-specific needs.  The range
> of possible input combinations for effective compost tea is large and the
> CTTF recommendation for testing teas is too limiting.  The potential need
> for an un-ending series of tests is both prohibitive and unreasonable.
>
> A grower cannot be expected to test every combination of composts and
> additives and machines and still raise a variety of certified crops with
> these test requirements!  Most growers also make compost tea in
substantial
> quantities and cannot afford not to use the tea with each compost or
> additive change, pending testing.  It's not practical.
>
> Ultimately, the tests recommended are tests of the machines used, so I
> suggest focusing test requirements on the tea machine, rather than teas,
is
> both more manageable and appropriate.
>
> > Some number of tests to establish the safety of a tea machine using all
> additives and composts ought to reduce test requirements for all
> combinations.  If a given tea machine has performed well in prior tests,
> further test requirements should be eliminated for the composts and
> additives tested.
>
> > Suggestion: When a given tea machine has passed ecoli or enterococci
tests
> some number of times (six seems sufficient, twelve ample) using a given
set
> of additives and composts, the tea made with that machine should be
> henceforth certifiable with any combination of those additives and
composts.
>
> Another major comment on tests is that USDA should fund them.  And they
> should absolutely fund collecting the data.  Proof of danger in compost
tea
> has not been shown - only the possibility.  No one has ever reported a
> problem.  If USDA insists on tests, they should pay for them.
>
> Thank you again for your good work.
>
> R. Kirk Leonard
> P. O. Box 249
> Aurora, OR 97002
> 503-678-5990
>






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Received on Tue Jun 08 2004 - 23:58:59 EDT

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