Re: SFW!: Sprayers for teas

[Frank Teuton]

Here it is, Essie:   "Pressure does not seem to be a big factor.  If the organisms survive getting pulled off the compost, and living in the brewer, they are going to survive the pressure in any sprayer.  We have seen that the organisms can be shot quite happily out of a sprayer at 600 psi.  It's the impact on a leaf a few inches away while at 600 psi that will kill the organism.  If you are aiming at the top of a tree, by the time the organisms get to teh top of the tree, they are no longer at that pressure and survive quite happily.  So, distance is the critical factor.  Adjust pressure to get the tea on the leaf at a reasonable pressure.  If the tea is beating the leaves off the tree, the organisms are not surviving either."   The full message:   >  Elaine - What type of field-size sprayers (diaphram, piston, ?) are >  you recommending for use with compost teas on both crops and >  pastures? What pressures? What nozzle sizes? > >  Who (or what?) makes a good strainer for straining volumes of tea? > >  thanks _Allan Balliett Hi Allan - I am not the best person to ask this question of.  Randy Thomas of NuVision Ag is probably the better choice or Bruce Elliott of EPM ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). What you want to think about is whether the openings in the sprayers will allow the bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes through.  All sprayers let the bacteria through, all except some drip tapes let the fungi through, a few very fine mist sprayers prevent the protozoa and nematodes from passing. You must look at the diameter size of the openings on your sprayer, on the pumps, and so forth.  Bacteria are 1 to 5 micrometers in size, fungi 2 to 10 micrometers (but long strands that get caught on things, so no fabric in the tea maker!!!!), protozoa 2 to 50 micrometers, nematodes up to 180 micrometers.  So opening sizes smaller than these sizes will limit the organisms getting through. The different pumps select for different species composition of bacteria and fungi.  Both piston and diaphragm pumps take out different fragile organisms, so passage through a mechanical pump does alter the set of organisms.  The machines where the organisms are extracted just by the air bubbles mixing and agitating the compost tend to do less damage, the more fragile organisms survive better.  What difference does that make to whether tea is disease suppressive, or gets the organisms that retain nutrient, or build soil structure?  Don't know, haven't done that work.  But, the more organisms in the tea, the more suppressive the tea. Pressure does not seem to be a big factor.  If the organisms survive getting pulled off the compost, and living in the brewer, they are going to survive the pressure in any sprayer.  We have seen that the organisms can be shot quite happily out of a sprayer at 600 psi.  It's the impact on a leaf a few inches away while at 600 psi that will kill the organism.  If you are aiming at the top of a tree, by the time the organisms get to teh top of the tree, they are no longer at that pressure and survive quite happily.  So, distance is the critical factor.  Adjust pressure to get the tea on the leaf at a reasonable pressure.  If the tea is beating the leaves off the tree, the organisms are not surviving either. Do not strain your tea.  The fungi tend to grow on the larger particles, and if you have larger particles in the tea, and strain them out, you lose most of your fungi.  If you let your tea settle, the fungi drop out in the particles that settle.  So, not a good idea. Hope this helps answer your questions! Elaine Ingham ----- Original Message ----- From: Essie Hull To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 1:55 PM Subject: Re: SFW!: Sprayers for teas At 11:27 AM 1/12/02 -0800, you wrote: At 01:27 PM 1/12/02 -0500, you wrote: Essie - For the garden, I go with a SOLO diagphram sprayer with an adjustable nozzle. -Allan It occurs to me to wonder about pressure differences. If you are spraying a pressurized fluid/compressed air mixture, does it create an explosive decompression for the bugs when they emerge? I don't think it's a problem or Elaine's users would have observed it. ========================== Dave Robison I believe that, on one of Elaine's posts, she did indicate that explosiveness, or intense impact,  when the spray hits the leaves, definitely is a problem.  A gentle meeting of spray and leaf is what's needed.  I don't remember whether or not she said anything about explosiveness on exit from the sprayer - e.g. from compression. Essie