Re: [compost_tea] Salt problem?

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 03:44:00 -0500

Quick note about copper pipes in houses. We are trying to prevent organism growth in drinking water. So copper in drinking water will reduce bacterial growth. How "good" is copper for human consumption? Anyway, when we are trying to grow organisms, trying to keep the beneficials alive in a compost or compost tea, then copper is not a good idea.

Someone e-mailed me to say someone had messed up big time by suggesting that somehow drinking water and compost tea were in the same category. Two categorically opposite purposes - drinking water should be close to sterile, tea should not.

On to salt problems.

What is it that takes sodium chloride, which is the salt we put on foods, and separate the sodium from the chloride, thus removing that salt problem?

Answer: Any organism. Fungi are really good at decomposing certain kinds of salts, while bacteria are excellent at removing other kinds of salts. A large amount of sodium is needed in cell membrane structures, while chloride plays roles in other places in the cell. Once separated, salt is no longer salt.

Another example: Ammonium nitrate is a salt. But once organisms have their way with it, ammonium will be converted into what in cells? Nitrate will be converted into what in cells?

Biology converts salt, of any kind, into not-available forms. concentration is important, as is the presence of water to help dis-associate the salt. Ammonium and nitrate are converted into protein. Not salt anymore, and will not be found as salt unless some very specific and nasty processes are allowed to happen.

Add the foods to feed the organisms, and "salt" problems go away. Water, temperature, air, etc are also required.

Stop focusing on just engineering solutions to problems. Start thinking biologically.

There is no salt problem, if the organisms are allowed to be present, and they are fed properly.

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 Dec 16 2003 - 10:44:59 EST

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