Re: [compost_tea] continuous extraction, CACT

From: Robert Norsen <bnbrew_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2005 17:43:35 -0800 (PST)

To Steve Steyn and anyone interested, The difference Steve, is that "standard" TEA cycle starts slowly, reaches a highly active state, then slows down. So of 24 ours of brewering the brewer is efficient for maybe 6 hours. Then the brewer shuts down for cleaning, re-loading with water, ( treating water in some cases), so another 3 hours or more of zero production, Out of 27 hours you get 6 hours of efficient production. 22% efficiency. If you are doing your small garden three time a season that matters not at all. If you are dong ACT as an important part of agriculture, remediation of an area or as a business, it matters.
 
About pivots. That is how pivot irrigated crops are treated with ACT, Diluted application? Indeed. Does it work? Ask Ray gore. He does thousands of acres with great success this way. Does the ACT stay on the foliage? Enough does. Much goes to the soil of course.
Bacteria and fungi have a way of attaching to foliage even in the deluge of water that is being applied at the same time. More effective than if applied to a dry plant.
 
As for the cycle. Not at all the same as doing one brew after another without cleaning the system. If your brewer operates in a way to build up anaerobic film or pockets the CACT cycle would be inadvisable in that brewer. If the brewer operates in a clean manner, no build up of film or pockets of anaerobic then there is no limit to the duration of repeated brews. The brewer needs to be self cleaning with high degree of circulation to all areas, High DO2 at all times. .
 
How to know? Test. Testing proved the system we used was OK. Is more testing adviseable? I know it is. Bob

Stephen Steyn <ssteyn_at_wcaccess.co.za> wrote:
Greetings:
I must be missing something but the Inter-Bay P-Patch method seems no different to making compost any other way with the exception that the pile stays mesofilic and that earthworms might do a large proportion of the composting. I would have thought that it would be desirable for the pile to go through a thermofilic stage to neutralise undesirable organisms. We have covered garden piles for many years with old carpeting, bags or even cardboard to prevent them drying out and to create a better environment for earthworms. To tout this as some new discovery seems presumptuous.
 
Another thing that puzzles me is the continuous compost extracting method as espoused by our regular contributor, Robert Norsen. It seems that the method is no different from making one batch after another except that he does not clean the machine after each batch. We know what that can lead to and it would probably upset the regulatory authorities! Also his method of using it in a centre-pivot seems like a waste. All the organisms are being washed off the leaves onto the ground when applied. Also the concentration of the extract applied will be difficult to regulate over a 6 hour cycle of the pivot. Why not spray the extract with a tractor rig after irrigating or even use the truck you're lugging it around with?
 
The last thing that puzzles me is the question of sterilized manure. If you heat manure up to 70 degrees C for 5 hours or whatever, you don't get compost, you get sterilized manure. If you heat the manure above the thermofilic range (55 degrees C - 75 degrees C) you're carbonising it and destroying many of its valuable properties. If its below the thermofilic range it may contain pathogens. The only way to be sure of good compost is to make it yourself or buy it from the composter after you are satisfied with his system or seen his test results. Good compost takes months to make not weeks. If you require extract grade compost then make it yourself. You don't have to turn it every week to get the biology extractors want.
 
Now I'm still waiting for Ted Peterson to tell us how to make good compost and really confuse me!
As I wrote though, I'm very puzzled this weekend by these posts.
Comments appreciated.
Steve Steyn


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Received on Tue Mar 08 2005 - 23:37:36 EST

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