Re: [compost_tea] Cucumbers

From: Michael Harvey (mharvey@westnet.com.au)
Date: Mon Dec 02 2002 - 22:19:34 EST


Dear Elaine,
Thanks for the information. I see you will be coming to Perth in the future=
 I will be looking forward to this and will be advising people I know over =
here to try and get to the seminar.
The opening size on the fogger is 6mm. The fogger works on a venturi princi=
ple a fan is used to push air through a drum at 74 miles per hour this suck=
s out the liquid through the 6mm pipe. The droplet size created is 8.5 micr=
on to 30 microns. This air and droplet mix is forced into the greenhouse an=
d fills the house with a fog. The droplets do not collide with anything but=
 float onto the leaves of the cucumbers. Would the effect of being hit by t=
he air at 74 miles per hour kill the fungi??
I am located in Western Australia, if there are particular inoculums of fun=
gi available for control of Powdery the information would be greatly apprec=
iated, we are always looking to improve things. We are using CT to control =
Powdery on vines, so far so good (3 months) and Strawberries (4 months).
Regards Mike Harvey.

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: soilfoodweb@aol.com
  To: compost_tea@yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 2:41 PM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Cucumbers


  Hi Mike -

  sorry to be so long in answering you.

  Have you tested your compost? Cucumbers like fairly bacterial soil, but =
still need some fungi for disease suppression.

  If your compost lacks fungi, then get some of the Alaska Humus to add to =
it, but put the compost in a plastic tub first, bring up to moisture (50%, =
it just barely drips a drop when you squeeze hard), cover and keep warm. N=
ot hot, just room temp.

  Should grow great fungi (thick white strands IN THE COMPOST).

  Reading further, I see your tea looks very good already.

  What is the opening size for the nozzle on your fogger? That's the thing=
 you really have to pay attention to, pressure isn't usually the problem. =
The organisms are able to take alot of pressure, but can't take being splat=
ted against foliage well at all. So, can the critters get through the nozz=
le? Keep pressure low relative to distance of the spray nozzle to the leaf=
 surface. If the foliage is 1 to 2 feet away, no more than 20 to 40 psi. =
If 6 feet away, 100 psi seems ok. 100 feet away, 600 psi is ok. At least =
on the testing we have done, pressure isn't what kills them, it's the impac=
t pressure on hitting the leaf surface......

  I'm waiting for the engineers to get the first version of the testing kit=
 microscope to me. I must be patient..... I must be patient. I am so wel=
l known for patience - NOT.

  OK, powdery mildew is the main problem? You are located where? Sorry,=
 can't keep everyone straight. There may be some particular fungal and bac=
terial species you should locate to help the tea out in making certain of s=
uccess with PM.
  So, let me know where you are, and I'll get back to you.

  Elaine Ingham
  President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
  www.soilfoodweb.com


    I am inquiring re a trial of CT and Compost we are planning to do.The t=
rial is with Cucumbers in a green house. The cucumbers are usually grown wi=
th conventional hydroponics.
    The trial will involve using CT to control Powdery Mildew as well as a =
soil drench.
    Some of the cucumbers will be started in 100% compost in jiffy pots (ti=
ny starter pots) others will be in conventional potting mix, and then place=
d on the main growing media to grow out. The media being used is pine sawdu=
st and chips (pinus radiata). We plan to use CT as a drench on the growing=
 bags and also place a small amount of compost on top of the growing bags b=
efore placing the seedling plant on top of the growing bag.
    The CT will be fungal dominated but with some bacterial component. Typi=
cal range as follows.
    Total fungal biomass 38 ( micro g per ml) Active fungal biomass 14 (=
 micro g per ml)
    Total bacterial biomass 230 ( micro g per ml)
    Active bacterial biomass 40 ( micro g per ml)
    CT will be used weekly as folia to control PM and other leaf diseases. =
No sticker spreader is to be used.
    We are unsure as yet how the CT will be applied, a fogger is one way th=
e grower usually applies fungicides. Anyone have experience with these mach=
ines? I do not have the specifications but suspect that the pressures will =
be too high.
    The water for the hydroponics is not recycled, used once and then used =
on other things, the growing bags (full of pine) are recycled if possible i=
.e. after the crop is finished a new one is planted on top of the media in =
the bag.
    We hope to take brix readings and will be able to compare with other ho=
uses on the property.
    We expect to be able control PM and show improved quality.
    Hopefully it will not be too long till the leaf testing kit will be ava=
ilable, this would be a great opportunity to use it as we are too far from =
a lab to send leaf samples.
    Any suggestions re improvements we could make to this trial??
    Regards Mike Harvey.





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