Development of compost tea production method

Transcription

1 Development of compost tea production method Compost Council of Canada, Niagara Falls, Ontario Yves Bernard, eng., project manager September

2 Presentation outline CRIQ Background Methodology Results

3 About CRIQ (Center research industrial of Québec) CRIQ has been an expert in industrial productivity and competitiveness for 45 years now and provides the most extensive range of innovation services available in Québec. Its experts help businesses and organisations from the public sector to find innovative solutions to their industrial productivity, exports, competitiveness, and eco-efficiency challenges.

4 A state-owned institution created in 1969 We offer the widest range of innovation services in Québec Two facilities: Montréal and Québec More than 200 employees Multidisciplinary team of expert engineers Industries: forest, mining, food, energy, transport including aerospace, telecommunications, etc. Industry advisors travelling all across the province About 2,950 projects every year Over 185 patents and 14 commercial licenses Customer and partner satisfaction 90% and 88% year after year

5 Key Services Industrial Eco-efficiency and Environment Developing green processes and technologies to help businesses reduce their environmental footprint Environmental Processes Air treatment Water treatment Treatment of waste materials Formulation for added-value products Recycling and valorization of various material (Rubber, plastics, and various industrial residues) Extraction Biomethanization Product Compliance Chemical analyses, microbiological tests, dismantling report

6 Compost tea development: Background Demand by industry and municipalities for organic fungistatic products; Interest in developing compost tea with fungistatic properties; CRIQ is interested in developing its knowledge base in order to provide advice and expertise in Québec; Lots of empirical information on the Internet. Need for more scientific information; Two areas of application of compost teas were identified early in the project: golf greens and potato crops; Need to develop simple and effective methods for producing compost tea;

7 Compost tea development: Background Dollars spots on grass caused by Sclerotinia homeocarpa

8 Compost tea development: Background Potatoes fungus causes by Pythium ultimum

9 Methodology Literature review : identification of compost tea production methods; analysis of different methods for different uses of compost tea; applications for the use of compost tea.

10 Methodology: Compost tea production Compost tea production parameters: proportion of compost to water; timing; extraction; aeration; measuring the amount of air during fermentation; need for sugar/commercial solution?

11 Methodology: Laboratory trials Laboratory trials with compost tea Chemical and biological analyzes of different composts Determination of optimal parameters for production Commercial molasse Soil Soup TM from Soil food web

12 Methodology: Measuring the performance of compost tea Measuring the performance of compost tea as a biofungistat (fungal inhibitor) Two strains of fungi : Sclerotinia homeocarpa (grass) Pythium ultimum (potatoes) MIC test (minimal inhibitory concentration)

13 Results: Literature review No detailed description of compost tea production methods; Many performance tests on biofungicides for plants; Seems preferable to aerate the tea during its fermentation to avoid the development of nauseating odors and pathogens; The use of a commercial solution with a molasses base seems widespread; Fermented tea is made within a day or two (24 to 48 hours); No information about how long the tea retains its properties; Looking into the more interesting types of compost: manure, SSO, vermicompost, etc.

14 Results: Literature review The use of the TOD method (total oxygen dissolved) is a common technique in fermentation process control. A dissolved oxygen concentration of less than 2 mg O 2 / L may indicate an O 2 deficiency that would limit the reproduction of microorganisms. A concentration greater than 4-5 mg O 2 / L usually means that a higher O 2 intake results in additional energy expenditure (Le Bihan, 2013).

15 Soil food web laboratory Results: Compost analysis PARAMETERS LOMBRICOMPOST TYPE OF COMPOST COMPOST SSO TUNNEL INSIDE COMPOST SSO WINDROW OUTSIDE COMPOST MANURE Moisture content (%) wet basis / Organic matter (%) dry basis / C/N ratio N/A Density (kg/m 3 ) N/A Conductivity (ms/cm) N/A 5.3 ph N/A 7.7 Respiration rate (mg O 2 / kg S.V.-h) Nitrites-Nitrates (mg/kg) d.b N/A < 2.0 NTK (g/100 g) d.b N/A 2.75 N-NH 3 (g/100 g) d.b N/A Salmonella Absent Absent Absent Absent Fecal coliforms (NPP/g) < 10 < 10 < 10 E. Coli (NPP/g) < 10 < 10 < 10 Calcium (µg/g) d.b N/A P 2 O 5 (µg/g) d.b N/A 293 K 2 O (µg/g) d.b N/A 545 Mg (µg/g) d.b N/A 482 NO 3 -N (nitrate) (µg/g) d.b N/A N/A SO 4 (µg/g) d.b N/A 97 Active bacteria (µg/g) 49.7 (excellent) 46 (excellent) 12.7 (low) 30.6 (excellent) Total Bactéria (µg/g) 311 (good) 209 (good) 75.7 (low) (good) Active Fungus (µg/g) 61.7 (excellent) 136 (excellent) 2.47 (low) 11.3 (low) Total Fungus (µg/g) 304 (excellent) (excellent) 286 (good) 523 (excellent) Flagellates (#/g) (low) (high) 0 (low) (high) Amobeas (#/g) (low) (high) (high) (low) Ciliates (#/g) 827 (high) (high) 0 (low) 323 (high) Nematodes (#/g) 0.81 (low) 13 (low) 0.03 (low) 6.50 (low)

16 Oxygène dissous (mg/l) Taux aération (ml/min) Oxygène Dissous (mg/l) Taux aération (ml/min) Results: Compost tea production methods Bad fermentation Good 400 fermentation Temps (h) temps (h)

17 Results: MIC test for fungus control Pythium ultimum: Potatoes Sclerotinia homeocarpa : Grass

18 Results: MIC test for fungus control Measuring the impact of fungal inhibition by autoclaved compost tea Tea acts through microbial activity

19 Other results The MIC test with autoclaved teas shows that the fungistatic effect of tea comes from microbiological properties rather than its physical and chemical characteristics; It is necessary to aerate and add a sugar solution to achieve meaningful fungal growth inhibition (more than 70% inhibition rate); The performance of compost tea does not seem related to the use of a commercial solution or molasses;

20 Conclusions The parameters of production methods for compost teas that effectively inhibit the growth of harmful fungi in two types of plants are better defined; The importance of aerating compost tea during production; The importance of identifying a suitable aeration rate which increases the performance of a liquid compost extract biofungicide that is likely to have a meaningful impact (performance of 70 to 90%); Recommended use of mature compost containing no pathogens;

21 Conclusions Dissolved oxygen is a quite reliable and simple parameter for the production of tea; Minimum of 24 hours of aeration after the liquid is extracted; The commercial solution would have provided the best performance with Scerotitinia homoecarpa; A proportion of one volume of compost to five volumes of water would be a good dilution for effective mixing; Compost tea does not appear to retain its properties for more than 6 days;

22 Results: Other investigations Does the tea retain its long-term fungicidal properties as a result of its preparation? Otherwise, are there ways to preserve these properties? Does the use of Soil SoupTM versus molasses have an advantage at this level? Which tea dosage should I use to have a significant impact on crops covered by a tea application (interesting dilution)? Would the same method (with the same production parameters) of compost tea preparation allow for control of other pathogens? Does the origin or composition of the compost have an effect on the ability of tea to control pathogens (fungi)? Could the basis of the solution used for the preparation of tea just come from processing residues in the food industry (sugar production, for example)? Do mediums other than compost (e.g. forest soil) yield good results?

23 Work Team: Thank you! Yves Bernard, engineer, project manager Yann Le Bihan, microbiologist, Ph. D. Marie-Andrée St-Pierre, microbiologist, M. Sc. Éric Légaré, technician, CRIQ laboratory technician, Valérie Gravel, agro. Ph. D., U. McGill, plant control disease Yves Desjardins, agro. Ph. D., U. Laval, grass expert Soil food web laboratory

24 Thank you! It will be a pleasure to take one Tea or more with you after this presentation