How to do it Series - Episode 1 - Culturing Trichoderma

[@StephenBokla]

YESSS!!!! CAN't WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!

[@marklloyd6433]

So excited to see what's to follow. You are so amazingly generous Graeme. Much love from England, mate!

[@carolsadler-nh9qt]

Love this, THANKYOU 😊

[@coombabaykelpiesltf5494]

Amazing thank you!

[@sallyanngreyvensteyn5056]

Oh my, this is so lovely. The initial part of this is absolutely what we all strive for. Good roots and earthworms. You are one of my heroes. Thanks so much

[@johnogechah4193]

Great stuff, inspiring. Keep up the good work, Graeme!

[@tullyallsop6964]

Top stuff. Looking forward to the next episode matey!

[@jeremymoremon1501]

Thanks Greame!!!

[@Yourgolfplace]

Fantastic Graeme, looking forward to making my own for our nursery - can this process be done in cooler months or is it better to wait until spring when it's warmer for the southern states. Thanks

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

@Yourgolfplace great to hear! As long you cover the pile with a very thick straw layer this process can be done anytime of the year. Microbial activity can generate it's own heat, so if you include some materials with a higher cellulose content and less volatile sources of nitrogen it will take longer to break down and this source of warmth can be maintained for prolonged periods. Obviously if it cools down too much or freezes biological activity with slow down or halt entirely, but they will recover once things thaw again. Happy composting!

[@markhiggins3054]

Bloody great - with the molasses- I buy mine from a fodder store in old 2l milk containers - hence don’t know if it sulfurated or not - does it matter?

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

Thanks @markhiggins3054 ! Generally the bulk molasses available at agricultural stores will contain Sulphur Dioxide. It is definitely better to use unsulphured molasses, but we have produced many successful ferments using sulphured molasses. Likely there will be some negative effects on biodiversity, as a subset of more sensitive microbes won't perform as well, but the effects don't seem to be over significant for backyard brews. This seems to be the case in Australia, but the sulphur dioxide content will likely vary across different regions, so it's probably a good idea to test sulphured vs unsulphured molasses in your area to confirm this is the case. I hope that helps!

[@FrazzleDazzle9]

Thanks for the demonstration. Can you indicate how & how much to integrate into a soil for say tomatoes or pepper?

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

No worries, thanks @FrazzleDazzle9 ! If you follow the method covered in Episode 2: Extracting Compost, we generally recommend 50 litres per hectare, diluted appropriately for your application. In this instance, both soil and foliar applications would be beneficial; for the soil, you could fertigate it during a watering cycle and with foliar applications, we want to saturate the leaves to the first drip stage. In reality, rates can vary widely depending on the situation; for instance, if you had fungal infections, much higher rates would be recommended. If it is based on quality compost, there are very few risks to over-application.

[@nedobrien6375]

The video is a great learning tool. Well done. Once made , how long will the tricoderma remain viable, and does it require on going monitoring to remain moist and feeding

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

Thanks @nedobrien6375! This process is designed to produce high concentrations of highly active mycelium, as such it is best used as soon as possible. If it is allowed to sit without new food and dry out spore production will begin, but it is hard to gauge to consistency of this. If kept in a cool and dry environment the spores can be kept for several years, they just need moisture and food to be activated. A pure spore form is what is in the original Tricho-Shield inoculant. All the best!

[@rocpbar]

Hi, Graeme. Thanks for the video. One question: have you ever analysed the final product to see the concentration of Trichoderma?

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

Hi @rocpbar, Thanks! No we haven't done any testing as yet, this is designed to be a cheap method to quickly multiply these beneficial species and such testing isn't cheap. The presence of Trichoderma is obvious through the colour of the visible hyphae. However, it would be interesting for us to do some testing at some point.

[@TonyJifkins]

Hi Greame, just wondering if this could be incorporated in an aerated static pile composter?

[@NutriTechSolutionsNTS]

Hi @TonyJifkins, Thanks for the question! Yes, this is possible, but there will be a trade-off between a greater diversity of microbes and the amount of Trichoderma produced; this method is designed to innoculate the entire media with Trichoderma. I would recommend using separate piles and then blending them during the compost extract phase. This should give you high levels of Trichoderma and a high diversity of other microbes.