Re: [compost_tea] Mycorrhizal spores on market

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:29:26 EDT

Mycorrhizal spores nearly always come with a carrier, because the spores are
microscopic and easily lost on their own.

Most carriers are pretty inert - like clay or cellulose.

Mycorrhizal Applications makes a great product, always comes out high on
testing they do. They have a good research component too.

Plant Health Care is more variable in the results we see from them.

Other companies that take product from both of the above and re-package
typically are fairly variable in results too. So, please make sure you ask for
their test results - and not just one test! You need to see testing occurring
over time, with good consistency.

Many mycorrhizal products are not tested, and other than anecdotal
information on their websites, you don't have any solid information on their
performance. Always a bit iffy, but you can read the testimonial information and try to
assess whether the information is just fluff, or some solid evidence that the
product works. You should call the people in the testimonials.

On one "tea machine" website, the testimonials are all from relatives of the
person making the machine. Snort - but it does tell me what I want to know.

There's another site that I have to laugh at - the compost tea machine
seller shows ONE test from a plate count lab, and ONE test from a direct count lab.
 That doesn't tell you anything more than ONCE they were able make an ok tea.
 How many tests did they have to go through to get those "decent" results?

What about routine tea production - what about on the second run? the third
run? They won't show you data from anything except the first tea run -
because while the first run looks ok, the second isn't so good, then the third is
poor, the fourth has no decent biology to speak of, and .....

As a buyer of any product, you should be able to expect to be given
information about performance of the product with time. You should be able to get
names of people who have bought the product, that are not associated with the
company

Testimonials from the person selling the product don't count. People not
associated with the company, who, when you call or e-mail them, can tell you
exactly what they think without getting a kick-back from the company, without
being punished by the company for telling the truth.

Reputable products have data from many production runs on their websites.
Not- reputable products show only one piece of data, because they can't repeat
that one success.

Mycorrhizal Applications makes a consistently good product. That's what
impresses me.

Any product manfacturer has to first show me data that shows they can at
least once make what they claim, but then they also need to show me their product
consistently can perform.

Elaine R. Ingham
Soil Foodweb Inc., Corvallis, Oregon
Soil Foodweb Inc., Port Jefferson, New York
Soil Foodweb Institute, Lismore Australia
Soil Foodweb Institue Cambridge, New Zealand
Soil Foodweb Inc., Hilversum, The Netherlands
Laboratorios de Soil Foodweb, Culiacan, Mexico
Soil Foodweb Inc., Jerome, Idaho




Received on Wed Jun 16 2004 - 22:37:53 EDT

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