[compost_tea] Re:Re: chemical based -> biological approach

From: chris reid <reidchris_at_earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2003 11:51:04 -0500

Kevin,

Sorry if I offended you.

I missed the word AACT /biological approach. So I amend: the question
would be, are the issues that need to be addressed going to be addressed by
AACT or the specifics of the biological or even chemical approach being
undertaken (such as pesticide contamination from heavy metals, not organic
pesticides). My point is not to make tests so sophisticated they can't be
done. But I think it's easy to resort to speculation instead of figuring
out how one CAN quantify or be clearer about what's happening. One example
would be proxies (like growing certain seedlings in that soil and control
soil to see what happen). I'm currently trying to identify as many proxies
as I can for various ag chemical overabundance so that at least an option of
nonlab exploration might be done.

I look forward to learning from others on this list what data they've been
able to gather, in any form from sophisticated tests to garden journals to
side by sides. The different puzzle pieces of what it looks like when
things are working/not working well can come together on this list for those
of us only witnessing limited examples of how AACT works and in what larger
approach (chemical, biological, or whatever they term it).

I also am sorry I didn't say this is where I personally would be looking.
For example, for what period of time am I personally willing to speculate
about what is going on? -- A month? A season? A year? Five years? --
before I look at/think about what other factors may be affecting my results?
For what period of time is my customer interested in my speculations, if I
happen to share them with the customer? I tend to be interested in
continuing to think about what is going on and understanding it in as
concrete terms as I can. So far, my customers have been interested in
answers I can't give them -- how long will this take, will it work, what's
going on, and so on. Luckily, they aren't growing crops, but they're about
ready to rip up the garden, I guarantee that. For not causing any harm but
not looking great, it's cost them a few bucks.

I speculate about what's working/ not working in conjunction with another
step: trying to figure out how I can measure that hypothesis. The goal for
me is to try to identify what factors make it possible to produce the most
impressive results in the least time. Sometimes some of us may have
customers for whom the most directly responsive approach, no matter whether
it is chemical or biological or AACT or nonAACT is going to carry the day.
The more I can demonstrate results, the more my customers will be happy.

So being able to show what is happening when the results are less than
stunning is important to them, too.

Hope that clarifies my post.

And, a request, please? I don't go by "babe".


Chris Reid





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Received on Sat Nov 22 2003 - 14:18:40 EST

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