[compost_tea] Re: Inclusion of clay in compost

From: Steve Diver <steved_at_ncat.org>
Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2005 16:28:30 -0000

S. Steyn -

The additional details you provided are certainly
helpful.  Agriculture is so dependent on details
to understand all the factors that go into the
farming situation. 

It would help to know the following:

Where do you live?  Which country?
When do you plant, and when do you harvest.
When is the last spring frost and first fall frost.
What are the diseases that infect wheat?
What fungicides do you use?
What compost turning equipment is available?

Do the reed bundles run horizontally through
the length of the windrow, do they go through
the windrow perpendicularly, or do they
arise vertically?

Can you turn the compost windrow with a
compost turner of a bucket loader?

If you have a bucket loader, you can turn
the material a few times, and then build
the final windrow and insert the reed bundles
and let is sit as a static pile.

You can also cover the static pile with compost
fleece to improve the micro-environment.  Are you
using compost fleece?

As an alternative to reed bundles, you may
find that forced air injection provides a
greater degree of oxygen control.

But even people who make largely aerated
static piles like to mix the windrows in
the early stages of composting.

Well, perhaps you stated where you live but
I don't recall. 

Thus, it is hard to grasp your situation
and discuss agriculture when there is no
context as to climate and growing season.

Regardless, based on the details you provided
I suggest that you consider turning the piles
about 5-6 times in the first 2-3 weeks,
just after you build it, then let it sit for
about 3-4 months, up to 6 months... until you
are satisfied the compost is finsished. 

The goal is to develop a good quality
compost substrate to make compost teas.

Let us assume that your compost is decent.

But also consider mixing 50% vermicompost
with 50% farm-made compost as a compost
tea substrate.

ACT has properties that will boost crop health
and improve soils.  It can help control the
diseases partially or completely.  You won't
know until you try, then try again, then try
again.  With each batch you learn something new.

If you can afford to test with SFI, that
will be beneficial.  Other labs exist use
other methods.

"Any testing is better than no testing," a
well known lab man from Texas is fond of
saying.

Ultimately, on-farm microscope analysis of
compost teas is affordable, fast, and insightful
in terms of understanding microbial tea quality.

NCT has properties that are known for disease
suppression.  NCT is simple to make.  Non-aerated
compost tea.

Try both ACT and NCT on different patches of
wheat land.

See what happens.

Brew some EM (Effective Microorganism) and
add that to the spray tank. See what happens.

I feel confident that you can improve
crop health and soil biology with compost
teas, but the factors affecting disease
pressure are numerous and complex. 

Reports on compost teas show good results
for disease suppression on some crops
in some climatic regions, and poor results
on other crops in other climatic regions.

Another approach is to monitor plant tissue
sap for Brix, pH, and EC.  Based on this
data, foliar fertilization with special
blends are employed to boost crop health
and alter plant physiology to make the plants
more tolerant of disease infection. 

Another approach is to use vibrational
agricultural practices such as BD preparations
with field broadcasters, radionics, and
homeoapthy.

All the above practices can be complementary.

Regards,

Steve Diver


--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Stephen Steyn" <ssteyn@w...>
wrote:
> Steve Diver;
> I'm a wheat grower and want to use the tea as a spray to improve the
vitality of the crop, introduce some diversity in my soils biota and
assist in the breakdown of crop residues from the previous season.
Also I'd like to reduce the severity of fungal diseases. I still will
spray fungicides. Yield is 4 tons per hectare average and price of
wheat $180 per metric ton. We are not subsidised so don't have the
luxury of living on others earnings!

..... etc ....





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Received on Mon Feb 07 2005 - 14:57:43 EST

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