--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Jeff Lowenfels" <jeff_at_g...>
wrote:
> Activation of the humus/compost used in tea was a process
developed for two purposes: First to confirm that there was adequate
fungi in the compost/humus used and second to grow the fungi from
spores so that you would have active, ready to go hyphae in the tea
you apply. Why settle for spores when you can have actively growing
fungi? If you have good organics in your soil, the fungi continue
to grow. This would seem to be much better than apply tea and having
to wait for the spores to develop into fungal hyphae. Remember,
there is no certainty your spores will germinate!
>
Jeff,
I do remember why you did the tests initially. And I understand the
logic or speculation/presumption behind growing them out.
I just am interested to know if anyone has actually tested to make
sure this thinking is borne out in reality -- how they do in the
soil? The "if you have good organics in your soil..." part would
not apply to many soils where tea is being laid down to decrease
compaction, build a very poor food web, and so on. How do the grown-
out fungi do in such circumstances when you're adding food for them
via humic acid/kelp, but the situation in the soil is less
than "good organics"? Or maybe I'm reading your post incorrectly --
I am thinking you mean that there is a good active organic matter
content.
Spores are a domant stage of a fungi and are a type of insurance
that the fungi can survive when conditions are poor, are they not?
But the hyphae are actively growing, and are vulnerable if
conditions are poor. A spore put into the soil is going to grow
when conditions are right. Hyphae put down are ready to roll, but
if conditions to not favor the, they could be ready to roll -- over.
So do we want both spores and hyphae as insurance?
All of this -- your thinking and mine -- is *speculation*. So we
need some facts here.
And, if the fungal spores grow out in my compost test, and I use
that same compost (without growing it out)for my tea, is it
reasonable to think that -- in a given soil situation -- the spores
will germinate less well than the grown-out hyphae will grow?
Haven't gotten to that part of the text book yet. Any testing
anyone's done on this to clarify, or info on how soil conditions
affect fungal growth would be of interest.
thanks,
Chris Reid
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Received on Sun Dec 07 2003 - 15:23:16 EST