Ahmabeliever Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 re: soil mites and gnats I've found neem is a great for controlling fungus gnats. Soil drench with it or foliar spray and add the foliage eventually to be composted seems to help balance bugs in the compost heap too. I have a lot of soil mites, compost really helps get them started in your TP pots. In the one pot where I added some bones and terra cotta I smashed up as well as charcoal, there's lots more soil mites than in the pot next to it. If this is good or bad remains to be seen. No spider mites so far, and the odd predator mite which is all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted April 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 I have found Neem a very effective deterrent to grasshoppers and many other pests.My problem is when buying the oil how to dilute it. As it is not an "official" pesticide/deterrent no instructions can be given. Some info on soil as a"killer". ! Health: French Volcanic Clay Kills Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA Superbug(NaturalNews) Researchers have discovered that a clay made from volcanic ash in France has powerful antibiotic properties and is capable of killing even antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). "It's...French Volcanic Clay Kills Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA Superbug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Interesting local website of an international organisation“Soil organisms create a living, dynamic system that needs to be understood and managed properly for best plant growth. Understanding soil health requires knowing what organisms occur, which ones are working, how many are present and whether they are the right kinds for the desired plants.”Soil Foodweb Institute Australia ::: Soil Foodweb AustraliaGood Products for Soil HealthOur Good Products sections show the results of SFI assays of the microorganisms in a range of composts, compost teas and products that improve the soil foodweb. You can compare the results and find the manufacturers in your area most suited to your needs. Those listed have been approved by SFI as passing our rigorous standards and are involved in our ongoing Quality Assurance Programes.Soil Foodweb Institute Australia ::: Soil Foodweb Australia This is adownloadable book from Amazon.com Digital Delivery(How does this work?) or Compare with similar itemsBacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry] See larger image Bacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry] (Digital)[/color][/b]by J.-S. Kim (Author), G. Sparovek (Author), R.M. Longo (Author), W.J. De Melo (Author)No customer reviews yet. Be the first. List Price: $4.95Price: $4.95Availability: Available for download now. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Edition: e-document (Learn more)Book DescriptionThis digital document is a journal article from Soil Biology and Biochemistry, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description:The survey presented here describes the bacterial diversity and community structures of a pristine forest soil and an anthropogenic terra preta from the Western Amazon forest using molecular methods to identify the predominant phylogenetic groups. Bacterial community similarities and species diversity in the two soils were compared using oligonucleotide fingerprint grouping of 16S rRNA gene sequences for 1500 clones (OFRG) and by DNA sequencing. The results showed that both soils had similar bacterial community compositions over a range of phylogenetic distances, among which Acidobacteria were predominant, but that terra preta supported approximately 25% greater species richness. The survey provides the first detailed analysis of the composition and structure of bacterial communities from terra preta anthrosols using noncultured-based molecular methods.http://www.amazon.com/Bacterial-diversity-pristine-forest-Western/dp/B000PC0KDU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209654891&sr=8-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Interesting local website of an international organisation Soil Foodweb Institute Australia ::: Soil Foodweb Australia Soil Foodweb Institute Australia ::: Soil Foodweb Australia This is adownloadable book from Amazon.com Digital Delivery(How does this work?) or Compare with similar itemsBacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry] See larger image Bacterial diversity of terra preta and pristine forest soil from the Western Amazon [An article from: Soil Biology and Biochemistry] (Digital)[/color][/b]by J.-S. Kim (Author), G. Sparovek (Author), R.M. Longo (Author), W.J. De Melo (Author)No customer reviews yet. Be the first. List Price: $4.95Price: $4.95Availability: Available for download now. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Edition: e-document (Learn more)Book DescriptionThis digital document is a journal article from Soil Biology and Biochemistry, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description:The survey presented here describes the bacterial diversity and community structures of a pristine forest soil and an anthropogenic terra preta from the Western Amazon forest using molecular methods to identify the predominant phylogenetic groups. Bacterial community similarities and species diversity in the two soils were compared using oligonucleotide fingerprint grouping of 16S rRNA gene sequences for 1500 clones (OFRG) and by DNA sequencing. The results showed that both soils had similar bacterial community compositions over a range of phylogenetic distances, among which Acidobacteria were predominant, but that terra preta supported approximately 25% greater species richness. The survey provides the first detailed analysis of the composition and structure of bacterial communities from terra preta anthrosols using noncultured-based molecular methods.http://www.amazon.com/Bacterial-diversity-pristine-forest-Western/dp/B000PC0KDU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209654891&sr=8-2 Great stuff MA! Thanks for sharing! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 I was thumbing though an 'old' USA book on tissue culture and was suprised to find these ingredients listed as plant growth substancesBacto (? brand name?) malt extract (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l)Bacto Yeast extract (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l)Caesin hydrolysate (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l)Coconut milk/water (Concentration 100-150mg/l)Orange juice (Concentration 50-300mg/l)Can anyone shed any light on this? Also iI speculated before about agar as a growing medium for wee beasties' as it is used in lab petrie dishes for growing "wee beasties" but now also tissue culture! This book also suggests "Gelrite" derived from bacteria (Pseudomonas sp.)and various trade names of red algae (noble algae Simar Agar TC agar, etc Does this stimulate any creative/speculative neurons in anyone's cranium?Mine are just puzzled, but think there should be something in this information. (?) BTWIf you want to import a plant into Australia Tissue Culture is the way to go. Customs and Agriculture far less feral as Tissue Culture is sterile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahmabeliever Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Bacto (? brand name?) malt extract (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l) Bacto Yeast extract (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l) Caesin hydrolysate (Concentration 50-5,000mg/l) Coconut milk/water (Concentration 100-150mg/l) Orange juice (Concentration 50-300mg/l) You listed food for wee beasties. The list of what they'll recycle in soil and other substances is enormous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 You listed food for wee beasties. The list of what they'll recycle in soil and other substances is enormous.Yes I know.There must be a zillion amino acids that they eatI was just surprised to see the above listed in a Tissue Culture Book ??!!Orange Juice?Coconut milk???Do they have a full 'English Breakfsst' (Caesin sausages???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essay Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Yes I know.There must be a zillion amino acids that they eatI was just surprised to see the above listed in a Tissue Culture Book ??!!Orange Juice?Coconut milk???Do they have a full 'English Breakfsst' (Caesin sausages???):) Breakfast with the beasties.... Good one, M,ca! I think this is a link to that Springer article, above.http://www.ambientenet.eng.br/TEXTOS/SOILBIOLOGY20073.PDF...there's another half hour of my life I won't get back. :smart: The relationship between organic matter inputs from different overstory trees, rhizosphere effects, and the bacterial community composition of forest soils is still not understood, but likely contributes to differences in diversity and community composition along the forest floor.Rhizosphere! What a neat word! That'll be running thru my head all day.... Thanks for pointing out that "download from Amazon" stuff.I'm trying to figure that out.... ~Later....:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Rhizosphere = round Rhizos? Eric's "wee beastie" Condos with in built security systems against 'bad guys'Mechanism 2: Biochar alters the activity of othermicro-organisms that have effects on mycorrhizae. . . Hyphae and bacteria that colonize biochar particles (or other porous materials) may be protected from soil predators (Saito 1990; Pietikäinen et al. 2000; Ezawa et al. 2002), which includes mites, collembola and larger (>16 μm in diameter) protozoans and nematodes. The documented physical parameters of the biochar particles themselves make this mechanism plausible.The average sizes of soil bacteria and fungal hyphae range from 1 to 4 μm and 2 to 64 μm, respectively, with many fungal hypha being smaller than 16 μm in diameter (Swift et al. 1979). Additionally, the average body-size of a soil protist is between 8 to 100 μm, while the average body size of soil micro-arthropods ranges from 100 μm to 2 mm (Swift et al. 1979). In contrast, the pore diameters in a biochar particle can often be smaller than 16 μm in diameter (Kawamotoet al. 2005; Glaser 2007; Hockaday et al. 2007).Based on the differences in the body sizes across these different organisms, it is clearly possible that many of the pores within a biochar particle are large enough to accommodate soil microorganisms, including most bacteria and many fungi, to the exclusion of their larger predators.Thus, the biochar would be acting as a refuge for MHB, PSB and mycorrhizal fungi. Supporting evidence for this hypothesis comes from Saito (1990), Gaur and Adholeya (2000) andEzawa et al. (2002) who all showed that AMF readily colonize porous materials and were capable of heavily colonizing biochar particles in the soil. Lastly, Pietikäinen et al. (2000) and Samonin and Elikova (2004) showed that bacteria readily colonized biochar particles; these may include MHB and/or PSB.http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/PlantSoil%20300,%209-20,%202007,%20Warnock.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 First Nanoscale Image Of Soil Reveals An 'Incredible' Variety, Rich With PatternsI cant find the research at the Cornell Uni site, that the above article is based onI did find a nice pickyBioenergy and GHGbut not the nano ones I was looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Just found this interesting Australian site.Well worth exploring. LeftClick: Composting with worms-- another sustainability lesson from CubaWednesday, May 7Composting with worms-- another sustainability lesson from Cuba The English Green Party's Derek Wall dug up (so apt!) this piece by Matthew Werner on worm farming in Cuba for compost week.Worms as Charles Darwin insisted are important critters. "Food for worms..." can be almost anything as the medieval Church and Shakespeare's Hamlet have pointed out. Food like...very dead human beings. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots: your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two dishes, but to one table: that's the end. Worms are also highly efficient carbon sequestors. By taking organic matter underground, the worms reduce carbon release into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and worm farming is akin, in my estimation, to such practices as Agri Char (aka Terra Preta) in the role it could play -- rather quickly -- to ameliorate global warming.But no major Vermicompost project has been initiated with that thesis in mind. David Murphy's book , Organic Growing With Worms addresses that possibility in its pages with great verve such that the irrepressible Peter Cundall writes in regard to it: "This is an amazing, inspiring book..it should be on the bookshelf of every farmer, gardener, conservationist, scientist or anyone who comprehends the environmental dangers now threatening all life forms on earth." Murphy writes that "...if [the world's agricultural soil] were raised to 5 per cent [organic matter] to a depth of 25 cm, 150 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide would be sequestered into the soil ". Healthy soil could sequester up to 350 tonnes of carbon per hectare (Jones 2007), this being equivalent to about 1,285 tonne of carbon dioxide per hectare removed from atmosphere....This exceeds the estimated 15 billion tonnes per annum global emissions of carbon dioxide from all sources (Murphy 2005) 10 times over. Hence soil represents the largest potential sink (storage capacity) for carbon - if natural soil quality is restored and maintained -- Sunnyside Projects. *Yep. Worms are really something to get excited about -- not only as a means to bed down waste (3% of national carbon emissions) but also as a means to invigorate the extremely poor nature of Australian soils while helping to reduce the share agriculture plays in our total carbon emissions. -- 16% from Agriculture (larger than transport-- 13%-- and second only to stationary energy ). Trends in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from the agricultural sector, 1990-2004 Sixty percent of emissions from the agricultural sector come from enteric fermentation in livestock. These are emissions associated with microbial fermentation during digestion of feed by ruminant (mostly cattle and sheep) and some non-ruminant domestic livestock. Emissions associated with agricultural soils (e.g. disturbance of land by cropping, improved pastures and the application of fertilisers and animal wastes) and prescribed burning of savannas also account for a significant proportion of net emissions. While enteric fermentation is the main driver of emissions from agriculture, to replace that caloric output with plant foods behooves a major shift in soil management . --Dave Riley-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted May 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 The activity of soil organisms can be divided into four functions:1. Regulation of OM turnover & nutrient cycling,2. Biological degradation3. Maintenance of soil structure, and4. Interaction with plants.1a. Organic Matter (OM) Turnover:• Carbon is a core element of OM and a vital energy source for soil biota.• By decomposing OM the soil biota gain access to this carbon.• Microbial biomass, the population of micro-organisms, acts as the engine forOM turnover and nutrient release.• Soils with high levels of OM support a greater number and a more diverserange of biota.• Where OM energy is plentiful, crop residue decomposition and OMaccumulation will occur.• Specific organisms breakdown different types of OM. e.g. cellulolytic micro-organisms only decompose cellulose and not lignin.• The rate of OM breakdown relates to the soil environment, the number andtype of organisms present and the chemical structure of the plant residues.Breakdown may occur in months or several thousand years.1b. Transformation of Nutrients:• The conversion of OM, by soil organisms, to available nutrients is calledmineralisation. This process is a key element of soil fertility.• Whilst decomposing OM to obtain carbon, other nutrients are released.These may be: soluble and leached (e.g. nitrate [NO3]), volatile and lost tothe atmosphere (e.g. nitrogen as N2 & N2O, sulphur as H2S) or readilyavailable to the plant (e.g. nitrates, phosphates and sulphates).• In order to increase the up-take of a specific nutrient, many plants formmutual relationships (symbioses) with soil micro-organisms. Examples ofsymbiotic relationships include: legumes with the bacteria Rhizobiumspecies to fix atmospheric nitrogen gas, and most crops with mycorrhizalfungi to absorb phosphorus and other nutrients from the soil environment.• Mycorrhiza have been found to improve plant uptake of phosphorus. This isthought to be due to the vast ‘collection structure’ provided by the hyphalnetwork of fungi.. . . [url=http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:AYNOHBwvwTYJ:www.csiro.au/files/files/pcz9.pdf+CSIRO+no+till+farming+soil+microorganisms&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=au&client=firefox-a]The The relationship between agricultureand soil organismsTillage:Cultivation alters the physical, chemical and biological components of the soilsystem. No-till, direct-drill systems result in significant differences in soilorganism activity compared to conventional deeper tillage.No tillage:• OM levels are high and micro-organisms become concentrated at the soilsurface.• Residue decomposition and nutrient mineralisation is slower.• Fungal hyphae are more prolific in the top 5cm of soil. This is beneficial interms of desirable fungi such as mycorrhizae but negative in relation topathogenic fungi such as Rhizoctonia.• Fungal feeding nematodes, protozoa and macro fauna increase.• 10 - 100 times more fungal feeding protozoa were counted under no-till andstubble retention treatments. These may provide controls for pathogenicfungi.• Narrow points on cultivators used at seeding result in soil disturbance belowthe seed. This in combination with a three week chemical fallow, prior toseeding, reduces the severity of the pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia .• Deep burrowing earthworms in direct drilled plots improve soil structureassisting root growth and increasing the yield of annual crops. Conventional Tillage:• This favours organisms with short generation times, rapid dispersal and highmetabolic rates. Bacteria and bactivorous fauna are dominant in cultivatedsoils.• Fungal hyphae are broken by cultivation and therefore reduced.• Organisms are distributed more deeply into the ploughed layer .• Residue decomposition and nutrient mineralisation is more rapid due tobetter soil-stubble contact.• The rapid activity results in a higher level of breakdown and a lower level ofOM accumulation.• Earthworm populations significantly decrease.• Increased cultivation has been shown to reduce the number of root lesionnematodes, but no effect on cereal yield has been recorded.influence soil biota activity?Stubble incorporation favours bacteria and bactivorous fauna whereas stubble left on soil surface supports more fungi and fungivorous fauna.. . .http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:AYNOHBwvwTYJ:www.csiro.au/files/files/pcz9.pdf+CSIRO+no+till+farming+soil+microorganisms&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=au&client=firefox-a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted June 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 :eek:Wee Beasties to pyrolysis to charcoal to soil to more Wee Beasties?;)When people think of capturing sunlight energy in biomass, they focus on plants, which are familiar. However, plants are quite inefficient at capturing sunlight energy and turning it into biomass that can be used a fuel,". . ."Photosynthetic bacteria can capture sunlight energy at rates 100 times or more greater than plants, and they do not compete for arable land," Rittmann said. This high rate of energy capture means that renewable biofuels can be generated in quantities that rival our current use of fossil fuels. In addition, non-photosynthetic microorganisms are capable of converting the energy value of all kinds of biomass, including wastes, into readily useful energy forms, such as methane, hydrogen, and electricity. "Microorganisms can provide just the services our society needs to move from fossil fuels to renewable biofuels," said Rittmann. "Only the microorganisms can pass all the tests, and we should take full advantage of the opportunities that microorganisms present." Journal reference: 1. Rittmann et al. Opportunities for renewable bioenergy using microorganisms. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2008; 100 (2): 203 DOI: 10.1002/bit.21875 Adapted from materials provided by Arizona State University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.Harnessing Microbes To Meet Our Future Energy Needs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted June 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 I watched a show last night on ABC TV on the Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. A lot of Oz researchers are working there. One researcher gave a long list of all the factors affecting rice production, genetics, pests, disease resistance etc., etc., at least 20 or more factors/variables. Yet she did not mention "soil" once. No mention of Rice Hull Charcoal now being exported. How sad.:shade: : (: :hihi::( : (: :hihi::( : (: :(:( : (: :(:( : (: :(:( : (: :( :( : (: :( Here is a website that will keep you studying for a decade.Krasil'nikov: TOCSOIL MICROORGANISMS AND HIGHER PLANTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted July 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 ]What are the functions that the microbes perform that cannot be accomplished by synthetic or mineral products?[/b]The following are the functions that only the biological life in the soil can perform: 1. Decomposition of crop residues, manure and other organic matter to humus by the microbes for use by the plants. 2. Retention of nutrients in humus and in the microbes themselves that recycles. 3. Nutrient recycling by the biological food chain as microbes consume each other and nutrients are released to the plants. 4. Biological control of plant and soil diseases through biological pathogen suppression. 5. Production of plant growth regulators by the microbes that affect plant production. 6. Soil structure and tilth development produced by biological byproducts of the microbes. 7. Biological clean up of herbicide of pesticide carryover through degradation by the microbes into harmless byproducts. What is the process the plant uses to support the microbial population?In the photosynthesis of plants, photosynthates (complex sugars) are produced in the leaves. The plants send as much as 50% of these complex sugars down, passing out of the root into the soil to feed the microbes. With this energy received from the plant, the microbes convert essential nutrients from synthetic fertilizers along with nutrients and mineral reserves held in humus and other carbon-based compounds. This biological partnership between plants and microbes is mutually beneficial. The plants feed the microbes the energy they need and the microbes feed the plants the variety of nutrients the plants need.p Why can't plants obtain all of the nutrients they need from synthetic fertilizers?Plants feed at the second table. The plant feeds on what the microbes provide. Plants are poor foragers and scavengers of nutrients in fertilizers compared to microbes. Microbes have the capacity of "mining" or releasing nutrients from soil particles that are unavailable or "tied-up". Since microbes need carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, potassium and minor nutrients and trace minerals, they digest these nutrients and change them to a chelated or carbon-based form for the plants. The microbes rely on plants to provide the complex sugars released from plant roots to support the microbes ability to provide nutrition for the plants. Plants rely on the microbes to digest organic matter into humus that contains the nutrients in stable humic compounds. The plant uses these stored and stable nutrients through the symbiotic relationship with the microbes. The carbon and the balanced carbon/nitrogen relationship of microbes are vital in maintaining healthy, productive soil.How do microbes function as the digestive system for plants?The rhizosphere (microbes on or near the roots) is the digestive system for the plants. This zone of soil next to plant roots supports a much higher population of microbes than the soil even a short distance away from the roots. The numbers of microbes on or near the roots is up to 100 times greater than just 1/4" away from the root. This high population of microbes near plant roots is varied in composition and activity. This is the area of greatest digestion of minerals and nutrients by microbes that is made available to the growing plants. These microbes live in a symbiotic relationship with the plant roots, using as a source of energy the varied organic nutrients that the roots discharge to feed the microbes. These complex sugars stimulate a variety of microbes to obtain nutrients the plant needs for balanced nutrition. Microbes have the chelating capacity for converting inorganic minerals to chelated or organic-based minerals plants can use to improve balanced nutrition.BioFlora - Nature Knows Best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Have any studies been done on the microorganisms and their effects on aquatic substrates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Have any studies been done on the microorganisms and their effects on aquatic substrates? This looks to be a good source of info on that:Gorlenko, V. M.;Dubinina, G. A.; Kuznetsov, S. I.: The ecology of aquatic micro-organisms. ISBN 978-3-510-40039-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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