Dear Dr. Elain Ingham, As you know the last few years have witnessed improvements in compost tea brewer technology at warp speed, yet minimum knowledge has been transferred to the end users. The isssues that I am raising are for those of us that 1) do not have the extra financial resources to experiment with what commercial compost tea brewers are offering in the marketplace and 2) are typical farmer personalities that prefer to make their own at volkswagon prices. What I would like to know more about and create more awareness about is related to tea brewer operations and designs, for example: - What is the appropiate basket screen sizing and what are good sources of this material? - Regarding vortex nozzless, which is correct, placeing the vortex nozzle in the compost basket or in the leachate? What are good sources of vortex nozzles and what material should they be made of? What is the function of the vortes nozzle, to separate the microbes from the compost material or to aerate the tea? - Is is true that petroleum based plastic is better than stainless steel for the conical containers? - What is the best type of motor, pump or diaphragm? - How full should the container tank be to achieve the vortex made by the conical shape of the tank and the recircling leachate? If commercial and home-made compost tea brewers can live up to their expectations to produce high populations of beneficial microorganisms that colonize plant leaf surfaces, then the information flow between the farmers/gardeners experimenting with compost tea brewers and the agricultural researchers should be continuous and updated. I assume that this is a goal of yours.
Henry Costa Rica bdnow wrote: > I just got back from PASA and found an email from Elaine offering to > take more BD Now! questions about compost tea and soil foodweb > matters, so, send them up here, folks!! > > Also spent a few hours with Will Brinton (and a hundred or so other > people) today. Very impressive! Pause for thought, that's for sure. > > Anyway, let's not let Elaine's offer go unexploited! > > -Allan
