Re: [compost_tea] Re: sfi test for 15 dollars on soil?

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 02:23:09 EDT

Since Jeff asked, I'll talk about the deal.

We just finished up the multiple, replicate testing today to make sure the
standard we have set in the manual for the qualitative assessments fits the
standards for the quantitative testing.

We have the data to relate these numbers and biomass levels back to plant
responses, as well as the quantitative testing.

But these data will be published, so I will not put the data on the list
serve. Please stay tuned for the paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Anyway, we need just a small amount of tea, preferably overnight mail so the
sample doesn't go anaerobic. But a 6 ounce bottle, with about an ounce of tea
in it would be fine. That's about 50 ml in a 250 ml botlle.

We get the sample, do testing in a QUALITATIVE fashion, and the info that
comes back is designated as one of the following, based on the biology seen in
the tea:

Excellent tea
Very Good
Good
Adequate
Poor
Bad

We'll make notes on the kinds of bacteria, fungi, protozoa or nematodes
seen, but not quantitative data, just the categories listed abve.

If you send compost in, we can do the same quick, qualitative test for
compost quality.

Many times, people need to quantify the biology, for example when you want to
know nutrient cycling, or how much nitrogen fertilizer you can reduce your
applications. You need quantitative bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematode data
to do that assessment.

To establish baselines, or know how much product to add to improve a
particular organism group, quantiative data are needed.

But many homeowners, gardeners, and so forth don't need highly quantitative
data. That's where this qualitative data will be very useful.

To begin, SFI will charge $15 per sample for the qualitative assessment of
bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes in tea or compost samples.

Turn-around time should be three days - one day to get it to us, a day to do
teh assessments, a day to get data into the report and e-mail to you. Please
leave mailing days if we only have a snail mail address.

If we get enough samples coming into the lab, we'll leave the price at this
level.

OK? any other questions? Please feel free to ask!

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 Tue Jul 27 2004 - 10:08:45 EDT

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