[compost_tea] Re: metal chelates-application rates

From: ericgoodenough <sfo_at_gwi.net>
Date: Wed, 05 May 2004 13:16:04 -0000
International Ag Labs notes that our soils are deficient in copper
and manganese.  Recommendation:  10# copper sulfate and 10# manganse
sulfate applied to soil, ideally in fall.  I don't want to wait until
fall and I like the efficiency of foliar applications.  Metal
chelates (for instance Baicor products, I gather, are much more plant
friendly and more quickly assimilable as they have already been
processed by plant enzymes, etc. (I'm a little fuzzy on the science,
can you tell?)

Folks at Baicor (Dr. Miller) have suggested using their organically
certified chelates.  Both the copper and manganese solutions are 5%. 
Dr. Miller says flat out that he does not know the effect of the
chelates on microbes in tea but suspects that any antagonistic
effects might be concentration dependent.  He does not feel that the
chelates will have a negative effect on the metabolites that are in
the tea, but is unsure about organisms themselves.  He says the
chelates will internalize quickly into the plant and not remain on
the leaf.

Dr. Miller's recommendation is for 1 - 2 gallons of Manganese chelate
and 0.5 to 1 gallon of copper chelate.  In our case that would be
mixed with approximately 200 gallons of water and 20 gallons of tea
for our foliar program (four 50 gallon tanks per acre with chelate,
tea, kelp, fish, molasses, minerals and spreader/sticker).  It's our
hope that the copper chelate and the tea will be helfpul with apple
scab (Venturia sp.)and help make up plant tissue and soil
deficiencies through translocation.

Thanks for any comments.


--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, soilfoodweb@a... wrote:
>
> The effect on the microorganisms depends on concentration.  In
general, when a heavy metal is chelated, it is must less likely to be
toxic directly to the microoganisms, unless at high concentration.
>
> So, what is the level you will apply?  Generally trees need just a
tiny amount of a heavy metal, especially when the metal is chelated,
so I expect you would not apply much concentration.
>
> But expectation and reality can be far apart, so let us know how
much you are putting on....
>
>
> 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
> SFI Culiacan, Mexico
> SFI Jerome, Idaho
> http://www.soilfoodweb.com


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Received on Wed May 05 2004 - 10:51:59 EDT

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