[compost_tea] Old mail

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 08:43:47 EDT

I was going through some of my old, not-yet-answered e-mails. Sorry to be
slow, but sometimes I get 300 to 500 e-mails a day, and I don't always get them
answered. I hope you understand that sometimes, I just don't get everything
done.

Lynton said:

> My take on anaerobic ct ( also act !;)
> it is alive, just not necessarly aerobic;
>

Correct

   it depends on whether the organisms are benficial or pathogenic as to
>
> whether the results would be good;

Correct; there are not-harmful anaerobic organisms

> I'm completely guessing, but is it possible that much of it could be
> ambidextrous ( I mean 'facultive aerobes'?): this latter would explain how
> an anaerobic ct could be beneficial as a foliar spray in particular.

One of the mechanisms for benefit is that the bacteria and fungi cover the
leaf surface, and keep the pathogens from even getting to the leaf, physically.
If there's several layers between the disease and the leaf, there's no way
the disease can cause the disease in the plant tissue. So, simple physical
distance is important, and this can be a function of aerobic or anaerobic
organisms. So, anaerobes might do the just, sometimes. It's just that the critters
that do better under reduced oxygen conditions are usually the pathogens......

   I'm
> also guessing that if you spray leaves with true anaerobes that they will
> die or go inactive due to the O2 environment.
>
Maybe, depends. But the metabolites they produce CAN kill plant tissue. Not
the case under aerobic conditions.


> Related to this subject, I am wondering what status the bio-dynamic
> preparations have - o2 wise.
>

If they are made correctly, they tend to be highly fungal preps.



> I hope someone can clear up the murky water...
> Lynton

Hope this has helped -


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 Thu Aug 21 2003 - 12:16:33 EDT

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