[compost_tea] Nematode presence in compost tea

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 03:35:12 -0400

Someone has claimed that nematodes aren't present in compost tea.

If you have good nematode numbers in the compost, there will be good nematode numbers in the tea. Want proof? If you use a decent compost with normal nematode numbers in the compost, we'll run a nematode extraction using your compost tea, and show you the nematodes.

Of course, if composting wasn't done correctly, and there are no nematodes present in the "compost" material, you can't expect there to be any nematodes extracted into the tea.

Talk to any nematologist who has ever actually extracted decent (non-stinking) compost, and they'll set the story straight. Compost can contain lots of nematodes, and if the nematodes are present in the compost, then they'll be extracted into compost tea, given that the machine being used really makes compost tea.

My husband is a an internationally known, and well-recognized nematologist. He's also a professor at Oregon State University. I have actually spoken with him from time to time, :-), and we work together on research projects. In case you don't want to believe my data, then he can demonstrate that nematodes exist in high numbers in good compost, and that nematodes from decent compost are extracted into compost tea.

If there are nematodes in the compost, and no nematodes in the compost tea, then you have a bad compost tea maker. Most likely, the tea machine killed the nematodes, and if the nematodes were killed, then the fungi and protozoa are not likely surviving either. The tea might have lots of bacteria, which could give some benefit, but nothing close to the full benefits that should be seen from a good compost tea.

The take-home message to be learned when someone claims that nematodes don't exist in compost tea is that the person making such a claim knows very little about decent compost tea.

Elaine Ingham
President, Soil Foodweb Inc.
SFI Corvallis, OR
SFI Port Jefferson, NY
SFI Lismore, NSW, Australia
SFI Hilversum, The Netherlands
SFI Cambridge, New Zealand
www.soilfoodweb.com

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Received on Tue Sep 16 2003 - 08:19:47 EDT

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