[compost_tea] Re: Soil drench/application

From: bgunzy <bgunzy_at_netins.net>
Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 02:21:29 -0000

Thanks Tom on the tips. What has Arden Andersen written, and where
can one find it? I believe Skow's can be purchased through Acres USA.

Hey, if ACT works well enough to save fertilizer expenses and balance
the soils enough that herbicides are not needed, that's fine with
me. I don't think you'd find any argument with most midwestern
farmers if they could reduce their outside inputs and increase their
on-the-farm inputs. The goal is to get to that point without going
broke and having a weed farm.

60 gal/ac for soil application? That would mean 4800 gal for one 80
acre field. Logistically that would be a chore. Sure, hog farmers
apply 3-5000 gal/ac of lagoon liquid, and they consider
that "fertilizer" (albeit in an anerobic form). The amount of clean
water required would be the difficult part.

Here in Iowa we are not for lack of rain in the spring...quite the
opposite. One could easily apply ACT for a few days and expect a 0.5-
1.5" rain soon after. Fall is a bit drier, but the soil is still
moist. That's where I thought incorporation would be beneficial -
aerate the soil and mix the microbes into the oxygen and moisture,
plus on the crop residue for some munchies. With residues of 150+
bu/ac corn, anything we can do to break it down and make its
nutrients available for next year is important. A lot of
chisel/disking/ripping is done in the fall in Iowa just to
incorporate and break down the stover. Applying microbes to do that
would be better yet, I'm guessing.

But back to a comment Bob made about ACT costing: In my projections,
for 1000 acres, if I could cut out all applications of DAP (applied
100 lbs/ac for corn, soybeans, wheat, and 200 lbs/ac for hay), I
would save the operation $13,000. Cut out potash (same rates, except
400 lbs/ac for hay) and that would be another $10,000. That's
$23/ac. If the extra energy and time for application (even 60
gal/ac) of ACT could cost less than $23,000/year, and maintain/maybe
improve yields, then it would be worth it absolutely. Think its
possible, Tom and Bob?

Thanks for your patience.

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Tom Jaszewski" <tomj_at_l...> wrote:
> No thinking person would stomp anyone searching for new avenues.
Making the
> move from herbicide use to ACT is not as simple as stopping the
chemicals
> and using ACT. The transition must be sustainable. There has been
some work
> done with fungicides and fungi. Apparently some mycorrhizae are not
effected
> by fungicides. I suggest bgunzy pick up Arden Andersen, and Dan
Skow's
> books.
>
> Tom Jaszewski
> www.livesoil.com
> 702-595-7012
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Norsen [mailto:bnbrew_at_y...]
> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 9:35 PM
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Soil drench/application
>
> Bob I suspect you will get stomped on that - those questions.
Maybe a
> stampede.
>
> The idea of ACT is that NO pesticiedes will be needed with good ACT
> application and pesticides are not compatible with ACT. Maybe
there are
> some that work with ACT if they work LIKE ACT in not killing other
microbes
> but in out living them.
>
> It might be better to think in terms of what nutriant should you
apply to
> the soil when you are aplyng ACT to the soil so the new Bio will
have
> nutrients until they become extablished with growing plants.
>
> Foliar microbes land on plant tissure that is able to furnish
nutrients to
> keep the bacteria/ fungi alive. I would expect it to take 5 g ACT
+ 15 + g
> water per acre to get the foliar cover wanted. Soil drench at 15
GPAcre
> wold join 45 gallons of water per acre to get the penetration
needed to let
> the microbes survive. Adding nutrients to the water to sustain the
> bacteria, fngi, protozoa and beneficial nematodes.
>
> We find in yard work that we normally apply several times the
amount of ACT
> per acre.
> Orchards and vinyards will ceratinly need more. Bt ACT is not a
critical
> cost factor.
> If more is better more is not financially even close to the cost of
> pesticides. Be sure to include the cost of L&I when toxic sprays
are used.
> Bob of Bob's Brewers
>
> bgunzy <bgunzy_at_n...> wrote:



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Received on Sat Aug 02 2003 - 00:44:14 EDT

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