Compost Tea Research
ANSWERING THE QUESTION:
Does Compost Tea make certain leafy vegetables grow bigger or not?
Effects of Aerated Compost Tea on Swiss Chard, Kale & Lettuce Production in Virginia
A Producer Grant sponsored by Southern SARE (Sustainable Agricultural Research & Education) ending in March 2025.


How to Brew Compost Tea
a Compost Tea Podcast Course
courtesy of Troy Hinke of Living Roots Compost
Microbial Populations in Compost
vs.
Compost Tea / Extract
Does feeding the microbiology in the soil really make a difference? These results were from teas that were unfed.
This first batch of vermicompost was rained on and not turned due to fear of breaking fungal strands. This resulted in almost anaerobic, too-wet conditions. The tea that was brewed from it was not fed any microbial foods and while resulting in no pathogens, had hardly any beneficial bacteria in it.
Vermicompost Microbiome June 2023 vs.
Compost Tea Microbiome June 2023
The second batch of vermicompost was kept indoors. While resulting in a more robust compost, did not produce a robust tea according to test results. Compost tea sampling 48 hours post-harvest may have skewed true results.
Vermicompost Microbiome November 2023 vs.
Compost Tea Microbiome November 2023
Literature Review of Compost Tea Research
Elaine Ingham's Work on Compost Tea
Dr. Ingham's comprehensive manual on making, applying, and assessing compost tea is now available in its 5th edition. A must for any user of compost tea.
Effects of Aerated Compost Tea on the Growth Promotion of Lettuce, Soybean and Sweet Corn in Organic Cultivation
Does Aerated Compost Tea (ACT) make a difference in vegetable growth?
National Organic Standards Board
Compost Tea Task Force Report
What is legally deemed as safe compost tea by the USDA?
Impacts of Aerated Compost Tea on Containerized Acer saccharum and Quercus macrocarpa Saplings and Soil Properties in Sand, Uncompacted Loam and Compacted Loam Soils
Does Aerated Compost Tea (ACT) make a difference in potted tree growth? The answer is not what you think.
Compost Tea 101: (University of Arizona)
Compost tea as it relates to the climates of Southwestern US
Notes on Compost Tea
Soil researcher Steve Diver's comprehensive notes on Compost Teas, literature review until 2002, and slides to his presentation. Really good pictures of the biology and cool compost tea facts in this one!
Microbial Starter for the Enhancement of Biological Activity of Compost Tea
Does compost tea really multiply the biology in the original compost it's brewed from? And if so, how much greater are the populations? How much and what do we need to feed the good bugs for them to grow?
Also check out "Table IV: Nutrients and Heavy Metals Composition of Compost Tea Alone and Microbial-Enriched Compost Tea, at Day-3 of Brewing" in this study.
Compost Tea: Principles and Prospects For Plant Disease Control
A literature review of compost tea (aerated and non-aerated) and its ability (or inability) to control various plant diseases.
Good charts comparing methods, biological food, and brew or steep times.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of microbial-enriched compost tea on the development of powdery mildew
Can compost tea act as a fungicide for powdery mildew?
Impact of Compost Tea in Controlling Leaf Spot Disease and Soil Microorganisms; Density in Fava Bean (Vicia Faba L)
Can compost tea act as a fungicide for Leaf Spot Disease in fava beans?
Effects and relationships of compost type,
aeration and brewing time on compost tea properties, efficacy against Pythium ultimum, phytotoxicity, and potential as a nutrient amendment for seedling production.
Yeast populations favored ACTs, bacteria favored NCTs. Evidence suggests that multiple groups of microorganisms contributed to the inhibition of the plant pathogen (Pythium ulitimum) through antibiosis and competition for resources. Surprisingly this paper tries answer several compost tea questions such as.
Pathogen inhibition
Seed germination / phytotoxicity (in tomato and sweet pepper)
Effectivity of brew times
The difference in microbial growth in non-aerated vs. aerated compost tea
Compost tea research specifically for the tropics
A Krona graph of vermicompost of Troy Hinke
Nutrient Enhancement by Eisenia foetida in compost and compost tea by Ed Stockman (Organic Agrosystems Research)
Report for the analysis of 16S microbiome data by Dr. Laurent Falquet, UniFr
courtesy of Adrian Rubi at www.edapro.ch
A microbiome analysis of bacteria and their populations according to microbial starter (feed) in compost tea www.edapro.ch
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