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Quality is everything
Biology defines quality
www.soilfoodweb.com
info@soilfoodweb.com
What is compost tea all about?
• NOT a magical elixir;
• There is a solid, scientific reason that tea “works”
• Add organisms that are needed
• How do you know what is needed? TEST
• How do you know these organisms are in the
compost, from which you will extract the
organisms? TEST
• Is it better to apply compost? Or extract? Or tea?
• What is the purpose of application?
Aerated Compost Tea
1. AEROBIC, BREWED,
Conditions are controlled, oxygen is adequate
2. WATER EXTRACT
Water quality critical: pH, salts, temperature
Energy to extract organisms
3. of COMPOST
Compost quality is critical: NOT SMELLY
Definitions
• Compost Extract – no brewing time, all the
organisms possible
But you need to fix the soil. Tea can help fix soil,
but extract or compost might work faster
A Healthy Food Web Will:
• Suppress Disease (competition, inhibition,
consumption; no more pesticides!)
• Retain Nutrients (stop run-off, leaching)
• Nutrients Available at rates plants require
(eliminate fertilizer) leading to flavor and
nutrition for animals and humans
• Decompose Toxins
• Build Soil Structure –(reduce water use,
increase water holding capacity, increase
rooting depth)
Things to think about:
• The compost: TEST IT!!!!!!!
• Water: Chlorine? Smell? Containers?
• Brewer: Compost bag? Pump? Aeration?
Ease of cleaning? Ease of transferring?
• Foods? When added?
• Organism additions?
• Spray tank: Ease of cleaning? Nozzle size?
Pump? Tubing? Previous use?
What do you test to tell if tea worked?
• ORGANISMS in soil, on leaf surfaces
• Soil compaction
• Weeds
• Foliar disease / pests
• Root disease / pests
• Water Use
• Soil “fluff”
• Flavor; nutritional quality of plant material
• Yield
• Net profit
The process of making and using tea
10
8
Activity (ug/ml)
Oxygen (ppm)
6
O2
4
2 Activity
Aeration ended
0
0 3 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47
Hours
The Process
Temperature (water or air)
Q10 effects – slower growth when colder (longer
lag period), faster growth when warmer
Use foods faster when temperature is higher, use
foods less rapidly when cooler
Use up oxygen faster when higher temperature,
no problem using up oxygen when cool
Growing the Organisms – Lower temperature
12
10
Activity (ug/ml)
Oxygen (ppm)
8
O2
6
2 Activity
0
0 3 7 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47
Lots of oxygen
Aeration
Can machine keep brew aerobic?
Extraction
Water movement through compost which will rip organisms
from surfaces into the water
Bio-films!
Hidden surfaces are bad news
PVC tubing was not originally on this machine; 90 turns are big
problems
Earth Tea Brewer from EPM
www.composttea.com
The Process
Application
Need to cover surfaces with bacteria and fungi so
diseases cannot get to foliage, or roots
www.compost-
tea.com.au
www.treewise.com
The Important Points about Making Tea
• Can the machine keep the whole tank aerobic?
• How much food, at what temperature, will result in
too rapid organisms growth, and anaerobic
conditions?
• CLEANING – easy?
• Tea can only do the benefits we’ve talked about
• Add organisms into the environment
– Diversity - Biomass
• Do the organisms survive? Did they grow?
Monitor!!!!!