c
 

 
 

 

Martha Rosemeyer
June 25, 2003
rosemeym@evergreen.edu
 ]utline
m Background- what is compost tea?
m ]rganisms involved
m Does it work?
m How does it work?
m Future research
m Resources

Photo: Seth Book

 hat is compost tea?
m ater extract of compost that is brewed, ie
fermented (Ingham, E. 2001)
m Specifically the organisms are released from
the compost and increase in number
m May be given nutrients to further increase
organisms
m Used for disease control, as well as a plant
nutrient source
 hot to be
confused with:
m Manure tea made as a
nutrient source

m Plant extracts or
herbal teas for disease
control or plant health,
for example
biodynamic
preparations
Photos: Eliot Coleman¶s European tour (Diver 2001)
 hat does compost tea contain?
m plant nutrients and humic acids
m active bacteria (1 billion to 10 trillion
cfu/ml)
m active fungi
m protozoa
m nematodes
m products of microbes that can have
antibiotic properties
Photo from: Compost Food eb slide show
 hy compost tea? hy now?
m Increasing societal concern for health and
environment and organic production
m Lack of disease control mechanisms for
organic farmers and gardeners
± Restricting agrochemicals due to recognized
toxicity, for example FQPA
m ]rganic farmers need control methods that
work within a holistic system
]rganic sales increasing at 20+% per year

orldwatch Institute. 2000. Why Poison Ourselves.

 Used extensively due to
perceived benefits

m Homeowners
ithout tea ith Tea
m hurseries
m ]rganic crop growers
m Golf courses
m ]rganic landscape management Ingham 2001

± municipal parks and recreation dept






 
 Background
m Since 1920¶s compost water used to soak
seeds for nutrients, prevent disease
m Two main approaches
± compost extracts = watery fermented compost
extract= steepages =non-aeratedomposttea
(Scheuerell and Mahaffee 2002)
‡ fermentedtnotaerated,stirredoasionally
‡ lowerosts,lowerenergy
‡ mresear
‡ diseaseontrolaseendomented
± aeratedomposttea
‡ fermented,aerated
‡ igerosts,energy
‡ littleresear,somediseaseontrolreports

Diver 2001
 Benefits of compost tea
m hutrient application
m Disease control
± Foliar disease
± Root disease
m Inoculation of functioning soil food web
 How to make non-aerobic
compost tea

m Mix 1:4-1:10 compost to water in an open

container, stir occasionally

m At least 3 d at 15-25°C (50-70 °F)

How to make Aerobic Compost Tea
m Choose compost- well aged
± plant based or worm compost
m In water (remove chlorine from water)
m Add nutrients (optional) like molasses,
humic acids, kelp
m Aerate and mix solution for 12 - 24 - 48
hours
Commercial aerobic compost tea
brewers
m Soil Soup: www.soilsoup.com
m Microb Brewer: www.microbbrewer.com
m Growing Solutions:
www.growingsolutions.com
m Earth Tea Brewer: www.composttea.com
m Xtractor:
www.compara.nl/compost_tea_systems.htm
/English
Soil Soup
www.soilsoup.com
Microb Brewer
www. microbbrewer.com
 Growing Solutions
www.growingsolutions.com

m bubbling
aeration
hat happens in the compost tea
while brewing?
? ?
 TESC Student expts:
Scott Chichester and Seth Book
‡ angesinomposttea
dringrewing
‡reventingdampingoff
ofmarjoram

Photos: Seth Book

 Dissolved ]xygen >5.5 ppm
w


 ppm


 24 hrs 48 hrs











        
|


h

 ppm




 





     
 

 20 hrs
From: Book and Chichester
 pH > 7.2
Ê
















Temperature(compost tea solution) °C

26
25.9
25.8
25.7
25.6
25.5
25.4
25.3
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000


From: Book and Chichester

 Food web concept
´Everything eats, everything excretes, and
everything is food for something"
± Elaine Ingham, 2001

A great resource:
SCS/hRCS,
roil Biology Primer
A functioning food web is
desirable in a compost tea

From: roil Biology Primer

Most bacteria (99%) cannot be cultured
m Direct counts and genetic diversity assessment
m Activity of bacteria important
m hutrients can help to ³wake up´ to active state

A ton of microscopic bacteria may

be active in each acre of soil.

Bacteria dot the surface of strands

of fungal hyphae.
FromV roil Biology Primer
Fungus beginning to decompose leaf veins in grass clippings.
Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry Slide Set.
1976. J.P. Martin, et al.,eds. SSSA, Madison I.
From: roil Biology Primer
ootsof ommoneanÚ



from ostaia

Mycorrhizal fungus
stained blue

hon mycorrhizal

Photo: Rosemeyer
Oyorrizalfngi link root cells to soil particles. In this photo, sand grains
are bound to a root by hyphae from endophytes (fungi similar to
mycorrhizae), and bypolysaccharides secreted by the plant and the fungi.
Soil Biology Primer, Credit: Jerry Barrow, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental
Range, Las Cruces, hM. From: roil Biology Primer
tinomyetes, such as this r rep omyces, give soil and compost
its "earthy" smell.
Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry Slide Set. 1976. J.P. Martin,
et al., eds. SSSA, Madison, I
From: roil Biology Primer
 bacteria

rotozoa: Flagellates have one or two flagella which

they use to propel or pull their way through soil. A
flagellum can be seen extending from the protozoan
on the left. The tiny specks are bacteria.
Credit: Elaine R. Ingham, ]regon State University
From: roil Biology Primer
rotozoa: Ciliates are the largest of the protozoa and the least
numerous. They consume up to ten thousand bacteria per day,
and release plant available nitrogen. Ciliates use the fine cilia along
their bodies like oars to move rapidly through soil Credit: Elaine R.
Ingham, ]regon State University, Corvallis From: roil Biology Primer
 cysts
Interaction

Vampyrellidae attack
fungus ³take all´ of
wheat
From: roil Biology Primer
Most nematodes in the soil are not plant parasites.
Beneficial nematodes help control disease and cycle nutrients.
Credit: Elaine R. Ingham, ]regon State University, Corvallis
From: roil Biology Primer
 Interactions:
hematode trapping fungi

From: roil Biology Primer

 Microbes are ancient!
m Responsible for all major processes on
earth, including decomposition and
photosysnthesis and nutrient cycling
m Major cycles of Earth could continue
without plants and animals
m Most are beneficial!
 Video: _ife in he roil
produced by Sakura Motion Picture Co.,
Ltd.[and] M]AProductions;
planned by hature Farming International
Research Foundation
Atami, Japan
Do we know what the diversity or
quantity means with respect to disease?
m hot entirely
m Most soil organisms are unknown!
m How does microbial diversity transfer to
increasing function?
m If we are mainly interested in disease
prevention then do we know what
mechanism and whether that organism is
involved?
m In general more diversity means better
change that have the appropriate organism
Minimum standards for compost
tea/mL (Ingham 2001)
m 10-150 ãg active bacteria,150-300 ãg total
bacteria
m 2-10 ãg active fungi, 5-20 total fungi
m 1000 flagellated protozoa
m 1000 amoebae protozoa
m 20-50 ciliates protozoa
m 2-10 beneficial nematodes
 Total population of active
microbes
m Bacteria minimum 107-1010 (Scheurell and
Mahaffee)
m But may not be associated with disease
control, if appropriate agent not present!
Does it work?
m hCT- Good evidence under
certain circumstances
m Much research with
± grey mold
(Bo ry is cineraria)
Downy mildew of grape
(Plasmopara vi icola)
Evidence of hCT disease suppression
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Diver, 1998
 Is ACT better than hCT?
m Both ferment well-characterized compost in
water for a period of time, with or without
nutrients
m Few studies have actually compared the two
m hCT has been suggested to cause plant
problems and potentially an environment for
human pathogen growth (Ingham)
m According to Scheuerell and Mahaffee, there is
no evidence that phytotoxic symptoms
 Apple scab control using hCT and
ACT manure-based spent mushroom
compost (Cronin et al. 1996)
m ACT (7 d) vs. hCT (7d)
m In vitro effect on germination
of conidia of en uria inaequalis,
pathogen of apple scab
m hCT reduced conidia germination, not ACT
unless let sit for another 7 days
Apple scab on leaf and fruit
Powdery mildew of rose
(Scheurell and Mahaffee 2000)

m Three sources of compost

m ACT commercial preparation vs.
7-day hCT
m All equal results on powdery mildew of rose
°rphaero heca pannosa) within source of
compost
m Authors concluded that source of compost
more important than ACT or hCT
 Pscheidt and ittig 1996,
illamette Valley
m ACT used regularly throughout growing
season
m ho effect on powdery mildew of apple or
grape, apple scab, pear scab, brown rot of
peach, peach leaf curl and cherry leaf spot
m Significant reduction of brown rot blossom
blight of sweet cherry ° onilia laxa)
Tests for Disease control of ACT
c 
  
 
 
rownrotlossom Oofapple, seidtand
ligtofsweet grape,appleand Wittig
erry°   
pearsa,rown


 rotofpea,
pealeafrl,
erryleafspot
Lettuce drop, post Early blight of Granatstein 1999
harvest fruit of tomato
blueberry
owderymildewof eerelland
rose°


 
Oaaffee







 Disease control with ACT
Granatstein 1999
m ACT had effects on yield and disease
control
m ho effect on early blight of tomato
m lettuce drop incidence decrease in summer
not spring
m Post harvest rot of blueberries significantly
reduced, but reduced yields
m Spinach yield decreased, but broccoli spring
and summer increased
m no general pattern
 Disease control with ACT
Presidio golf greens
Decreased ho effect
icrodochium Anthracnose

Conforti et al. 2002

 Bacterial vs. Fungal dominated
teas can be determined by added
nutrients (Ingham 2001)
m Bacterial: simple sugars to fulvic acids
m Fungal: humic acids
Have been difficult for some to produce fungal
dominated teas (Scheuerell and Mahaffee 2002)
m Reports reduction of suppression due to nutrient
competition?
m Useful to know nutrients that support
antagonists
 How might compost teas work?
Mechanisms from hCT
m Prevention of pathogen colonization
± due to competition of space or nutrients
± direct destruction of pathogen
m Antibiosis
± Release of antimicrobial compounds
m Induced resistance
Colonization of phylloplane
If 70% of leaf covered by organisms
reduction of disease (Ingham)
m 60-70% active bacteria and 2-5% active
fungi
m Various authors
Pseudomonads,
aerobic Bacillus,
aerobic spore forming
bacteria with reduction
in powdery mildew
of grape
 Predation hCT: Fusarium
spore rupture
m Root drench for Fusarium diseases of
pepper and cucumber
m Direct destruction on disease-causing spores

Ascospores of Õusarium solani

 Antibiosis: what organisms and
metabolites may be involved?
m Bacteria- Bacillus, Pseudomonas, rerran ia
m Xeast- rporobolomyces, Cryp ococcus
m Fungi- richoderma, Gliocladium and
Penicillium
Chemicals involved - phenols, amino acids,
low molecular weight non-protein
(sometimes produced by fermentation and
other times already within compost)
 hCT induced resistance to plant
pathogens
m Powdery mildew of cucurbits
°rphaero heca fuliginea)
m hCT changed host response to pathogen
± papillae (bumps)
± necrotic reaction
± leaf toughens
(lignification)
 Standards for compost tea
So far only one proposed minimum standards
(Ingham 2001)
± oxygen concentration remain above 5.5 ppm or
60% D] [but there is disease suppression in
hCT]
± in vi ro pathogen inhibition [but question as to
whether this reflects field conditions]
± active bacteria 10-150 µg
± active fungi 2-10 µg
± protozoa and nematodes (for soil application)
Potential to support human pathogens
m Appears that despite popular conception,
ACT can support human pathogens if
fermented with sugars (2 papers)
m If no sugars, including molasses, are used
then neither ACT and hCT appear to be
able to maintain human enteric pathogens
°
scherigia, ralmonella, rhigella, Yersinia)
even if contain low levels of pathogens
m If use worm compost as source appears that
can avoid pathogens
m heeds more research
 Summary
m Jury still out on hCT vs ACT, bacterial vs.
fungal composts and tea, human pathogen
tests
m Good testimonials but variable results
± May be due to variability in the compost tea
± Know your compost tea feedstocks!
m Variability may be due to previous use of
pesticides and fertilizers
m hot a panacea but a great tool!
 Future research
m e are all experimenters!
± If possible send sample in for testing: BBC
labs (www.bbclabs.com), Soil Food eb Inc.
m heed to understand connection between
quantity, specific organisms, food web for
disease suppression
m How to support the suppressive organisms
and mechanisms that suppress disease
m Effect of cropping system-- organic vs.
conventional
± Duff ilson, Õa eful Harves
 Resources
m Diver, S. 1998, 2001. www.attra.org
m Ingham, E. 2001. Compost Tea Brewing
Manual. Available through: www.soilfoodweb.com
m Soil and ater Conservation Society and
hRCS. 2001. roil Biology Primer. www.swcs.org
m Scheurell and Mahaffee. 2002. Literature
Review: Compost tea: Principles and Prospects
for Disease Control. Compos rcience and
U iliza ion 10(4):313-338
 Ph research experiences
m Granatstein, D. 1999. Foliar disease control
using compost teas. Compos Connec ion
for Wes ern Agricul ure 8:1-4
m Pscheidt and ittig. 1996. Fruit and
ornamental disease management testing
program. Ext. Plant Path. ]SU
m Scheuerell, S. 2003.Understanding How
Compost Tea Can Control Disease.
Biocycle rrV 20-25
 Photo credits not listed above
m Bacteria Credit: Michael T. Holmes,
]regon State University, Corvallis. From:
roil Biology Primer
m Fungus Credit: R. Campbell. In R.
Campbell. 1985. Plant Microbiology.
Edward Arnold; London. P149. From: roil
Biology Primer
From: Growing Solutions website