Re: [compost_tea] salts, soil biology, and magic claims in north dakota

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 01:28:41 -0500

It is a good idea to be wary of products that just say they are biological stimulants, without any data to back up that claim.

Any product that claims they they make nutrients appear from nothing should also be scrutinized closely. It just isn't possible. Organisms in soil can solubilize, or mineralize, the non-plant available nutrients and make them plant available, but there needs to be some data to show this is happening in order to document the claim.

If you want to go to my website, I have something approaching 100 references in peer reviewed, scientific journals, books and articles to show that what I talk about with respect to the benefit possible from the right biology is the case. But you have to document that your soil has the right biology in order to KNOW that what I talk about is happening in your soil, or compost or tea.

We are in the position of moving the work we have done into practical field applications. The Soil Ecology Society has over 300 scientists working on these kinds of projects. Their journal is Applied Soil Ecology. Get the journal to see the constant information coming out that documents lab testing of the kinds of things I talk about, and some field work as well. Biology and Fertility of Soils is another good journal, as well as Soil Biology and Biochemistry.

So, products HAVE to show that they have the right biology, and they need solid documentation of benefit to plant growth. I think we've done enough research to show that if the biology is present in the soil, then plant production will be benfitted, through one or more of the mechanisms discussed previously.

Solid science is needed. If you are going to psend your money, you need to have information that shows what the product does to the biology, and therefore, to improve the potential benefits.

I think I harp on this a great deal. Data are necessary. If you can't get data showing comparison of the product with a control (conventional) field from the company selling you that product, don't buy the product.

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 Thu Dec 18 2003 - 07:02:08 EST

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