[compost_tea] Re: Interesting Q.C test.

From: dkemnitz2000 <dkemnitz2000_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 23:21:54 -0000
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Mike Benton" <compost@m...>
wrote:
> Greetings fron SA.I was called by a client who uses one of my 1200
lt units
> yesterday and he asked if the tea would still be OK to use ,I asked
him when
> was it made .It turns out that they made the tea on
Thursday ..........The
> farm is only 15 minutes away half on a dirt road ,so I went
down.The mix was
> 10 lt of vermicasts and 20 lt of compost.The casts had been pre
activated
> for 5 days and 2.5 lt of Humic acid and half a li of Fulvic acid
where mixed
> with 2.5 lt of molasses and added to the tea .Water temp was around
20 C and
> the blower was run intermitently over the weekend whilst about half
(600) lt
> remained.We added 200 lt of fresh water and started the blower
which ran
> constantly till this morning when i went back to check.There was a
small
> trace of ammonia before they started the machine which instantly
> disappered.I checkfrom the bottom drain both yesterday and this
morning and
> found a very slight smell of what I belive to be Skatiol?sp? This
from the
> solid material that had sat in the pipe of the drain.The tea it
self smelt
> great,both times.I have a pretty good nose .I believe that the
material in
> the pipe about 100 ml in volume was what went nasty.


Mike I recently added a bypass so I can rinse the drain pipe w/o
draining the tank. Dennis





My aeration is very high
> normally about double the volume of the water per minute and the
tank was
> only half full.The nutrients add up to less than one percent of the
volume
> of the water so I dont think that i am overfeeding.I was happy with
the
> smell of the tea when it was decanted into the tanks to go off and
be put
> through the irrigation.
> I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT THIS SHOULD BE TRIED OR PART OF ANY NORMAL
> PRACTISE.Right having said that any thoughts that you may have will
be
> appreciated.The client has expanded his tea from 10 Ha of wine
grapes to 46
> Ha of wine plus 6 Ha of olives.Only another about 400 Ha more of
wine grapes
> to go but There is always next year...I am also helping them with a
wetland
> to treat 90 ton of septic tank waste water a day .So this company
is seeing
> things differently.If only all farmers could be as open to new
concepts as
> these.A lot of farmers in this country like chem farming because it
is easy
> for them just to follow the chem reps suggestion .He knows that he
should
> get a crop off and so they just carry on .Sustainable farming and
even more
> so , Organicfarming has never be sold as easy. Just worthwhile.
>
> Regards
> Mike Benton
> Compost Technologies
> mike_at_c...      mobile 0823345371


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Received on Fri May 14 2004 - 21:21:30 EDT

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