Controlling Powerdery Mildew Using Compost Tea
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Controlling Powerdery Mildew Using Compost Tea
- From: P* O*
- Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 22:49:00 -0800
- Mail-Followup-To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
I received the following URL from the compost list. There is a mounting
body of evidence that a number of common plant diseases can be controlled
using compost tea when applied as a foliar spray. The link below
specifically mentions control of Powdery mildew on grapes and cucumbers.
I don't have a problem with it where I am but I garden organically. I
thought it might prove useful (or just plain cheaper than fungicide) for
other pumpkin growers.
"Compost extracts enable biocontrol of plant pathogens through their action
on the phyllosphere (i.e., leaf surface and associated microbes). A wide
range of mechanisms-such as induced resistance, inhibition of spore
germination, antagonism, and competition with pathogens-seem to contribute
to the suppressive effect (2,3)."
"The active components identified thus far in compost extracts include
bacteria (Bacillus), yeasts (Sporobolomyces and Cryptococcus), and fungi,
as well as chemical antagonists such as phenols and amino acids (2). Heat
sterilization and/or filtration inactivated, or partially inactivated,
efficacy of compost extracts thus indicating biological components play a
significant role (2,3)."
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/comptea.html
Shaun in Spokane
--
Poor animals! How jealously they guard their pathetic bodies.. that which to
us is merely an evening's meal, but to them is life itself. -T. Casey Brennan
polaris@wolfenet.com ++ PGP email welcome
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