[compost_tea] Air Diffuser, Fungal Brew, and Test Results

From: Ryan, Matthew <matthew.ryan_at_rodaleinst.org>
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 10:16:24 -0500

Dakesian1 and others,

"I use the classic 5 gallon bucket with a strong aquarium pump (i.e., rated=
 for a 75 gallon
tank)."

Could you tell me what type of air diffuser you are using? I am looking fo=
r something simple that I can put together fairly cheaply. I was thinking =
about using a nalgene tube, or some type of metal tubing, with lots of air =
holes drilled into it. This will be used for our bucket bubbler, aerated w=
ith a large scale oil-less air compressor (shop/garage type).

Also I would like to report on our last brew. Background - this compost te=
a was made to be applied to a fungal compost that was made to be applied in=
 a field that tested low for total fungal biomass. Basically we were inocu=
lating our compost pile before spreading on the field, not that this is a n=
ormal practice for us or anything, just wanted that extra insurance - tryin=
g to optimize.

Brewer: homemade bucket bubbler (30 gallon trash can, with soaker hose atta=
ched to an oil-less air compressor). Approximately 24 gallons water. All =
ingredients were added right to the brew (no burlap sack or compost sleeve)=
. This was done because the end use allowed for it, no screening needed be=
cause it we just dumped it on the compost.

"Thought to be fungal" CT Recipe:
        1) Vermicompost (Orner's) 454 g. (1 lb.)
        2) Fungal Compost (custom made for high fungal) 454 g. (1 lb.)
        3) Leaf Litter - from woodlot 681 g. (1.5 lb.)
        4) Comfrey Leaves - from employee garden 454 g. (1 lb.)
        5) Corn Gluten Meal "Natural Green" (Fertrell) 25g (0.882 ounces)
        6) Insoluble Humic Acid "L-65" (Organic Approach) 75 g (2.65 ounces)
        7) Soluble Humic Acid "SP-85" (Organic Approach) 50 g (1.76 ounces)
        8) Acadian Kelp "Nature's Essence" (Organic Approach) 20 g (0.705 ounces)
        9) Fish Hydrolysate "Neptune's Harvest" (Organic Approach) 50 ml (1.69 fl.=
 oz)

Note: The leaf litter used was extremely fungal. I found this in our wood =
lot under some leaves. Tons of white fungal hyphae, see pictures.

We don't have an DO meter, but I'm fairly confident that there was adequate=
 DO levels. Temp started out at 26ºC at 4:00PM, dropped to 15ºC by 8:0=
0AM, at which time I decided to utilize an aquarium heater we have set at 2=
5ºC, by 9:30 temp reached 18ºC. Unfortunately I did not record the tem=
p at the end of the brew ~ noon, but I imagine it was close to 25ºC.

SFNY CT Test Results:
AB 29.4, TB 2304, AF 1.44, TF 19.92, HD 3.

I was a bit disappointed with the AF and TF of this brew, based on the reci=
pe used. Any ideas why the AF and TF were so low?

The good news is that the compost that we applied this to was extremely fun=
gal to begin with, and as it turns out the CT application would have been o=
verkill anyway.

This compost was very wet with all of the rain that we have been getting he=
re in Pennsylvania. The dry weight of 1 gram fresh = 0.33g. SFNY results=
: AB 465, TB 1293, AF 164, TF 1443, HD 3.

Recipe used for compost.

2 bucket loads of the 1/4 dairy manure, 1/4 poultry manure, and 1/2 leaf mo=
ld compost combination, 1 bucket load of old single run bark mulch (full of=
 hyphae), and 1 bucket load of 1 yr old leaf mold (more hyphae).

We also added approximately 7.5 lbs of insoluble humic acid to the windrow =
of 20 - 25 tons of compost that was made. The windrow was turned 2 times w=
ith a large scale windrow compost turner, one of those times was right befo=
re sampling.

This compost was spread on our field, on top of hairy vetch that is already=
 growing, at a rate of 31 tons/a wet or 14 tons/a dry. This field will be =
used to evaluate CT use on pumpkins and potatoes in 2004. The main purpose=
 of our project is to scientifically evaluate CT efficacy for disease suppr=
ession, and to outreach those results. We are also working with 3 vineyard=
s.

The whole reason for this compost application was to optimize the field bas=
ed on SFNY total soil foodweb test results. The results came back suggesti=
ng that the field was low in TF biomass.

Soil Test Results:
Dry weight of sample 0.79g, AB 153.2, TB 476, AB 29.2, TF 78, HD 2.5, Flage=
llates 7,269 (high), Amoebae 35,024 (high), Ciliates 1,751 (high, which mak=
es sense to me because of all the rain), Total Nematode #/g 2 (low), and % =
Mycorrhizal Colonization 16 (low).
  
Any suggestions on how to further biologically optimize this field?

Thanks and don't forget to comment on the air diffuser issue I am faced wit=
h if you respond.

Have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving,

Matthew Ryan
Research Technician
The Rodale Institute
611 Siegfriedale Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
(610) 683-1405
 




 

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/0PSxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
compost_tea-unsubscribe_at_yahoogroups.com

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/






DSC00212.JPG
(image/jpeg attachment: DSC00212.JPG)

DSC00213.JPG
(image/jpeg attachment: DSC00213.JPG)

Received on Fri Nov 21 2003 - 12:13:07 EST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Tue Feb 07 2012 - 14:14:52 EST