----- Original Message ----- From: Allan Balliett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 12:46 PM Subject: Re: Cover crop
> > > >If you are using bd, you do not need to buy inoculants for legumes since they > >are already in the remedies, that is what I mean...sstorch > > Of the many outlandish claims for the BD preps that have issued from > your keyboard recently, Steve, this is the most off-base. Inoculants > for legumes is probably an area we could all stand to pay more > attention to and one that is receiving very little support by > industry. (e.g. my seed store used to offer 'pea innoculant' and two > different bean innoculants and a soy bean innoculant. Now they simply > offer 'garden innoculant' and soy innoculant. I am told that there > are at least DOZENS of 'exactly right' innoculants and that > generalized innoculants (like those in the 'garden innoculant' are > only partially effective.) Allan - You are correct - these bugs are species specific - the innoculant groups available in Australia run at least 33 different types - then there are strains within groups, developed for better survival etc Good innoculation of legumes is the secret to getting maximum atmospheric nitrogen fixation / buildup from these plants - without good nodulation to fix free N from the air all we are doing with legume green manures is recycling organic matter Nitrogen within the soil system. (OK I know there is also the possibility of Nitrogen fixation by azotobacters and other free living critters but now we are talking about a handful of operators who have developed their soil to the highest levels - most of us are many years from that) Used at a heavy rate your seed store "garden innoculant" is probably OK - its probably a mix of the most likely strains. The right one would be available make these guys order it in!! To me growing our own nitrogen is the first, easiest, and most basic step to take into any form of sustainable agriculture - Aussie farmers did this for decades but have been suckered into the buy nitrogen deal of late. > > If you're talking about BD500 being a soil innoculant like good > compost tea, well, yes, fer sure. Maybe some local nodule forming critters could get into the 500 by accident or as contamination and it would be a good place for them to live but I think thats about the limit of it!! Cheers Lloyd Charles
