Compost Tea's Trial - Innovative Farmers

[The_Swede]

Not sure if they will publish the full data set publicly but seems like some interesting results were produced in this trial -

https://www.innovativefarmers.org/field-lab/?id=a79589d6-856e-e511-80c5-005056ad0bd4

Perhaps worth keeping an eye on to see what is published. Would be great if it did definitively show the yield and fungal population benefits suggested.

 

[kernowcluck]

Been using this for many years now @Jason along with specific teas such as nettle and comfrey. Results are stronger plants with greater resistance to pests and disease. The scientists will no doubt fail to find evidence but as with organic farming not everthing can be scientifically evidenced with the methods they use. If you're interested do some controlled trials and see for yourself.

 

[Clive]

Not sure if they will publish the full data set publicly but seems like some interesting results were produced in this trial -

https://www.innovativefarmers.org/field-lab/?id=a79589d6-856e-e511-80c5-005056ad0bd4

Perhaps worth keeping an eye on to see what is published. Would be great if it did definitively show the yield and fungal population benefits suggested.

I went to some of these meetings and have been following closely, some very interesting stuff

 

[richard hammond]

Been using this for many years now @Jason along with specific teas such as nettle and comfrey. Results are stronger plants with greater resistance to pests and disease. The scientists will no doubt fail to find evidence but as with organic farming not everthing can be scientifically evidenced with the methods they use. If you're interested do some controlled trials and see for yourself.

I agree with that sentiment 100%, there are a lot of things we are not told if it suits people not to tell us!!

 

[Simon C]

I have been to the last two of these meetings. The one in November was at an organic farm in Dorset where they had done three compost tea applications during the Spring last year onto wheat. It seemed that the treated area had yielded 50% more than the untreated which does sound pretty amazing but was in line with yield increases claimed by Martin Lishman at the previous meeting where they had been experimenting with the brewers that they sell.

Walking around the farm in Dorset, I was struck by what poor condition the soil was in, it appeared dead and slumped like any conventional farm, so different to the no-till soils that I am used to looking at nowadays, whether mine or anyone else's. It was a good demonstration of how ploughing and intensive cultivations are so bad for soil biology, even if no chemicals or fertilisers are used.

My conclusion for now is that the compost tea must have been a huge benefit to this lifeless "organic" soil but I am not sure we would get the same effect on our already biologically active no-till soils.

Keeping an open mind for the moment, though.

 

[bactosoil]

Lifeless soil does mean its dead ,it may well mean that bacterial and fungal populations are there but not in sufficient numbers to make a difference .The art is to feed the good bacteria and good fungi which can be done in many ways , with compost tea's being a form of feed but not necessarily the best .With possibly less that 5% of soil bacteria understood or documented its impossible to fully appreciate what damage conventional cultivations and mainstream farming do to the eco-system . No-till systems will reduce damage to these soil eco-systems and their electro-chemical pathways and structures , which in turn will mean a better symbiotic relationship with the crop thats being grown ,and possibly reduce inputs and increase yield .

 

[EchoesFromThePast]

Microscopic walks on a crumb of an acre

http://stiftung-france.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=675