Re: [compost_tea] the chemical world

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 11:08:56 EST

 
A few notes on mechanisms of how the biology in compost tea deals with
pathogens and pests.
 
Some of these mechanisms are now included in the EPA's list of
bio-pesticidal interactions, which means, you have to register your family cat or dog as
pesticides as well, if the reason you have cats is to deal with those pests,
called mice. OK, most of us label cats as pets, so we don't have to register
them as bio-pesticides. So, just call your compost tea a pet - grin,
chuckle, etc!!!!!!
 
OK, seriously, -----
 
As long as you have the proper biology in the tea, and it gets to the leaf
surface, the interactions with pathogen and pests species will occur. We
cannot advertise them when we sell tea, but as Dave has suggested, under sell the
positive effects, and then the customer can be really pleased when they get
additional benefits.
 
But when someone says that THEIR tea does not do certain things that we know
aerated compost tea CAN do, what is the proper conclusion?
 
Based on a single person's experience, is the proper conclusion that all
compost teas cannot do these things?
 
Isn't the correct conclusion that perhaps some important set or sets of
organisms were lost from their tea in the process of either brewing, or
application?
 
The following are references from the Field Guide. References to literature
talking about all these interactions are available on the ATTRA website.
-----
Compost tea organisms occupy space on leaves. If there is no space for
other organisms landing on the leaf surface to find a home, then disease-causing
organisms have no space or food to be able to grow. If all the infection
sites for the diseases are occupied, how can disease-organisms cause any
problems?

Protozoa and nematodes consume bacteria and fungi, and they consume the
disease-causing organisms too.

 
Root Grubs and Wire Worms
AACT typically contains certain fungi that are parasitic on insect larvae,
especially the beetles whose larvae consume roots. The particular fungus to
find is Beauveria, which may even be available as an inoculum, and thus can be
added to the AACT so it is active and ready to chew on roots grubs and
wireworms on contact!

Tent Caterpillars 5/27/03
It is hard to get Bt into the tents of tent caterpillars. Bacillus
thurengiensis has to be ingested, and then works by causing severe disruption of the
digestive system of the caterpillar. Anyway, if the lepidopteron ingests
the para-spore, it will often result in death if the tent caterpillars were
sprayed with a high bacterial brew. Only a few bacteria attack and consume the
cuticles of insects. Beauveria, or Entomophagus, another genus of
insect-attacking fungi, are more likely to be present and active in compost tea.

Beauveria &shy; repels Fruit fly larvae
Beauveria attacks fruit fly larvae. This can be added to the compost or as
spores to tea. Apply the compost tea as a soil drench around the trees (200
L/HA) and in the spring (150 - 200 L/HA). Then spray the foliage with
compost tea that contains the beneficial bacteria (Pseudomonas and Bacillus
species) that repel the flies. Apply the fungus this fall, so it has all winter to
chew up the larval stages of the insects you don't want.

Trichoderma (c)
Trichoderma pictures are on David Loring's link from the Rincon-Vitova
website. The info on Trichoderma making a toxin has NEVER been substantiated.
Trichoderma makes enzymes that eat away the cell wall of certain kinds of
fungi. That has been demonstrated, and there are great pictures of that in the
microbiological literature, but no toxin production. Trichoderma is are not
fungal predators, they are&shy; parasites of other fungi.

Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are needed too. Bacterial-feeding, fungal-feeding and
predatory nematodes all interfere with the root-feeders. fungal-feeding
nematodes ARE predators of fungi.


Hope this helps.

Elaine R. Ingham
Soil Foodweb Inc., Corvallis, Oregon
Soil Foodweb Inc., Port Jefferson, New York
Soil Foodweb Institute, Lismore Australia
Soil Foodweb Institute Cambridge, New Zealand
Laboratorios de Soil Foodweb, Culiacan, Mexico
Soil Foodweb Inc., Jerome, Idaho
Soil Foodweb Inc., South Africa








Received on Sat Jan 22 2005 - 11:57:30 EST

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