Re: [compost_tea] too much N

From: <soilfoodweb_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 04:25:32 EST

 
Bacteria and fungi immobilize nutrients in their biomass. There are a
number of soils people who have not paid attention to the C:N ratio of bacteria or
fungi, but if they did, they would realize that neither bacteria nor fungi
would ever mineralize nitrogen. Their C:N ratios are much too narrow. Any N
that bacteria or fungi find HAS TO BE taken up, and kept in their biomass.
 
the exception to that are the nitrifying bacteria, which don't take up all
the NH4 present, but instead remove the four H from the N, in order to make
energy. Having energy is more important than having N. GRIN!!!
 
So, nutrients get tied up, in plant not-available forms, in the bacteria and
fungi. Predators like protozoa and nematodes, microarthropods and
earthworms, have to consume bacteria and fungi. Because the C:N ratio of the
predators is wider than the bacteria or fungi, N will be released as ammonium.
 
That's how N is mineralized. Bacteria and fungi do not mineralize N, only
protozoa, nematodes and other predators to that. Petri dish experiments where
release of mineral N was observed neglected to look at what was actually
present on the plate. Microbiologists assumed that just bacteria were there,
and of course, they were wrong. Protozoa were also there.......
 
So, I hope that was what Jeff wanted me to go over. IF not, ask again......
 
Elaine
 
 


John,

Traditional gardening advice is that if the CN ratio is above 15:1 the
nitrogen becomes unavailable to plants. So under this notion, you would
want to add lots and lots of carbon to the soil. How? Sawdust?......


My problem with this is that the nitrogen will get locked up in the
microbiology and sooner or later that will be released. May be Elaine
could explain what goes on better than I can! In fact, I AM SURE she
can!

Cheers,

jeff
www.alaskahumus.com
(50 pounds makes an awful lot of tea!)




Elaine R. Ingham
Soil Foodweb Inc., Corvallis, Oregon
Soil Foodweb Inc., Port Jefferson, New York
Soil Foodweb Institute, Lismore Australia
Soil Foodweb Institute Cambridge, New Zealand
Laboratorios de Soil Foodweb, Culiacan, Mexico
Soil Foodweb Inc., Jerome, Idaho
Soil Foodweb Inc., South Africa








Received on Tue Mar 15 2005 - 07:20:52 EST

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