[compost_tea] Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: non-aerated teas?

From: Kirk Leonard <kirkleon_at_open.org>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 12:14:54 -0800
Anybody else want to try the quiz?:-)

> Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:16:37 EST
> From: soilfoodweb_at_aol.com
> Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: non-aerated teas?

[I think this bears repeating...]

> And, yep, it is hard to mess up good compost, but you can if you add too
> many foods to the compost tea mix.  The balance is between aeration and
> added foods.  You have to get that right.

> So, now the quiz.

> 1.  If you put fungal foods into a liquid containing both bacteria and
> fungi, would there be an increased oxygen demand that could drive the tea
> into reduced oxygen conditions?

Thinking of molasses, which can cause a rapid and dramatic reduction in O2
because of bacterial blooming - reproduction and mucho new mouths to feed -
and
remembering that fungi don't multiply, only grow in tea-making, I am
guessing that there would be an increase in oxygen demand but not nearly as
great as that associated with bacterial foods, which is why I asked the
question.

So yes, I'd think there would be increased, but relatively lower oxygen
demand.  See below for another question on same subject.

> 2.  What is the critical information necessary to know if a tea will  work
> as a foliar spray?

Active microbial mass and diversity is my first thought.  Also being able to
get it through your sprayer...

Other question. You got my notion of oxygen uptake as I intended it, even if
I didn't say it right.  You said:

> Diffusion is what has to be considered here.  When aerobic microbes  grow,
the use up O2 and release CO2.  When O2 is depleted, that means a  diffusion
gradient gets set up.  O2 will be reduced at the surface of the  water,
eventually, which will result in O2 movement from the higher concentration
of the
atmosphere into the water.  So, that's what you meant  by "more oxygen",
except it
is replacement oxygen for what was taken up by the  microbes, not a higher
concentration than was present before. <

This implies there might be another way at estimating oxygen need.  Where is
the point that water uptake of oxygen equals oxygen use by organisms?  I
assume it's a fairly low rate, a function of barometric pressure and
temperature in "non-aerated" teas, but it seems to be something knowable and
worth keeping in mind in making tea.  ACT, too...

Thanks for the clarifications.  I used the term adjuvant as I understood it
from NOSB CTTF report, where it's not really clear, either.  I interpret
"additive" to mean "nutrient" or "food" for the critters, and "adjuvant" as
something that is added to the tea for other purposes - a wetter, a sticker,
a fertilizer, etc.  Ya?  Na?  Wha?

Kirk



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Received on Wed Jan 12 2005 - 17:44:31 EST

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