Re: [compost_tea] Soil drench/application

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 08:52:48 EDT

In a message dated 7/31/2003 7:59:26 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
bgunzy_at_netins.net writes:

> Should/can ACT be applied with the tillage, such as
> being incorporated, or after the tillage? Of course, the idea is
> that tillage become unnecessary with enough ACT applications, but
> this mostly applies to the first couple of years or so.
>
If there is a compaction zone that needs to be broken open, and there is
little biology in your soil to be damaged by tilling, then add the AACT with the
tillage event.

Often tillage works because it allows oxygen to move into the soil, lets
roots start to grow again, deeper into the soil. To maintain soil structure, the
organisms need to be added into the soil, so use the AACT to get the organisms
into the soil.

> What specific herbicides are detrimental to aerobic microbes?
>
Not all have been tested.

Atrazine?

That's a better bactericide than herbicide

Alachlor?

The little data I've seen, and as I recall, this is affects protozoa more
than anything else.

Are soil-based herbicides worse than post
> application herbicides?

Can't generalize that way.

> And, I'm
> guessing that mixing the ACT and the herbicides together would not be
> a good thing?

That's correct. Add the AACT AFTER the herbicides, so you can resuscitate
any organisms killed by the herbicide.

Try to figure out why you have the weeds growing, and do what is needed to
change conditions in the soil so that the weeds aren't not helped, and no longer
can out-compete the plants you want growing.

Elaine
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com
SFI Oregon, USA
SFI Australia
SFI New York
SFI Europe
SFI New Zealand

"Hope is not a feeling. It is not the belief that things will turn out well,
but the conviction that what we are doing makes sense, no matter how things
turn out." -- Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic





Received on Sat Aug 02 2003 - 16:31:46 EDT

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