Compost tea: a

brewable food web for

disease control
Martha Rosemeyer
June 25, 2003
rosemeym@evergreen.edu

Outline

Background- what is compost tea?

Organisms involved
Does it work?
How does it work?
Future research
Resources
Photo: Seth Book

What is compost tea?

Water extract of compost that is brewed, ie
fermented (Ingham, E. 2001)
Specifically the organisms are released from
the compost and increase in number
May be given nutrients to further increase
organisms
Used for disease control, as well as a plant
nutrient source

Not to be
confused with:
Manure tea made as a
nutrient source

Plant extracts or herbal

teas for disease control
or plant health, for
example biodynamic
preparations
Photos: Eliot Colemans European tour (Diver 2001)

What does compost tea contain?

plant nutrients and humic acids

active bacteria (1 billion to 10 trillion cfu/ml)
active fungi
protozoa
nematodes
products of microbes that can have antibiotic
properties
Photo from: Compost Food Web slide show

Why compost tea? Why now?

Increasing societal concern for health and
environment and organic production
Lack of disease control mechanisms for
organic farmers and gardeners
Restricting agrochemicals due to recognized
toxicity, for example FQPA

Organic farmers need control methods that

work within a holistic system

Organic sales increasing at 20+% per year

Worldwatch Institute. 2000. Why Poison Ourselves.

Used extensively due to

perceived benefits

Homeowners
Without tea
Nurseries
Organic crop growers
Golf courses
Organic landscape management

With Tea

Ingham 2001

municipal parks and recreation dept

BUT LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE

Background
Since 1920s compost water used to soak seeds for
nutrients, prevent disease
Two main approaches
compost extracts = watery fermented compost extract=
steepages =non-aerated compost tea (Scheuerell and
Mahaffee 2002)

fermented but not aerated, stirred occasionally

lower costs, lower energy
much research
disease control has been documented

 aerated compost tea

fermented, aerated
higher costs, energy
little research, some disease control reports

Diver 2001

Benefits of compost tea

Nutrient application
Disease control
Foliar disease
Root disease

Inoculation of functioning soil food web

How to make non-aerobic

compost tea
Mix 1:4-1:10 compost to water in an open
container, stir occasionally
At least 3 d at 15-25C (50-70 F)

How to make Aerobic Compost Tea

Choose compost- well aged
plant based or worm compost

In water (remove chlorine from water)

Add nutrients (optional) like molasses,
humic acids, kelp
Aerate and mix solution for 12 - 24 - 48
hours

Commercial aerobic compost tea

brewers
Soil Soup: www.soilsoup.com
Microb Brewer: www.microbbrewer.com
Growing Solutions:
www.growingsolutions.com
Earth Tea Brewer: www.composttea.com
Xtractor:
www.compara.nl/compost_tea_systems.htm/En
glish

Soil Soup
www.soilsoup.com

Microb Brewer
www. microbbrewer.com

Growing Solutions
www.growingsolutions.com

bubbling
aeration

What happens in the compost tea

while brewing?
?

TESC Student expts:

Scott Chichester and Seth Book
Changes in compost tea
during brewing
Preventing damping off
of marjoram

Photos: Seth Book

Dissolved Oxygen >5.5 ppm

DO(ppm )

Dissolved Oxygen
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

ppm
48 hrs

24 hrs

20000

40000

60000

80000 100000 120000 140000 160000 180000

time(seconds)

ppm

NO3

Nitrate
3.6
3.55
3.5
3.45
3.4
3.35
3.3
3.25
3.2
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Time(seconds)

50000

60000

70000

20 hrs

From: Book and Chichester

pH > 7.2
pH
7.4

pH

7.35
7.3
7.25
7.2
7.15
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

Time(seconds)

Temperature(C)

Temperature(compost tea solution)

26
25.9
25.8
25.7
25.6
25.5
25.4
25.3
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Time(seconds)

50000

60000

70000

Food web concept

Everything eats, everything excretes, and
everything is food for something"
Elaine Ingham, 2001

A great resource:
SWCS/NRCS,
Soil Biology Primer

A functioning food web is

desirable in a compost tea

From: Soil Biology Primer

Most bacteria (99%) cannot be cultured

Direct counts and genetic diversity assessment
Activity of bacteria important
Nutrients can help to wake 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.
From: Soil 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 WI.
From: Soil Biology Primer

bacteria

Protozoa: 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, Oregon State University
From: Soil Biology Primer

Protozoa: 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, Oregon State University, Corvallis From: Soil Biology Primer

Interaction

Vampyrellidae attack
fungus take all of
wheat
From: Soil Biology Primer

cysts

Most nematodes in the soil are not plant parasites.

Beneficial nematodes help control disease and cycle nutrients.
Credit: Elaine R. Ingham, Oregon State University, Corvallis
From: Soil Biology Primer

Interactions:
Nematode trapping fungi

From: Soil Biology Primer

Microbes are ancient!

Responsible for all major processes on
earth, including decomposition and
photosysnthesis and nutrient cycling
Major cycles of Earth could continue
without plants and animals
Most are beneficial!

Do we know what the diversity or

quantity
means
with
respect
to
disease?
Not entirely
Most soil organisms are unknown!
How does microbial diversity transfer to increasing
function?
If we are mainly interested in disease prevention then
do we know what mechanism and whether that
organism is involved?
In general more diversity means better change that
have the appropriate organism

Minimum standards for compost

tea/mL (Ingham 2001)
10-150 g active bacteria,150-300 g total
bacteria
2-10 g active fungi, 5-20 total fungi
1000 flagellated protozoa
1000 amoebae protozoa
20-50 ciliates protozoa
2-10 beneficial nematodes

Total population of active

microbes
Bacteria minimum 107-1010 (Scheurell and
Mahaffee)
But may not be associated with disease
control, if appropriate agent not present!

Does it work?
NCT- Good evidence under
certain circumstances
Much research with
grey mold
(Botrytis cineraria)
Downy mildew of grape
(Plasmopara viticola)

Evidence of NCT disease suppression

Late blight of potato, tomato
Phytopthora infestans
Gray mold on beans, strawberries
Botrytis cinerea
Fusarium wilt
Fusarium oxysporum
Downy & Powdery mildew-grapes
Plasmopara viticola
Uncinula necator
Powdery mildew on cucumbers
Sphaerotheca fuliginea
Gray mold on tomato, pepper

Apple scab
Venturia conidia

Horse compost extract

Weltzein (1990)
Cattle compost extract
Weltzein (1990)
Bark-compost extract
Kai, et al (1990)
Animal manure-straw compost
extract
Weltzein (1989)
Animal manure-straw compost
extract
Weltzein (1989)
Cattle & chicken manure compost
extract
Grape marc compost extract
Elad, Shtienberg (1994)
Spent mushroom compost extract
Cronin, Andrews (1996)

Diver, 1998

Is ACT better than NCT?

Both ferment well-characterized compost in water
for a period of time, with or without nutrients
Few studies have actually compared the two
NCT has been suggested to cause plant problems
and potentially an environment for human
pathogen growth (Ingham)
According to Scheuerell and Mahaffee, there is no
evidence that phytotoxic symptoms

Apple scab control using NCT and

ACT manure-based spent mushroom
compost (Cronin et al. 1996)
ACT (7 d) vs. NCT (7d)
In vitro effect on germination
of conidia of Venturia inaequalis,
pathogen of apple scab
NCT 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)
Three sources of compost
ACT commercial preparation vs.
7day NCT
All equal results on powdery mildew of rose
(Sphaerotheca pannosa) within source of
compost
Authors concluded that source of compost
more important than ACT or NCT

Tests for Disease control of ACT

Control of:
Brown rot blossom
blight of sweet
cherry (Monilinia
laxa)
Lettuce drop, post
harvest fruit of
blueberry
Powdery mildew of
rose (Sphaerotheca
pannosa var. rosae)

No control:
PM of apple,
grape, apple and
pear scab, brown
rot of peach,
peach leaf curl,
cherry leaf spot
Early blight of
tomato

Reference:
Pscheidt and
Wittig 1996

Granatstein 1999
Scheuerell and
Mahaffee 2000

Disease control with ACT

Granatstein 1999

ACT had effects on yield and disease control

No effect on early blight of tomato
lettuce drop incidence decrease in summer not spring
Post harvest rot of blueberries significantly reduced,
but reduced yields
Spinach yield decreased, but broccoli spring and
summer increased
no general pattern

Disease control with ACT

Presidio golf greens
Decreased
Microdochium

No effect
Anthracnose

Conforti et al. 2002

Bacterial vs. Fungal dominated

teas can be determined by added
nutrients (Ingham 2001)
Bacterial: simple sugars to fulvic acids
Fungal: humic acids
Have been difficult for some to produce fungal
dominated teas (Scheuerell and Mahaffee 2002)
Reports reduction of suppression due to nutrient
competition?
Useful to know nutrients that support antagonists

How might compost teas work?

Mechanisms from NCT
Prevention of pathogen colonization
due to competition of space or nutrients
direct destruction of pathogen

Antibiosis
Release of antimicrobial compounds

Induced resistance

Colonization of phylloplane
If 70% of leaf covered by organisms
reduction
of bacteria
disease
60-70% active
and(Ingham)
2-5% active fungi
Various authors
Pseudomonads,
aerobic Bacillus,
aerobic spore forming
bacteria with reduction
in powdery mildew
of grape

Predation NCT: Fusarium

spore rupture
Root drench for Fusarium diseases of
pepper and cucumber
Direct destruction on disease-causing spores

Ascospores of Fusarium solani

Antibiosis: what organisms and

metabolites may be involved?
Bacteria- Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Serrantia
Yeast- Sporobolomyces, Cryptococcus
Fungi- Trichoderma, Gliocladium and
Penicillium
Chemicals involved - phenols, amino acids, low
molecular weight non-protein (sometimes
produced by fermentation and other times
already within compost)

NCT induced resistance to plant

pathogens
Powdery mildew of cucurbits
(Sphaerotheca fuliginea)
NCT 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%
DO [but there is disease suppression in NCT]
in vitro pathogen inhibition [but question as to
whether this reflects field conditions]
active bacteria 10-150 g
active fungi 2-10 g
protozoa and nematodes (for soil application)

Potential to support human pathogens

Appears that despite popular conception, ACT can
support human pathogens if fermented with sugars (2
papers)
If no sugars, including molasses, are used then neither
ACT and NCT appear to be able to maintain human
enteric pathogens (Escherigia, Salmonella, Shigella,
Yersinia) even if contain low levels of pathogens
If use worm compost as source appears that can avoid
pathogens
Needs more research

Summary
Jury still out on NCT vs ACT, bacterial vs.
fungal composts and tea, human pathogen tests
Good testimonials but variable results
May be due to variability in the compost tea
Know your compost tea feedstocks!

Variability may be due to previous use of

pesticides and fertilizers
Not a panacea but a great tool!

Future research
We are all experimenters!
If possible send sample in for testing: BBC labs
(www.bbclabs.com), Soil Food Web Inc.

Need to understand connection between quantity,

specific organisms, food web for disease suppression
How to support the suppressive organisms and
mechanisms that suppress disease
Effect of cropping system-- organic vs. conventional
Duff Wilson, Fateful Harvest

Resources
Diver, S. 1998, 2001. www.attra.org
Ingham, E. 2001. Compost Tea Brewing Manual.
Available through: www.soilfoodweb.com
Soil and Water Conservation Society and NRCS. 2001.
Soil Biology Primer. www.swcs.org
Scheurell and Mahaffee. 2002. Literature Review:
Compost tea: Principles and Prospects for Disease
Control. Compost Science and Utilization 10(4):313338

PNW research experiences

Granatstein, D. 1999. Foliar disease control using
compost teas. Compost Connection for Western
Agriculture 8:1-4
Pscheidt and Wittig. 1996. Fruit and ornamental
disease management testing program. Ext. Plant
Path. OSU
Scheuerell, S. 2003.Understanding How Compost
Tea Can Control Disease. Biocycle 44: 20-25

Photo credits not listed above

Bacteria Credit: Michael T. Holmes, Oregon
State University, Corvallis. From: Soil
Biology Primer
Fungus Credit: R. Campbell. In R.
Campbell. 1985. Plant Microbiology.
Edward Arnold; London. P149. From: Soil
Biology Primer

From: Growing Solutions website