[compost_tea] Re: Phytopathology journal article on compost tea, November 2004

From: Titel Ryzhomer <thegoodjob_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 13:52:56 -0000

Hi Ted,

We are not consultants and have applied CT to only our own plants.
We are not 100% ready to sell tea or recommend to commercial growers
that this will cure powdery mildew because of the inconsistencies I
have already referred to. There is no chance that there is residual
fungicide or sulphur or anything like that. Our water is drilled
well 6.4pH ; 30 ppm ds. We have also seen powdery mildew return if
the spraying is not done regularly and also see isolated patches.

To review the ingredients: worm castings, partially finished
vermicompost, rock phosphate granules, pyrophylite clay powder, kelp
meal, black strap molasses, fish hydrolisate.

We use two different homemade brewers; 1/ water pump with a venturi
into the extractor (bag) and into the water with an additional
aquarium air pump 2/ water pump with return suspended over surface
with additional aquarium pump. Both work. Over the summer we also
used a venturi operated 1300 gallon system that worked fabulously.

We have, as mentioned, tried many other methods, including molasses
with water and plain water and high pH solutions.

Perhaps our success has come when the balance and timing is just
right. Of course we need to discover what that is. Perhaps the
pyrophylite clay or rock phosphate has a lot to do with it.

As far as inducing powdery mildew we have some sectioned off test
areas where we can control humidity, temperature etc. and by
altering that to make conditions ideal for PM and not spraying then
PM rears its ugly head quickly.

We have not worked with a lab yet.

Please drop me an email off line so we can communicate more
regarding this subject.

Cheers,
Titel

--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Ted Peterson"
<ted.peterson_at_t...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Titel Ryzhomer
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 4:15 PM
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Phytopathology journal article on
compost tea, November 2004
>
>
>
> Hi Ted,
>
> Yes, I've actually observed with magnification the powdery mildew
> structure breaking down after spraying (under magnification it has
a
> building block, almost geodesic (sp) structure) and eventually
> disappearing, sometimes leaving a scar. This efficacy has not been
> apparent with every batch of CT, however other batches have helped
> to control it as you have indicated regarding grape plants. I am
> aware that there are many types of powdery mildew and perhaps this
> CT is working only on the variety we have growing here on
> delphineas, roses, some herbs, Indian Hemp or Dogbane {Apocynum
> androsaemifolium} and a weed that appears to belong to the Evening
> Primrose family. It has been quite easy to induce the powdery
mildew
> (for research purposes) through use of poor growing conditions,
etc.
>
> I hope this helps to clarify.
>
> Regards,
> Titel
>
>
>
> Well, I will have to say this is amazing.  In all the tests I have
run here I have seen nothing like this.  We have several vinyards
using different brewers from different makers and some home ones
knocked off of mine and Earth Works and a lot of different recipes. 
I haven't heard reports like yours from any of them.  Most vinyards
use Roses as indicator plants because powdery mildew will usually
show up there before grapes. If the vinyard people see it on the
roses they can be pretty sure it's in the vines.  I tried spraying
right on the roses with full strength tea and it did nothing to the
mildew that was already there.  It did prevent the mildew from
spreading but did absolutely nothing to the existing mildew on the
plant.  In addition, I had to spray every day to prevent the
spread.  When I stopped spraying, the mildew started spreading in 1
to 2 weeks depending on mildew pressure.
>
> Do you have controls?  Did you try spraying with just molasses or
just water?  Could it be that there was a residue of fungicide that
was activated when you sprayed?  Was the sprayer you used completely
clean of fungicides?  Did you add anything to the tea that was a
form of organic fungicide that you didn't explain in your message? 
>
> Here is the problem I have:  I did not see and have not seen
anything even close to what you are describing.  If I believe what
you say and go to a vinyard and present CT as able to cure powdery
mildew and it doesn't, I am financially responsible for their loss
of product.  Are you sure enough of what you posted about
eradication of powdery mildew to back up that claim to a grower? 
Would you be willing to go to a grower and state if he follows your
directions and the mildew does not subside that you would compensate
him for the loss?
>
> The tests I made were on conventional vines, organic vines and
patches that were separated by enough distance to give pretty
accuract results.  One vinyard was in a medium to high mildew
pressure area and the other was in an area that was traditionally
low mildew pressure.  I did see the outbreaks controlled in every
vinyard I have applied tea instead of conventional fungicide but
even in the most successful vinyards, we got minor outbreaks.  I
treated those with fungicide after I determined that tea could do
nothing to eradicate the mildew.  So your post is very interesting
to me.  Do you have any lab test to substantiate what you say? 
Would you be willing to let me contact the grower and find out
his/her impression of what happened?  If what you say is true, you
may have found something worth a fortune to organic growers. 
>
> I now have contracts with 5 vinyards and have sprayed a lot of tea
over almost three years.  I have done a lot of tests and am still
unprepared to make the statement you have made after 7 months so I
am very interested to learn where you are having success when nobody
I know, even other consultants, are having the same results.
>
> You mentioned inducing mildew as the result of poor growing
conditions.  The spread of mildew has not been the result of poor
growing conditions as far as I can tell.  It attacks both
conventional and organicically managed plants with equal vengence. 
I have seen it attack in extremely well managed vinyards and skip
poorly managed vinyards and vice-versa.
>
> Ted Peterson
> EW/SOE




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Received on Thu Oct 21 2004 - 10:43:39 EDT

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