Re: [compost_tea] Re: reply to Steve Diver

From: Stephen Steyn <ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za>
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:40:59 +0200

Greetings Steve Diver;
To answer your questions:
I live in South Africa 18 km north of Malmesbury and 80km (50 miles) north =
of Cape Town. About 200km from the southernmost tip of Africa.

On my property I plant wheat in May and harvest starts towards the end of O=
ctober. Frost is seldom a problem although I can see snow on inland mountai=
ns about 30km away during winter.

Wheat diseases are probably to numerous to mention here and cover the whole=
 range.
Take-all (Gaeumannomycetes graminis var. tritici) which is caused by a root=
 infecting fungus carried over from one year to the next by grass residues.=
 (wheat is a grass too ) Latitude is the fungicide used.
Crown Rot occurs when the bases of mature plants are infected by fungal pat=
hogens belonging to the genus Fusarium, notably Fusarium Psedograminearum. =
Usually seen as white ears which are empty or contain shrivelled wheat. Dis=
ease survives on grass residues. Disease brought on by stress of one kind o=
r another - usually drought stress. No registered fungicides.
Eyespot (Tapesia Yallundae) is a fungal disease of the stem base. Easy to s=
ee as a brown lesion on the stem resulting in lodging ( the straw bends ove=
r at the lesion and the wheat lies on the ground making it difficult to har=
vest. Lots of registered fungicides and wheat varieties are available with =
solid stems which resist bending effectively negating the effect of the dis=
ease.
Glume Blotch (Septoria Nodorum) Symptoms appear on the ears as discolourati=
on and on the leaves as brown lens-shaped lesions with black centres surrou=
nded by necrotic and chlorotic tissue. Small black picnidia (fungal fruitin=
g bodies ) appear in the dead tissue. Resistant cultivars are available as =
are a number of herbicides.
Leaf Rust (Puccinia Triticina f.sp tritici), Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis f=
.sp tritici), Yellow or Stripe Rust (Puccinia Striiformis f.sp tritici) are=
 fairly similar and varieties have various levels of resistance, fungicides=
 containing triazoles are registered for their control.
Loose Smut (Ustilago tritici) and Stinking Smut (Tilletia Tritici &T. Laevi=
s) are diseases of the ears and can be controlled by seed treatments before=
 planting.
Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe Graminis f.sp tritici) is a grey-white mildew appe=
aring on the leaves and sometimes ears of infected plants. Many fungicides =
are registered.
Fungicides are produced by the big multinationals Bayer Cropscience, BASF, =
Dow AgroScience, Du Pont, Syngenta etc and usually have one or more of the =
following actives, Triazoles, Imidazoles and Bensimidazoles.

Compost turning equipment. For the piles I would use hand labour to be sure=
 the outer parts are turned in properly. I have 5 labourers. For the windro=
ws I am using a front-end loader. We have imported turners available but th=
ey're expensive for a small composter.

The bundles contain about 10 bamboo or cane reeds making a bundle as thick =
as your arm probably. Leaves are taken off to improve air flow between the =
reeds and the bundle is tied at two or three places. A straw or reed mattre=
ss is placed on the ground with the reed bundles standing on them verticall=
y and held like that until the pile has been formed around them. The piles =
are about 2 yards wide and 1.5 yards high with a reed chimney about every 1=
 to 1.5 yards. In cool weather steam can be seen escaping from the reed chi=
mneys. The convection from the heat causes fresh air to be drawn in through=
 the mattress which forms the base, and expelled from the chimneys. When th=
e pile cools CO2 will flow out through the mattress and in through the chim=
neys. CO2 heavier than air. Do you get the picture or should I submit one? =
The theory "they" tell me is to not turn the pile before the temperature dr=
ops and even then to wait two weeks.

Vermicompost is unknown although read about. EM is not highly regarded by t=
he ACT fraternity although we have suppliers here. Bob Baars nearly bit my =
head off when I asked him if I should use EM or a mix of EM and ACT to appl=
y on wheat residue before turning it into the soil. I am still recovering! =
My reasoning was that below the surface an anaerobic preparation would be m=
ore suitable. His reply was impolite.

If I used Radionics, homeopathy and the vibrational stuff my neighbours wou=
ld have me committed. They're already whispering.

Cheers for now and thanks for your input. It takes a lot of time I see.
Steve Steyn ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za







Received on Mon Feb 07 2005 - 16:23:38 EST

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