Podcasts about nematodes

A new tool for controlling soybean cyst nematode will be available to growers this year. NIMAXXA ™ bionematicide from UPL will help soybean and corn growers protect their valuable seeds from destructive nematodes. NIMAXXA will be the only triple-strain bionematicide on the markets. On this episode of Brownfield's Innovations in Agriculture, Mark Dorenkamp talks with Steve Sopher with crop protection company UPL.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

University of Idaho researchers are introducing genes from a specific plant into potatoes in an effort to develop spuds that are resistant to harmful nematodes.

Send us a textWelcome to Alternative Dog Moms - a podcast about what's happening in the fresh food community and the pet industry.   Kimberly Gauthier is the blogger behind Keep the Tail Wagging, and Erin Scott hosts the Believe in Dog podcast.CHAPTERS: 2:25 Why Chan Developed Oncotect6:00 What are Nematodes?8:45 Types of cancers detected by Oncotect9:37 How early (what stages) can Oncotect detect cancer?10:18 How long did it take to develop Oncotect?11:35 What is the testing process?16:20 Why pet parents would use Oncotect19:27 How accurate is Oncotect?20:34 Oncotect offers peace of mind23:27 Trends discovered by Oncotect test results24:32 Moderate vs. High risk test results25:59 Screening vs. Diagnostic tests27:00 What comes in the screening kit?29:45 How long before results are available?30:53 Do results identify cancer types?31:27 How often should test be repeated?31:54 Is Oncotect just for dogs?33:07 Papers Onctotect plans to publish33:40 Can other health issues impact Oncotect test results?34:35 Dogs vs. Kids chat39:23 Is Oncotect related to the cancer vaccine?41:18 Can Oncotect be used to test for remission or monitoring?ONCOTECT:Learn more about Oncotect: https://tinyurl.com/3ms95wf5OUR BLOG/PODCASTS...Kimberly: Keep the Tail Wagging, KeepTheTailWagging.comErin Scott: Believe in Dog podcast, BelieveInDogPodcast.comFACEBOOK...Keep the Tail Wagging, Facebook.com/KeepTheTailWaggingBelieve in Dog Podcast, Facebook.com/BelieveInDogPodcastINSTAGRAM...Keep the Tail Wagging, Instagram.com/RawFeederLifeBelieve in Dog Podcast, Instagram.com/Erin_The_Dog_MomThanks for listening to our podcast. You can learn more about Erin Scott's first podcast at BelieveInDogPodcast.com. And you can learn more about raw feeding, raising dogs naturally, and Kimberly's dogs at KeepTheTailWagging.com. And don't forget to subscribe to The Alternative Dog Moms.

In this episode we speak with Dean Parwinder Grewal, nine months after his appointment as Dean of the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, where he is already starting to make his mark - like changing what CTAHR stands for! We find out about his agriculture and education backgrounds, and how he found out about and why he accepted the position in Hawaii. We hear his vision for Hawaii's resiliency and how that has shaped, and will shape, his work and that of CTAHR in the future.Brought to you by University of Hawaii College of Tropical Ag. and Human Resources (CTAHR), and the Seeds of Well-being (SOW) Project. This podcast is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hawaii Department of Agriculture.Resources:Hawaiʻi College of Tropical AgriculturePunjab Agricultural UniversityHis publications about Nematodes and urban food self-relianceSlides from Hawaii Agricultural Conference 2024 used in presentationOur podcast with Senator Tim Richards Our podcast with Kamehameha Schools History of CTAHRFinding CTAHR locations and resourcesFind out more about us: Seeds Of Wellbeing website Seeds of Wellbeing Resource Hub All the SOW links

Amber and Sabrina discuss the best ways to keep common garden pests and weeds under control. 0:55 Sab's bid to save the Perth Cultural Centre Wetlands. 33:26 Best traps for the worst pests? 41:20 Nematodes; nemesis or not so bad? Listen to the program live on Saturdays at 9:00AM on ABC Radio Perth and ask your questions by calling in on 1300 222 720 or text 0437 922 720Subscribe to the podcast through the ABC Listen App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to listen.

The humble potato: is it a vegetable or a grain? Coming from a family that has farmed America's favorite vegetable (yes, we'll refer to the potato as such), Mitchell Searle offers a unique perspective on the cultivation, harvesting, and sustainability of this crop.   While Searle expresses concern about what he perceives as the growing chasm between the farm and the consumer, he emphasizes that many of the misconceptions surrounding potato farming are largely unfounded.  “Sustainability is my number one focus every day,” says Searle. “Is my workload sustainable? Are my tillage practices sustainable? Is my business structure sustainable to be passed on to the next generation? Everything boils down to sustainability. His family has farmed for over 100 years, so they should know.  Listen in as Searle discusses biological vs. chemical practices, how interest groups shape policy, and his very down-to-earth potato consumption preferences. Visit potatoesusa.com for more or connect with Mitchell Searle on LinkedIn.

Many people are becoming selective about what gets injected into their bodies, but don't think twice about having their animals vaccinated. Dr. Ruth Roberts joins me again today to talk about which vaccinations and flea, tick, and heartworm medications are necessary and which are not. She also explains how to incorporate mindfulness into our pet's daily routine. Options for environmental control against ticks and fleas: Nematodes that eat the eggs and larvae Borax or diatomaceous earth  Growth regulators that prevent fleas from forming a protective layer Capstar tablets Insect growth regulators to be given orally (Lufenuron)  Amber collars 0BugZone electromagnetic collars  About Dr. Roberts: Dr. Ruth Roberts has supported thousands of dogs and cats to overcome health hurdles like kidney disease, GI Illness, allergies, and cancer. Her natural approach to healing creates a gentle yet effective path for your pet to take on their journey to well-being.  Dr. Ruth created The Original CrockPet Diet, a balanced home-cooked diet for pets, as the foundation of health. Dr. Ruth will help you to develop a health plan for your pet via e-learning, videos on a range of health topics, and One on One coaching.   In this episode: How long the duration of immunity is for pets, and what that means. (30:56) What distemper and parvo are. (32:34) What happens when a person or a pet gets rabies. (35:37) How to dose a pet with Thuja. (37:00) What a titer is and what it tests for. (38:14) Should we back off with vaccines for low-risk animals or non-responders? (40:56) Why a kennel cough vaccination may be necessary. (43:20) Whether or not dogs need to be vaccinated against leptospirosis and Lyme disease. (44:45) Alternatives for tick and flea control. (51:20) Options for environmental control of ticks and fleas. (53:28) Heartworm prevention for dogs. (56:37) Incorporating mindfulness into your pet's daily routine. (58:24) Links and resources: Use code MOOD to get 10% off 5HTP LMNT link: https://elementallabs.refr.cc/drgray Use code GLUTATHIONE to get 10% off GLUTATHIONE Dr. Ruth Roberts's website  Follow Dr. Ruth Roberts on Instagram/ Twitter/ LinkedIn/ Facebook/ TikTok/ YouTube Free PDF download:  When Not to Take Your Pet to the ER Vet Get a 10% discount with CODE DRSTEPHANIEGRAY for The Original CrockPet Diet Follow Your Longevity Blueprint on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast 

Send us a textWelcome to another episode of The Cutflower Podcast! I'm your host, Roz Chandler, and today we're diving deep into all things garden pests. I'm joined by the brilliant Tessa from Ladybird Plant Care, who's here to share some amazing tips on how to manage pests organically. From slugs to aphids, we're covering it all, so if you've had any garden woes this year, you won't want to miss this episode!Episode Summary:In this episode, Tessa from Ladybird Plant Care walks us through the challenges and solutions for common garden pests, with a particular focus on organic methods. We chat about the importance of tackling pests like slugs and aphids at the right time of year, and why natural biological control is becoming more popular. Tessa also shares why using nematodes in the autumn is key to reducing slug problems in the spring, and we explore the fascinating world of parasitic wasps for aphid control. If you've ever wondered how to keep pests at bay without resorting to harmful chemicals, this episode is packed with practical advice to help your garden thrive.Key Takeaways:Slug Control with Nematodes: Now is the perfect time to apply nematodes to prevent next year's slug infestation. Tessa explains why autumn treatments are essential.Organic Pest Management: Biological control methods like using parasitic wasps for aphids are natural, effective, and environmentally friendly.Patience is Key: With biological controls, it's important to be patient and allow nature to take its course. These solutions take time but yield great results.Deep Cleaning for Pest Prevention: Clean your greenhouses and tools thoroughly at the end of the season to remove overwintering pests and prevent future infestations.Think Like a Bug: When preparing your garden for winter, consider where pests might hide, like under pots or in cracks, and take steps to eliminate their cosy spots.Action Step:Take a good look at your garden as we head into the colder months. Apply nematodes now to reduce slug populations, and give your greenhouse a deep clean to avoid overwintering pests. If you've had pest issues this year, start planning your biological controls for next year!Here are Tessa's contact details for any questions or pest identification help:You can reach her via email at plantcare@ladybirdplantcare.co.uk Visit Https://audioandco.com for all your audiobook, video and podcast needs. https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters Flower Farmers Retreat 2024 (21 &22 September): https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/businessretreat2024 2024 Farm Day at Field Gate Farm (10 August): https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/farmvisit A Cut Above Waitlist: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/ACutAboveWaitlist The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Imagine a world where giant, bus-sized nematodes roam the streets, carrying diseases from city to city! In this mind-bending episode, we explore the consequences of scaling up microscopic worms to Dune-like proportions. How would humanity adapt to these massive, translucent creatures? We dive into the science of nematodes, discuss potential worm-washing stations, and even contemplate the philosophy of these 302-neuron behemoths. From worm cowboys to hamster-ball daredevils, this episode will change how you think about the hidden world beneath our feet. --- Find out more about Gaby's science fiction short story! Here are the links for the anthology. The physical copy can be ordered here : https://www.neonhemlock.com/books/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention The ebook can be ordered here: https://www.neonhemlock.com/ebooks/luminescent-machinations-queer-tales-of-monumental-invention

In the latest episode of the Veg Grower Podcast, host Richard delves into a variety of gardening topics, sharing his personal experiences and experiments from his allotment and vegetable garden. This episode is packed with valuable insights on soil health, mulching techniques, pest control, and even includes a delicious recipe segment and a book review. Let's break down each topic in detail to provide actionable advice and thorough explanations for fellow gardening enthusiasts. Soil Health Experiment: The Underwear Test Understanding Soil Health Richard's innovative soil health experiment involved burying a pair of cotton underwear in his garden beds. This method, while unconventional, is a practical way to gauge the biological activity in the soil. After a few weeks, he unearthed the underwear to find that approximately 75% of it had decomposed. This significant level of decomposition indicates a healthy soil ecosystem rich in microorganisms and organic matter. Key Takeaways: Microbial Activity: The decomposition of the underwear suggests a high level of microbial activity, which is crucial for breaking down organic matter and releasing nutrients into the soil. Organic Gardening Practices: Richard attributes the positive results to years of adding compost and avoiding pesticides and chemicals, which support a thriving soil ecosystem. Actionable Advice: Conduct Your Own Test: Try burying a piece of cotton fabric in your garden to assess soil health. Check it after a few weeks to see the level of decomposition. Enhance Soil Health: Regularly add organic matter such as compost, leaf mould, and well-rotted manure to your soil. Avoid using chemical fertilizers and pesticides that can harm beneficial microorganisms. Mulching Techniques: Pros and Cons Exploring Different Mulch Types Richard experimented with various mulching techniques throughout the growing season, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. 1. Straw Mulch Pros: Excellent for retaining moisture and suppressing weeds. Cons: Increased slug and snail activity, especially in wet weather. 2. Grass Clippings Pros: Free resource from mowing the lawn, helps retain moisture. Cons: Not as effective as straw for weed suppression, may require additional watering. 3. Homemade Compost Pros: Reduces watering needs, provides nutrients to plants. Cons: Contains weed seeds, leading to some weed growth. 4. Heart of Eden Mulch Pros: Significantly reduces watering needs. Cons: Less effective in weed suppression, with bindweed and brambles still growing through. 5. Rocket Grow Mulch Pros: Most effective for weed suppression, helps retain moisture. Cons: None mentioned, highly appreciated for its performance. Key Takeaways: Straw: Best for water retention. Rocket Grow Mulch: Best for weed suppression. Actionable Advice: Choose the Right Mulch: Select mulch based on your specific garden needs. For moisture retention, straw is ideal, while for weed suppression, Rocket Grow mulch is highly effective. Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on how different mulches perform in your garden and be ready to adjust your approach based on weather conditions and pest activity. Nematodes for Pest Control: A Natural Solution Battling Compost Flies Richard faced a nuisance with compost flies in his kitchen and turned to nematodes as a natural pest control method. Nematodes are microscopic worms that can target and control pest populations effectively. Key Takeaways: Effectiveness: Richard reported a significant reduction in both compost flies and larvae after applying nematodes. Sustainability: Using nematodes aligns with sustainable gardening practices by reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Actionable Advice: Apply Nematodes: Purchase nematodes specific to the pests you're dealing with and follow the application instructions carefully.

This week on AgweekTV, a look at vice presidential candidate Tim Walz's farm policy. We take you to the grand opening of North Dakota's second dedicated soybean crush plant. We'll have important information for soybean growers about soybean cyst nematodes. And we'll take you to central South Dakota for a look at this year's sunflower crop.

In this encore presentation of Down the Garden Path, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss applying nematodes, the primary method homeowners in Canada use to control pests such as grubs on our lawns. It's been a heavy Japanese beetle season in the Greater Toronto Area, with a lot of damage done to the foliage of our trees and shrubs. As the hot days of summer come to an end, so will they! However, where there are Japanese beetles, there are white grubs. And right now, those white grubs are beginning to hatch and eat our lawns, growing and becoming next summer's Japanese beetles. So, what can we do? This is where applying nematodes comes in. Nematodes are microscopic, colourless worms that travel through water in the ground to attack and kill grubs and other pests. If you want them to work, you have to water your lawn well. They don't bother humans, pets, or plants but will attack various soil-borne pests instead. When nematodes find a host they want to eat, they work their way inside them, consuming their host using powerful bacteria. A single nematode can kill a pest in 24-48 hours, making them a quick and efficient solution to infestations. We discuss what nematodes are, how they work and the best practices for applying them. If you've been seeing the effects of Japanese beetles in your garden this summer, you won't want to miss this podcast. We offer lots of great tips to help your garden and lawn thrive into the fall and prepare it for success in the spring. Where to find us: Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. You can also email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne and Matthew via their websites: Joanne Shaw: down2earth.ca  Matthew Dressing: naturalaffinity.ca Other helpful resources: Applying Nematodes (blog post) Seasonal Stressors August in the Garden Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

From the Crop Doctors' Podcast studio in Stoneville, Jason and Tom discuss root knot nematode in the major row crops in Mississippi.  They talk about diagnosing problems in the field, what root knot nematode may be confused with, and management strategies to try to stay ahead of the problem. This episode and more are available on our website: http://extension.msstate.edu/shows/mississippi-crop-situation

Send us a Text Message.Dr. Andrea Choe, MD, Ph.D. is the CEO and Co-Founder of Holoclara ( https://www.holoclara.com/ ), a company focused on creating novel, safe, orally bioavailable worm-derived therapeutics with a focus on indications such as allergies and autoimmune disorders.While pursuing her doctorate at the California Institute of Technology, Dr. Choe uncovered a unique pheromone language shared by roundworms that may have evolved over hundreds of millions of years.Dr. Choe's research, including her discovery of novel molecules derived from worms that blocked formation of disease in animal models of allergic and autoimmune disease, has led to advances in the fields of evolutionary biology and extreme biology. Her work has become the foundation of Holoclara's technology and mission to pioneer a new class of therapeutics that can provide relief for millions of people living with chronic and debilitating diseases. Dr. Choe is a winner of the Emerging Women Founders in Biotech Award. She received her MD at USC Keck School of Medicine and her PhD at Caltech. #CaenorhabditisElegans #WormDerivedTherapeutics #AutoimmuneDisease #Allergies #Nematodes #AndreaChoe #Holoclara  #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast  #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the Show.

In this edition of DIG IT Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with special guest Andrew Mikolajski. Andrew, a well-known horticulturalist, and prolific author of over 40 gardening books, including his latest, ‘Who Ate My Plants'. Andrew discusses the ongoing battle gardeners have with garden pests and diseases.Plant mentions: Grow as many varieties and species – native and non-native from the Northern Hemisphere as you can to increase insect biodiversity of wildlife to help attract predators. Marigolds as a companion planting with Tomatoes and the pairing of alliums with roses. Check vegetable seed packets for disease resilience. Lavender, Penstemon, Fuchsias and Hebes would benefit from a dose of a high potash fertiliser to help toughen them up. Use vine weevil nematode control for Heuchera, Heucherella, alpines and Fuchsias.Product mentions: Slug pellets (use the jam jar method mentioned). Sand, Garlic wash, Box Tree Caterpillar Biological Control, Provanto Fungus Fighter (for Box Blight), Pheromone Traps (codling moth and plum moth), Organic pesticides, fleece over cabbage, good drainage essentials, include sand, potting grit, or Perlite to avoid overwet compost, Potassium (K) High potash fertilisers such as Sulphate of Potash, Tomorite, to help harden growth for the winter. Nematodes for slugs and vine weevil. Ladybird larvae and adults can be introduced.Pest / Disease mentions: Aphids, Slugs, Snails, Muntjak, Deer, Rabbits, Oak Processionary Moth - a notifiable pest, Xylella fasidiosa, Box Blight, Box Tree Caterpillar, Rose Black Spot and Rose Mildew.No Mow May, or maybe simply mow less often to encourage more flowers and diversity.Look for the RHS Plants for Pollinators logo.Make friends with your fellow allotment holders, or join a gardening club / society to learn about local growing conditions if you move into a new area.Judging at RHS show.Andrew's desert island essentials: A ball of garden twine and a pair of scissors and the Rose ‘Nostalgia.' Find out more about Andrew on his websiteAndrew's book, Who Ate My Plants? is published by Michael O'Mara Books Limited.Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Recorded live at the Groundswell Festival in the UK, this conversation with Adam Swan from the Soil Ecology Lab offers a profound exploration of how tiny organisms in the soil can make a massive difference in agriculture and ecosystem health.Discover the groundbreaking work inspired by Dr. Elaine Ingham, who first detailed nutrient cycling in soils through soil microbes. From the intricacies of nutrient cycling to the role of nematodes in soil health, this episode sheds light on the critical functions of these microscopic organisms.The conversation covers a broad range of topics, including the challenges and solutions in modern agriculture, the importance of high-quality compost, and innovative techniques to reintroduce beneficial microbes into degraded soils. Whether you're a farmer, a sustainability enthusiast, or just curious about the hidden world beneath our feet, this episode offers valuable insights and practical knowledge on how to improve soil health and agricultural productivity.00:00 - Intro 01:39 - Background and mission of the Soil Ecology Laboratory02:03 - Introduction to Dr. Elaine Ingham's work on nutrient cycling03:23 - The role of compost in nutrient cycling and soil health04:14 - Oxidative stresses from plowing, herbicides, and fertilizers + Importance of reintroducing microbes to disturbed agricultural soils05:14  - Types of nematodes and their functions + nematodes as nutrient cyclers and biocontrol agents07:08 - How compost can reintroduce beneficial microbes into soils + design and customization of compost for specific agricultural needs11:16 - Benefits observed in farmers' fields from compost application + stress adaptation and improved soil structure13:27 - Evolution of composting techniques and microbial analysis + use of genomic testing for optimizing compost20:07 - Potential of composting in creating regenerative agricultural systems + Role of logistics in optimizing resource use in agricultureConclusion: Tune in for a fascinating conversation that uncovers the vital role of soil microbes in agriculture and ecosystem regeneration. Learn how innovative composting techniques can transform our approach to farming and soil health. Don't miss this episode of the Deep Seed Podcast – a deep dive into the world beneath our feet and the future of sustainable agriculture.Useful Links:Soil Ecology Lab: https://soilecologylab.co.uk/Elaine Ingham: https://www.soilfoodweb.com/BioMakers: https://biomemakers.com/⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯This podcast was produced in partnership with Soil Capital, a company that supports #regenerativeagriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health.⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯Follow Us: Stay connected with us on social media for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content.Instagram: @deep_seed_podcastLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-seedEmail - raphael@deepseed.euHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this week's episode we delve into the issues around filter and nozzle blockages. We pay particular attention to the problems that can arise when mixing various biological products and how to overcome them.   Fish-based organic fertiliser Most commonly extracted using phosphoric acid. Phosphorus often reacts with soluble calcium to form insoluble calcium phosphate. Once this forms, it isn't going anyway, no matter how much you rinse the system. So avoid calcium containing products when using fish-based fertiliser, or do a bucket test first. The other issue with many organic fertilisers, including those based on fish, is that they are commonly suspensions, not soluble concentrates. As such, if left for a long period of time in the spray tank they may settle out and form a layer along the bottom of the tank. Therefore, do not store diluted product overnight. Storing diluted biologicals is also never advised because it will stimulate microbial growth and the additional problems that come from that if not precisely controlled.   Molasses-based organic fertilisers When it comes to molasses it is the actual water you need to take care with. If you pour molasses quickly into very cold water it can sink to the bottom of the tank in one big solid lump! If that lump is sucked into a mixing pump it can cause a catastrophic failure. Therefore always add molasses slowly to any tank and agitate continuously. Alternatively, pre-dilute the molasses in some warm water before adding to the tank for further dilution to the spray concentration.    Seaweed extracts Confirm the pH first. Some are acidic, some neutral, but more commonly they are alkaline. If alkaline, avoid any product that will lower the pH and bring the carbohydrate (alginic acid etc) solids out of solution. Always avoid mixing with chitosan. As chitosan is acidic and cationic (seaweed extracts are anionic); any mix of these two will result in something with the appearance of vomit! If this doesn't happen, you are using poor quality seaweed extract and/or chitosan solution.   Humic and fulvic acid Humic acid solutions are very often moderately alkaline. So avoid any acidic product that will bring the pH down. If this happens you will get a thick tar coating your filters. We have seen a few cases recently of issues when tank mixing with citric acid. This has happened because farmers are now hearing that the efficacy of glyphosate (Roundup) can be increased by lowering the pH with citric acid. They are also hearing that the efficacy of glyphosate can be increased by the inclusion of humic or fulvic acids. So they have applied all three products to the spray tank and blockages have occurred.    Chitosan In addition to its use as a biostimulant and biofungicide, chitosan can also be used to remove contaminants from wastewater. Chitosan is used in waste water treatment because it binds to contaminants and takes them out of solution. So while removing bacteria, metal ions, and humic acid might be an advantage in that scenario, in a spray tank the opposite is true. Chitosan can be tank mixed with a variety of conventional agrochemicals and biologicals, but you need to do your homework first, and always conduct a bucket test with the dilution ratios and water you plan on using. If you need a small sample to do a tank mix with, then please get in touch. I always used to tell customers to never mix chitosan with silicon fertilisers, as these are alkaline and will also fall out of solution if mixed incorrectly. However, we have now developed a way of successfully tank mixing these products together by adjusting the pH of the solution after the addition of the silicon fertiliser. See our Fungicide Reduction Action Plan for more information.   Plant extracts It really depends on the type of extract, the pH and the purification as to how these will tank mix. A single chemical extract will stand a far greater chance of tank mixing than a crude extract (such as a cold-press ‘juice').   One example is yucca extract that contains natural soaps (saponins), these work best at pH above neutral. So if mixed with acidic co-applied products their efficacy may be diminished.  Amino acid biostimulants can also be derived from plant extracts (commonly from legumes). Other sources of amino acid biostimulants used in agriculture include fungal cultures, and the digestion of animal protein; particularly those sourced from pig's blood, bird feathers, and fish waste.  Amino acid biostimulants can have tank mixing issues with ALS inhibitor herbicides. This is because ALS inhibitor herbicides work by disrupting the synthesis of  amino acids in the weed. If you apply ample amino acids alongside the herbicide you could potentially negate the effect of the herbicide because the weed still has access to the amino acids that would otherwise be disrupted.   Nematodes Nematodes are notorious for blocking filters and spray nozzles. Nematodes are animals that are small enough to be delivered in water as a spray to the leaf surface. However, being animals, they are far larger than microbial biologicals, or suspension fertiliser particles and as such standard fitting filters and nozzles will block if nematodes are run through them. As such, research the filters and nozzles for optimum nematode deliver, and factor in the cost of these if you do not have them in stock at present. Nematodes are actually very close to being delivered by drone in the UK. The smaller volume applications or even dry applications that drones offer may suit nematode application better than conventional sprayers. Microbes When it comes to using microbial biologicals the first, and most obvious, tank mixing issue is that they should never be mixed with conventional chemical fungicides / bactericides. These pesticides act as biocides and will kill the beneficial microbes ithey are tank mixed with. In addition, many insecticides and herbicides might also have antimicrobial activity, so it is always best to check with the manufacturer before combining with microbials in the tank. Another consideration when using beneficial microbes is to the chlorine in tap water. While most farmers use water from tanks rather than tap water, a sizable proportion do use tap water; especially in periods of drought. If using tap water alongside microbials always add a dechlorinator first. Fungal biologicals Fungal biologicals include symbiotic mycorrhizae, free-living Trichoderma, and fungal biopesticides. Normally fungal biologicals are supplied from the manufacturers as either spores or ‘propagules'. Spores are usually

This week, Aebhric O'Kelly talks with Jason Jarvis about the operational importance of helminths. Takeaways Tropical medicine focuses on helping people in tropical areas with high rates of parasitic worms and tropical diseases. Parasitic worms are classified into species, including Annelida, Nematodes, and Platyhelminths. Worm infestations are more common in developing countries and rural areas. Diagnosing and treating worm infestations are crucial, especially in remote and austere environments. Various worms, such as pinworms, filariasis, schistosomiasis, and tapeworms, can cause significant health problems. Prevention measures, such as avoiding contaminated food and water, are essential in reducing the risk of worm infestations. Ask patients about their travel history and potential exposure to parasitic worms Different species of trematodes have other risk factors and manifestations Diseases and non-battle injuries (DNBI) can have a significant impact in military settings Climate change is contributing to the spread of tropical diseases in new areas   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:24 Classification of Parasitic Worms 07:53 Prevalence of Worm Infections 24:39 Prevention and Conclusion 34:50 The Importance of Travel History 37:23 The Role of Recent Travel in Diagnosis 45:57 Diseases and Non-Battle Injuries (DNBI) in Military Settings 49:38 Climate Change and the Spread of Tropical Diseases   Sound Bites "I enjoy having a microscope and little friends to look at." "Approximately four billion people in the world are infected with one type of helminth or another." "Many of these roundworms and helminths cause problems we'll see as medics." "We've got five species of trematodes, five different species of schistosomes that are clinically important to us in human medicine." "When doing a clinical workup, it's important that we ask our patients where they have been?" "The sample is great and universal, but that R is vastly important for recent travel."

Kerry Siders and Ken Lege discuss potential issues for early cotton with nematodes, insects, and disease issues to be looking for in cotton fields.  Great information as we join North Region Extension agents who are learning from these experts.

Send us a Text Message.If you've been following our Instagram this week, you might have noticed our battle with aphids. So, I thought it would be helpful to share some more details of biological control in gardening.Biological control involves the use of natural enemies to tackle garden pests. From introducing predators to employing pathogenic nematodes, we explore how these methods offer effective and eco-friendly pest management solutions.Key Takeaways:Benefits of Biological Control: Unlike chemical pesticides, biological controls leave no residues and cause no harm to plants. Once established, natural enemies can multiply and reduce pest populations to acceptable levels.Understanding Predators:Predatory and parasitoid biological controls, though not providing instant results, offer long-term solutions. Timing is crucial, as introducing them before heavy infestation ensures effectiveness.Seasonal Considerations: Glasshouse predators and parasites thrive in warm conditions, with ideal breeding temperatures between late March and September. Reintroduction may be necessary annually.Compatibility with Pesticides: Predators and parasites are sensitive to pesticides, necessitating their avoidance for several weeks before introducing biological controls. Fatty acid-based pesticides can be used with caution closer to introduction.Common Garden Pests and Solutions: Aphids, thrips, vine weevils, slugs, and red spider mites are prevalent nuisances. We explore natural remedies such as ladybirds, lacewings, predatory mites, and nematodes to combat these pests effectively.Practical Tips: Daily monitoring, manual removal of infested leaves, and encouraging natural predators like birds contribute to pest management efforts.To explore further, visit Ladybird Plant Care - www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk, where Tessa can assist you in selecting the right biological controls for your garden.Embrace sustainable gardening practices with biological control methods, ensuring a thriving garden ecosystem without harmful chemicals. Flower Farmers Retreat 2024 (21 &22 September): https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/businessretreat2024 2024 Farm Day at Field Gate Farm (10 August): https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/farmvisit A Cut Above Waitlist: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/ACutAboveWaitlist The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

My guest this week is June Graesch from Bioworks. Julie has 18 years of experience as a biological scientist, practiced in laboratory, greenhouse, and field research as well as technical service support for the integrated pest management industry. She has been with BioWorks for 5 years and has previously held positions at BASF, Becker Underwood, and Iowa State University. Now on to the show! 

At-Home Early Cancer Detection Test Hits the Market Chan Namgong, founder of Oncotect, joins host Laura Reeves for a very personal discussion of the value of early cancer detection for our dogs. Namgong launched his company in 2019 in the aftermath of his mother's cancer diagnosis. He already knew that dogs can detect human cancer by scent. But then he learned about a group of scientists that discovered that small nematodes can detect cancerous metabolites in urine in human medicine. “What's amazing about these small nematodes is that they have very high sense of smell,” Namgong said. “They have more olfactory receptors than dogs, despite their small size. So what we have done is we've developed a platform where we are using (nematodes) to detect cancerous metabolites in dogs' urine that contains the cancerous metabolites. “(Nematodes) are small worms, and the scientific name of them is C. elegans. And C. elegans is actually, you know, if you are a scientist or biologist, it's a model organism. It's widely used in different disciplines of science. In pharmacology, chemistry, biology, you know, cancer cells, stem cell research, environmental study, because we know everything about these worms. In fact, C. elegans was the very first multi-cell organism that was ever DNA sequenced. And the way we utilize them is we can actually measure the intensity of the olfactory neuron in their head. “We can categorize pets as low, moderate or high risk of cancer. Oncotect is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. So, this is meant to be proactive and preventive measure. And then if there's any risk, moderate or high risk, we'll bring you back to your veterinarian for further consultation, diagnostic tests such as x -rays or ultrasound to really confirm or deny a cancer suspicion or to identify the type and location. “Prevention of cancer is almost impossible because we don't know what's really truly causing cancer. But your best strategy is find it early and treat it quickly. Diagnosing a cancer is like a putting a puzzle together. You've got to bring different pieces of information to really look at a big picture. “We have primarily focused on the four most common treatable canine cancers. They are lymphoma, melanoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumors. And the reason why we focus on those four is because just due to the limited resources that we have. “We've tested over 700 dogs in the last year or so. And among those 700 dogs, we have detected TCC, bladder, prostate, liver, soft tissue. So we've detected other cancer types, but the reason why we are not making claims for them is because we haven't run a large enough sample size to publish any scientific paper on them, which we plan to do this year.”

Welcome to Alternative Dog Moms - a podcast about what's happening in the fresh food community and the pet industry.   Kimberly Gauthier is the blogger behind Keep the Tail Wagging, and Erin Scott hosts the Believe in Dog podcast.CHAPTERS: 2:25 Why Chan Developed Oncotect6:00 What are Nematodes?8:45 Types of cancers detected by Oncotect9:37 How early (what stages) can Oncotect detect cancer?10:18 How long did it take to develop Oncotect?11:35 What is the testing process?16:20 Why pet parents would use Oncotect19:27 How accurate is Oncotect?20:34 Oncotect offers peace of mind23:27 Trends discovered by Oncotect test results24:32 Moderate vs. High risk test results25:59 Screening vs. Diagnostic tests27:00 What comes in the screening kit?29:45 How long before results are available?30:53 Do results identify cancer types?31:27 How often should test be repeated?31:54 Is Oncotect just for dogs?33:07 Papers Onctotect plans to publish33:40 Can other health issues impact Oncotect test results?34:35 Dogs vs. Kids chat39:23 Is Oncotect related to the cancer vaccine?41:18 Can Oncotect be used to test for remission or monitoring?ONCOTECT:Learn more about Oncotect: https://oncotect.coOUR BLOG/PODCASTS...Kimberly: Keep the Tail Wagging, KeepTheTailWagging.comErin Scott: Believe in Dog podcast, BelieveInDogPodcast.comFACEBOOK...Keep the Tail Wagging, Facebook.com/KeepTheTailWaggingBelieve in Dog Podcast, Facebook.com/BelieveInDogPodcastINSTAGRAM...Keep the Tail Wagging, Instagram.com/RawFeederLifeBelieve in Dog Podcast, Instagram.com/Erin_The_Dog_MomThanks for listening to our podcast. You can learn more about Erin Scott's first podcast at BelieveInDogPodcast.com. And you can learn more about raw feeding, raising dogs naturally, and Kimberly's dogs at KeepTheTailWagging.com. And don't forget to subscribe to The Alternative Dog Moms.

The final Summer Series for the year, Chris talks Physics vs evolution, Claire talks about pathogens defrosting in long frozen ice and Stu discovers nematodes lurking everywhere, and some that can jump!

This week on Terra Informa, we revisit a beloved episode from our archives that originally aired on March 18, 2019. This episode's format is a round-table discussion, in which the each member of the team brought something different to the table- something related to The Unseen Environment. Mysterious. Charlotte Thomasson and Amanda Rooney brought together a handful of Terra Informer's for a discussion about mysterious natural events, Nematodes, paleoburrows, and so much more.Additionally, Ben Hollihan talks about a news story for this week: how grocery stores are struggling to adapt to COVID-19. Program Log.  ★ Support this podcast ★

An independent review has told Natural England it needs to completely change the way it engages with farmers on Dartmoor. It also says more cattle are needed for "conservation grazing" to help tackle the spread of purple moor grass and sheep farmers have been warned they'll need to demonstrate they can control their flocks and not let them overgraze areas of heather and dwarf shrubs. A Scottish nature reserve is training members of the local community to stalk deer at Creag Meagaidh in the Highlands. NatureScot says community models of deer management are common in many European countries, but this is the first time it has been tried on publicly owned land in Scotland.Applications are now open for a new £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund. The fund is to enable abattoirs in England to improve productivity, enhance animal health and welfare, and will allow farmers to add value to their meat and encourage innovation. Abattoirs will be able to apply for funding of up to £60,000. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust welcomed that announcement - they said the network of of small abattoirs had been in sustained serious decline, and the fund offered a lifeline. All this week we've been looking at the future for rare breeds, among them North Ronaldsay sheep from the Orkney Islands and the endangered Welsh Pig.The forestry industry is using drones to drop microscopic worms or nematodes onto trees, to control pests. Foresters say it helps them reach areas that machinery can't.A virtual world is being used to get children interested in conservation. The Crown Estate has teamed up with Microsoft to create a version of the very popular world-building game Minecraft, based on Windsor Great Park. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Next year could see drones being used for the first time to drop microscopic worms on trees, to protect them from harmful insects. The worms, or nematodes, are natural predators of damaging insects and the forest industry is developing ways of controlling pests as pesticides it currently relies on are phased out.Another outbreak of Bluetongue has been recorded in Norfolk making a total of 11 cases in England. Stock on six different premises, in Kent and Norfolk have been affected. There are restrictions on moving animals in the protection zones and farmers say its difficult to find abattoirs to process their animals within those zones. We speak to a beef farmer who remembers a big outbreak which affected farms across Europe in 2007.All week we're looking at rare breeds. The North Ronaldsay are one of the UK's oldest and rarest breeds of sheep. They're shaggy and small and can often be found grazing on seaweed along the coast of the northernmost of the Orkney Islands, which they're named after. But more recently farmers on the UK mainland have taken to keeping the breed which is listed as a priority by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer =Rebecca Rooney

11 27 23 Managing Soybean Cyst Nematodes by Ag PhD

Today we take a look at two extremes of vexing garden problems around the world: the tiny, tiny nematodes that attach to plant roots, sucking the life out of them…and one you don't need a microscope to see: deer. They both love your garden. At least with nematodes there are a few resistant plants. But when it comes to deer resistant plants, well, good luck. It depends how hungry those deer are. So how do you control root know nematodes, and marauding deer? America's Favorite Retired College Horticultural Professor, Debbie Flower is here, and we have tips.We're podcasting from Barking Dog Studios here in the beautiful Abutilon Jungle in Suburban Purgatory, it's the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast, brought to you today by Smart Pots and Dave Wilson Nursery. Let's go!Previous episodes, show notes, links, product information, and TRANSCRIPTS  at the home site for Garden Basics with Farmer Fred, GardenBasics.net. Transcripts and episode chapters also available at BuzzsproutPictured: Deer in the gardenHelp Keep This Podcast Going by Supporting Our Sponsors!Smart Pots https://smartpots.com/fred/ Dave Wilson Nursery https://www.davewilson.com/home-garden/Topic Links:Flashback Episode of the Week: #144 Using Wood Ash in the GardenNematode Control (UCANR)Soil Solarization (UCANR)Monterey Nematode Control"Deer in My Garden" Vols. 1 &2,  by Carolyn Singer (plants that may be unpalatable to deer) "Effective Deer Fences" University of Vermont "Animal Fencing" University of Georgia "Deer/Elk Fences" Oregon Fish & Wildlife "How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence" Purdue University Options for Deer Fencing University of Kentucky Deer Fencing Choices at Amazon Deer Repellents at AmazonAll About Farmer Fred: The GardenBasics.net websiteFarmer Fred website:  http://farmerfred.comThe Farmer Fred Rant! Blog http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.comFacebook:  "Get Growing with Farmer Fred" Instagram/Threads: farmerfredhoffman https://www.instagram.com/farmerfredhoffman/Farmer Fred Garden Minute Videos on YouTube As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from possible links mentioned here.Got a garden question? • Leave an audio question without making a phone call via Speakpipe, at https://www.speakpipe.com/gardenbasics• Call or text us the question: 916-292-8964. • Fill out the contact box at GardenBasics.net• E-mail: fred@farmerfred.comThank you for listening, subscribing and commenting on the Garden Basics with Farmer Fred podcast and the Beyond the Garden Basics Newsletter

Squiz Kids is an award-winning, free daily news podcast just for kids. Give us ten minutes, and we'll give you the world.  A short podcast that gives kids the lowdown on the big news stories of the day, delivered without opinion, and with positivity and humour. ‘Kid-friendly news that keeps them up to date without all the nasties' (A Squiz Parent)   This Australian podcast for kids easily fits into the daily routine - helping curious kids stay informed about the world around them. Fun. Free. Fresh.  LINKS The most important animal you've never seen - Nematodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBWzrlCBhCM Australia's favourite animal sounds: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-07-31/australia-favourite-animal-sounds/102577008 Pawgust - supporting Guide Dogs in Australia and New Zealand https://www.pawgust.com.au/ Squiz Kids LIVE! Buy tickets to our Canberra show here: https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/squiz-kids-live/154887 Squiz Kids Book Club: https://www.squizkids.com.au/book_club/ Newshounds Get started on our free media literacy resource for classrooms https://www.squizkids.com.au/about-newshounds/ Classroom Companion: Teachers! Want to access free, curriculum-aligned classroom resources tied to the daily podcast? Sign up to be a Squiz Kids Classroom and download the Classroom Companion each day. Made by teachers for teachers, differentiated to suit all primary school ability levels. And did we mention it's free? Stay up to date with us on our Squiz Kids Instagram!   Got a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out? Complete the form on our Squiz Kids website. Link: SHOUT OUTS or / send us an email at squizkids@thesquiz.com.au

Some of the smallest organisms have one of the largest scientific following. Hosts of the Ohio Ag Net Podcast, Matt Reese, Dusty Sonnenberg, and Joel Penhorwood discuss nematode impact on crops and forests. The Society of Nematology recently met in Columbus to discuss everything from seed treatment to soybean impact and nematode role in our landscapes. Dr. Joe Boggs from The Ohio State University is the podcast guest to discuss poison hemlock, the dangers of wild parsnip, and economic impact of the Box Tree Moth.  Dr. George Bird from Michigan State joins the conversation to discuss his leadership in the Soybean Cyst Nematode Coalition and his 40-year career in the field. From Auburn University, Dr. Kathy Lawrence talks with Dusty about the many growing trials that are benefiting growers and how nematode apply to all specialty crops, especially in the southern United States.  From the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, Dr. Nathan Schroder, explores the intersection of nematode before the crop is even grown, through the seed treatments. The conversation will explore the advanced microscopic tools being used in the lab that are impacting farmers in the field.  0:00 – Intro and opening discussion 5:27 –George Bird on Soybean Nematode  9:51 –Plant Pathology with Kathy Lawrence  11:51 –Technology with Nathan Schroeder   15:45 – Joe Boggs on Poison Hemlock 

Monica Hampton, Ph.D, national and international agriculture consultant for TerraNutri, converses with Lana Chehabeddine on the topic of nutrient and weed management techniques.  Monica Hampton, Ph.D., brings 20 years of research on agriculture and crop production. She serves on the board of trustees at the Compost Research and Education Foundation at the US Compost Council and shares with FOG her extensive knowledge on organic soil health and control techniques that allow for more sustainable and healthy crop production.  In this episode, learn about: - Dr. Hampton's background in agriculture and crop production - Crop production issues we are currently facing - Nutrient management techniques for crops  - Mechanisms to control for pests, weeds, and nematodes Learn more from Dr. Hampton's book, “Compost Utilization in Production of Horticultural Crops”: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=21109188  Checkout additional resources and events below: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Monica-Ozores-Hampton  2023 Florida Composting Council Annual Composting Conference- June 21, 2023 Bonita Springs, FL Today's episode is brought to you by Veransa Group Inc.  Veransa's REGEN Florida Organic Compost® is the only certified organic, OMRI Listed®, and STA Approved compost available in industrial scale in SW and Central Florida.Learn more about Veransa at: https://www.veransa.com/We hope you enjoyed the episode! Please help us continue to produce more valuable content by subscribing to our Fresh Take Podcast Series! Subscribe here  SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY- Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a Sponsor of Florida Organic Growers!  Your contribution will not only help to advance an organic and sustainable future but gain brand awareness through our growing audience. If you are interested, click here   Support the showWe hope you enjoyed the episode! Please help us continue to produce more valuable content by subscribing to our Fresh Take Podcast Series! Subscribe here SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY- Learn more about the many benefits of becoming a Sponsor of Florida Organic Growers! Your contribution will not only help to advance an organic and sustainable future but gain brand awareness through our growing audience. If you are interested, click here

In this episode Ed interviews Dr. Greg Tylka of Iowa State University and Dr. Dylan Mangel of University Nebraska Lincoln. They discuss Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN), the research and programming being used to combat this pest in Iowa and Nebraska. Additional Resources https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/disandpath/nematode/pdlessons/Pages/Soybeancystnematode.aspx https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/an-overview-of-soybean-cyst-nematode https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/gltylka/iowa-state-university-scn-resistant-soybean-variety-trials https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2021/scn-survey-update-and-10th-annual-tode-awards https://cropwatch.unl.edu/plantdisease/soybean/soybean-cyst-nematode https://scn.plantpath.iastate.edu/ How to cite the podcast:   Zaworski, E. (Host), Tylka, G. and Mangel, D.(Interviewee). S2:E16 (Podcast). What is SNIRT and Why is it Bad News for Soybean Growers?: An Overview of Soybean Cyst Nematode. 4/19/23. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

  Christine Sprunger is a soil scientist and head of the Soil Health and Ecosystem Ecology Lab at Michigan State University. With a deep-rooted passion for soil science, Christine's research doesn't shy away from the complexity of soil health and what it means for both the researcher and the farmer. Soil health is a laborious concept that requires a deep understanding of the ecosystem's overall functioning. To accurately assess soil health, it's crucial to identify relevant indicators that connect ecological processes with the practical management decisions farmers make. Some of Christine's research has revolved around nematodes. Nematodes, as microscopic worm-like organisms, play a critical role in soil ecosystems by feeding on bacteria, fungi, plant roots, and each other! These diverse feeding groups can serve as vital soil health indicators, allowing researchers and farmers to measure the ecological functioning and productivity of their agroecosystems. In addition to nematodes, she has researched the perenniality of roots, especially deep-rooted perennial legumes, and how they can be a crucial component of soil health as they contribute significantly to not only soil carbon sequestration processes, but also nitrogen storage capacity. Ultimately, soil health should be measured from various angles, prioritizing individual management goals and local contexts. Christine highlights the necessity of choosing suitable soil health indicators to link the scientific understanding of ecological function and practical farming approaches. She emphasizes that effective communication between researchers and farmers plays a vital role in selecting appropriate soil health indicators. By continuously collaborating and integrating farmers' concerns, researchers can ensure that these indicators address the desired outcomes and cater to farmers' specific needs. Mentioned in this episode… Reach out to Christine Sprunger's lab at Michigan State University if you are a farmer interested in collaborating on upcoming projects and receiving a free soil health assessment! Learn more about nematodes, their role in soil health, and how to identify them through research and resources provided by the Soil Health and Ecosystem Ecology Lab at Michigan State University. Consider signing up for Real Organic Project Certification to differentiate your farm from mass-marketed corporate organic practices. Visit realorganicproject.org/notill to apply. Browse Johnny's Selected Seeds online for a variety of seeds, tools, and free educational resources. Visit Johnnyseeds.com to explore their offerings. Check out Rimol Greenhouses for your next quality greenhouse or high-tunnel. There are several style and options to choose from, check out rimolgreenhouses.com There's no substitute for a high-quality seed starting mix. Get Sprout—a living-soil, compost-based, seed-starting soil mix—for you farm or garden at tilthsoil.com Get tickets for the Rough Draft Farmstead No-Till Farm Tour for April 25th or May 9th! "Long term implementation of regenerative practices is actually shifting the nematode community, contributing to greater overall ecosystem services like carbon accumulation and nitrogen retention... Understanding the linkages between nematode communities and various soil health indicators is crucial in realizing the actual soil health outcome and overall benefit to the farmer." - Christine Sprunger Folks who make the show possible... As always, our work is powered by the folks who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers, you can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat, check out the No-Till Growers YouTube channel where we're posting weekly videos, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our brand new forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

We all want to protect our pets from fleas, but conventional treatments can end up doing more harm than good, to both our pets and our environment. Beneficial nematodes for fleas may be nature's answer to flea prevention for dogs, natural flea protection for pets, without causing harm. In this episode of Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino, we're joined by Katya Forsyth, who launched Flea Destroyer, natural flea protection made up of millions of microscopic organisms, beneficial nematodes, that actually penetrate the body of juvenile fleas living in the soil, naturally protecting your yard and your pets. Episode Recap:  Why do fleas keep coming back? Conventional flea treatments What are beneficial nematodes? Why beneficial nematodes for flea prevention? Dangers of pesticides for our environment How to use Flea Destroyer in your yard Dangers of chemicals and pesticides for our dogs and cats Use code RADIO for 15% off your first order at https://cbddoghealth.com/Use code MYCO10 for 10% off your order of https://mycodog.com/Episode Resources: Flea Destroyer Website Follow Flea Destroyer on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at Carter@yournaturaldog.com  Angela Ardolino CBD Dog Health Note: Like all discount codes, they don't last furever!Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angie (our founder) is up to, follow her on Facebook 

Today's episode is all about the pest control tactics I will be using this year to control flea beetles, cabbage moths, army worms, slugs and snails. I mention a few products I'm using, here's the links to those: Safer Brand Slug Bait Beneficial Nematodes Ryobi Backpack Sprayer Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT Spray) I go in depth into the application method I used with my beneficial nematodes and I am happy to report that the process was super easy and it seems to have already made a big difference. Follow me on Instagram! Save 25% off your first order of Grubbly Farms with the code GIRLYHOMESTEADER

What a sad state of affairs.  Some families don't want to buy eggs at sky-high prices… so they're painting potatoes for Easter.  At the national potato marketing organization… they usually post about potato retail sales… and offer spellbinding podcasts like this  Well.  These Nematode researchers at Potoes USA  saw people painting potatoes on Tik Tok . and they were like whuh. And they immediately jumped on board.  Yeah… they say … it's fun.  It's family bonding.  It's nematode free.  In case you're wondering… those are tiny roundworms that can attack potatoes.So… as a money-saving service… let me give you the basics.  First and most important… If you're going to paint a potato…  You don't want to paint on dirt… PEEL THE POTATO … soak it in water with 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar for half an hour.  Dry it off… grab a brush and turn a potato into a Picasso. You can also dye potatoes…  Don't bother to peel them.  Just drop them in the dye like normal easter eggs.  Or … you can squirt a drop of food coloring on the potato … and use a paintbrush to swish it around.  Add another drop and keep going.   If you're not into arts and crafts… the price of plastic eggs never went up.  You can get a 48-count of plastic easter eggs for 3 bucks. And no. Nematodes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pioneer Agronomy - Refocusing on Soybean Cyst Nematode Management: https://www.pioneer.com/us/agronomy/Refocusing-on-Soybean-Cyst-Nematode-Management.html

Brian visits the Crop Doctors' Podcast Studio in Stoneville to talk cotton.  Acreage forecasts have dipped due to recent price reduction.  Following a discussion on acreage guesses for 2023, Brian, Jason, and Tom discuss the commercialization of the ThryvOn trait and how it should be utilized.  The discussion wraps up with nematode management. 

Nematodes, also known as roundworms, are the most abundant animals on earth but are largely misunderstood. In gardening and agriculture, several nematode species are known for being pests, but it's important to recognize that many other nematode species are beneficial, providing biological control of insect pests. To explain how lab-produced pheromones can be used to repel pest nematodes and stimulate beneficial nematodes, my guest this week is Dr. Fatma Kaplan, the CEO and founder of Pheronym. Download my free eBook 5 Steps to Your Best Garden Ever - the 5 most important steps anyone can do to have a thriving garden or landscape. It's what I still do today, without exception to get incredible results, even in the most challenging conditions. Subscribe to the joegardener® email list to receive weekly updates about new podcast episodes, seasonal gardening tips, and online gardening course announcements. Check out The joegardener® Online Gardening Academy for our growing library of organic gardening courses. Follow joegardener® on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and subscribe to The joegardenerTV YouTube channel.

Composting is taking diverse organic material and making a habitat for the microbes that will process the material. Jean Bonhotal, Director of Cornell Waste Management Institute in the Department of Soils and Crop Sciences explains that there are three necessary ingredients to make a great compost. First, the pile should start with carbon-like woodchips to help move air through. Second, add in wet waste like food or pomace. And third, top the pile with carbon. The most important factor in making compost is temperature. In fact, you do not need to turn piles. The organisms that break down compost generate temperatures that are about 90 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. A great example of this is seen in mortality composting, used for livestock. These piles are created by layering 24 inches of woodchips, followed by the animal, and top with another 24 inches of wood chips. The animal will liquefy and then everything starts to mix as the microbes work. In 12 to 24 hours the pile will reach the desired 130 degrees Fahrenheit. While compost is not technically a fertilizer it has numerous benefits including imparting nutrients, pest resistance, helping with erosion control, and improving water holding capacity because it works like a sponge. Listen in to hear Jean's best advice on how to create great compost. References: 1/20/2023 REGISTER: Improving Soil Health with Compost & Vermiculture Tailgate 53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration 106: What? Bury Charcoal in the Vineyard? 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 153: The Role of Nematodes in Soil Health Aerated Compost Tea Composting Handbook Compost Use for Improved Soil Poster Series Improving and Maintaining Compost Quality Niner Wine Estates SIP Certified Testing Composts Tipsheet: Compost Vineyard Team – Become a Member What Is Animal Mortality Composting? Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  My guest today is Jean Bonhotal. She is Director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute. And he's also a Senior Extension Associate in the Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Science Section at Cornell University. And we're talking about compost today. Thanks for being here, Jean.   Jean Bonhotal  0:13  Thank you.   Craig Macmillan  0:14  I like to start with basics when we're talking about a topic. And sometimes it seems kind of silly, but it oftentimes shapes what we talk about. Let's start with a very basic definition. What exactly is compost.   Unknown Speaker  0:26  So I'm going to start with a definition before I get into composting, and that is what is organic, what is organic? When I'm using the term organic, this is what it will mean something that was once alive and is now dead, and needs to be managed. That comes with all different types of quality. But we are usually looking for clean feedstocks, that are organic in origin. So we don't want glass and plastic and other materials that really don't break down and have put a lot of plastic into our environment, because they break down into little tiny pieces, and they're still there. So I'll start with that. Composting is basically taking organic material, all different diverse, organic materials, preferably, and making a habitat for microbes, the microbes that are going to process these materials. When we're composting, we can do all of the work mechanically. But it doesn't really work that well because composting is a process. And if we set it up so that we have our carbon and nitrogen ratios, well balanced. And those are browns and greens, wet and dry materials. So those are the things that we need to balance, then we will have a proper habitat for the microbes to work in and they will thrive. The microbes are what make the heat in a compost. When we're composting very small volumes, we don't always have heat. And that's because we don't have the volume that we need for that composting to happen in commercial scale, we generally will have enough volume. So as long as we balance that carbon and nitrogen, we will have a very good compost that will actually work mostly by itself.   Craig Macmillan  2:29  So you need different kinds of microbes for taking action on different types of materials, whether they be high nitrogen or high carbon or whatever. Where did those bacteria and fungi, where do those come from?   Jean Bonhotal  2:40  They come from everywhere. They come from us breathing on the medium that we're putting in there they come from the air, their bio aerosolized is what we consider. So these things blow in, and we really don't have to inoculate most composts. The only reason we might need to inoculate a compost is because we've shut it down. Either we've put something in there that's too toxic for the organisms to work with, or we've made it too hot in that pile. The organisms that we're working with are thermophilic organisms, they generate temperatures that are about 90 to 150. And the actual range for thermophilic is more like 130. Those are the temperatures that we really like to reach 130 to 150 is really degrees Fahrenheit is really the temperatures that we want to heat want to reach.   Craig Macmillan  3:42  And that's because those are the ranges where these particular microbes are the most happy.   Jean Bonhotal  3:46  Yes, and the microbes are actually generating the heat. It's like putting 55th graders in a room you don't have to heat. They're giving off lots of energy and have to do anything else. They're doing the work and metabolizing all of that material.   We were talking about a range, what if we're not generating enough heat? What kinds of things happen then? Or what can we do to change that?   Well back up because that is dependent on size. So we have to have that volume and that and if we look at physics, that volume is three by three by three feet cubed. However, when we're working in cold climates, that is not large enough. So everything will freeze really, we have to have everything so perfect with that three by three by three cube that we're not likely to reach those temperatures. So it's really balancing the carbon and nitrogen the moisture. And because if like in arid climates where everything dries out horribly, we need to make sure there's enough moisture retained in that because these are aerobic organisms that are doing all the work. And we really need to make sure that they have that moisture, or else they can't really work. People think that worms make compost, and to an extent they do, there's vermicompost. And it's a different than thermophilic composting that I'm talking about. But Vermacomposting is done with epigeic worms. It's done in a 24 inch bed. So you're making that compost in kind of a shallow bed so that it won't heat up, because the worms are actually doing all of the work in that system. When worms come into a compost, or thermophilic compost, that's at the end of the process, they can't tolerate the heat in the thermophilic process. But they do like to process those organisms that are in there. So they will go in and actually process some of that material toward the end. And in some ways, you can tell that you have a more finished compost, because worms are actually able to thrive in there.   Craig Macmillan  6:07  Where did the worms come from?   Jean Bonhotal  6:09  Generally from the ground, if you're composting in a vessel, you're not going to have worms in there unless you had like warm eggs or something that were already in the medium, and hatched or something like that. So that's where those are coming from. So like indoor facilities generally wouldn't have an earthworm coming in and processing. And the epigeic worms are surface feeders, so they're coming up, they detect that something's up there to eat. And they'll just come to the surface, eat it, pull it down, up and down, you know, they can actually handle above 54 degrees, where a lot of worms dry out and die there. As they get if it gets too hot, and they get too dry.   Craig Macmillan  6:57  You had mentioned the right mix or blend the right kind of connection of different materials and other recipes that that work for certain practical applications are given certain materials, you want certain ratios, how does that work?   Jean Bonhotal  7:10  There are recipes out there. But basically, you have to look at everything as carbon and nitrogen. So if you're a vineyard that wants to compost, the pumice, all your all your promise while you're squeezing all that kind of material, then you're gonna have to look at that and figure out whether that's going to work by itself, just that promise. But you do have grape skins, and you have grape seeds in there. So the grape skins and the grape seeds actually can work together to create a good habitat and actually make things work or you have a pH of about four or five in those pressings. That's going to deter worms for a while it is going to deter some other organisms for a while, but things will start to get going. And that's how we tend to do that. If it's really sloppy and wet, it would be better to add a little bit more waste, but another waste, marry it with another waste, whether you have some manure or you know the if there are some animals on site, if you can mix in manure, or some shavings, or I don't usually like to put wood chips in because it makes a coarser compost for a vineyard. And we want generally want to find our compost.   Craig Macmillan  8:30  Which actually reminds me of something. There were two things that I had learned and that they may not be true when I was coming up and we're talking like 20 years ago. One was that you had to have manure as part of the mix, some kind of a manure there was one and then the second one was forget about using any kind of wood chip vines, anything like that, because they're not going to break down. And that's not going to work. So how is that accurate for either this ideas?   Jean Bonhotal  8:54  No, we have to use all of our carbon sources. Honestly, we do have to use all different carbon sources in different types of composting. I'll give you an example of facilities that by regulation, they're only allowed to compost leaf and yard waste. So they're not allowed to bring in food unless they have a permit to bring in food waste. So there's a lot of different rules that occur over municipalities. Some municipalities got the idea because they needed more nitrogen, there's a lot of carbon and your dry leaves and your woodchips and your woody waste. And I generally will say if I make a pile of sticks, which is all carbon, so all all different sticks and just put them in a pile. If I go back six months later, what is it going to be?   Craig Macmillan  9:42  Dried sticks?   Jean Bonhotal  9:43  A pile of sticks, because I don't have any real nitrogen there is nitrogen in there but I don't have enough in there to make that break down. So I do like to size reduce those chips, the woody waste and that's chipping off or grinding or something like that. And that will make things go better. If you need to compost just leaves, what the municipalities were doing was adding chemical fertilizer to them. Because the chemical fertilizer would bring the nitrogen in, you have to decide do you want to use the chemical nitrogen, the chemical fertilizer, or not in your process, but that will make it work because their carbon and their nitrogen, and we can do that.   Craig Macmillan  10:27  Do I need to do some analysis on these materials and figure out what I actually have and then make calculations from there.   Jean Bonhotal  10:33  So the ratios that we want to use are two to three to one. So I have a good picture of a bucket. And it could be any bucket, think of a cottage cheese container up to us eight yard bucket, I want one bucket of wet material, a very wet material. And then three buckets of very dry material. That's how we balance those ratios. But we are really some of it is like It's like making bread, we don't dump all the flour and all the water in at one time, we put in a little bit of time, because we need to balance out what that recipe actually needs. And the same thing happens in composting, the operators get very good at knowing, okay, that's really, really dry material. And that's really, really wet material. And I might even need to make because we can compost liquids, I might need to make a bowl to put that liquid in there or that really wet material in there so that it can stay in the pile. So I can use that moisture, mix it with the woody waste, and allow that to happen.   Craig Macmillan  11:42  This is beginning to get kind of intimidating. I was kind of hoping that I just would throw a bunch of stuff in a pile and walk away and come back and magically I now have compost.  Yeah, how do I figure this out, I guess we're gonna get my education?   Jean Bonhotal  11:58  So one of the ways we do small scale composting is we layer the materials in so we'll have a bin and we'll put carbon down at the bottom, make sure we have a good carbon layer because that's going to act as an air plenum on the bottom. So simple, just woodchips a pallet, something that's going to allow air to come in, then we'll put nitrogen or put in our wet waste, our food waste, our pumice, those materials, we're going to put carbon on top of that. So we never should be able to see what we're composting, it should always look like a pile of comp of compost. But I will talk a little bit about mortality composting and how we do that, because it really tells us how the whole thing is supposed to work. And what we do is we put down 24 inches of woodchips, then I'll put a cow in. And then I'll put 24 inches of woodchips over top of that, what happens in that is the cow starts to liquefy. And then it starts to mix with all of the material, all the all the microbes are starting to work. And everything starts mixing together in a very slow motion in 12 to 24 hours, I should have 130 degrees Fahrenheit in that pile. If I don't, then I've built it wrong. But generally even with we're composting right now with frozen animals, and we're able because of the size of our piles, we're able to do that, that heats up. So whatever the pile is, or the windrow is that heats up, and then the heat rises, and it actually convex around that that medium. So the organisms are getting all that and we don't have to do any turning. We don't have to turn at all. So we don't always turn and if I do that layering like I was talking about in a bin, if we layer it in a bin, then we will be able to do that and walk away and just let the rain and snow fall on it through the season. It'll be slower, but it will compost.   Craig Macmillan  14:11  So again, I had been under the impression that you always have to you have a regular schedule, you have to turn it to aerate it. And you also have to monitor the moisture. No you do not.   Jean Bonhotal  14:19  No. No. The only real tool that we use is temperature. We monitor temperatures in piles, we can tell everything that's going on in that pile is that making sure that it's working well or we need to add more water or we need to whatever we can tell that by temperature.   Craig Macmillan  14:39  If the temperature is getting too high. What do you do?   Jean Bonhotal  14:41  I do compost in arid places where our temperatures can get really high because our piles are too big. Okay, and then we really have to be careful because we can have spontaneous combustion. And our large ones I worked with some facilities in Idaho that around the Boise area, and they were in danger of combusting. And as they were like, what do we do? Well, if we add a lot of air real fast, we're going to be in trouble. If we add a lot of water real fast, we're going to be in trouble. So what we do is we, we will break those piles carefully, break those piles down, just deconstruct those, lay them in sheet, and then just make sure that they've cooled off, then we can build a pile again, but it can be a problem in hot and arid climates. And it can happen anywhere there are different manures like poultry manure will burn more easily than other manure because of the ammonia contents. Because of the just the nature of that material.   Craig Macmillan  15:45  What kind of temperatures are we talking about?   Jean Bonhotal  15:47  When we're getting over 170? I get nervous, especially if it's really hot, ambient temperature. We have to be careful about that.   Craig Macmillan  15:56  Excellent. Okay, that's useful. That's that we can keep that we can track that ourselves. Now, before we run out of time. We have time I just want to get to this topic, because I think there's a lot here. Now, oftentimes, compost is treated like a fertilizer, you say, oh, there's nutrients here. And we're doing it for that reason. But compost will do a lot of other things for you in terms of your soil.   Jean Bonhotal  16:18  Yes, and compost is not technically a fertilizer. So if I have a finished compost, it's not a fertilizer and doesn't follow the fertilizer rules. So there are rules that govern fertilizers and rules that cover compost, and so we have to be careful about that. So it does impart nutrients to our soil compost does impart nutrients to our soil, it helps with erosion control, it helps with water holding capacity, because compost acts like a sponge, and it will pull that moisture into the soil. And then the plants are able to use that when things get droughty. So we really want to use a lot of compost, if in my dreams, I would like to have three inches of compost spread on the whole terrestrial earth. Because I think we need it, it's the only way we can create or recreate our sustainable soils, our soils are very much bankrupt, we might put nutrients back on those soils, but we don't put the organic matter back on the soils, were able to take more of the corn crop. So less gets tilled in, and less of that organic matter is there so we don't have sustainable soils because of that. And compost can help us create and generate sustainable soils so that we don't have to do that. We don't have to constantly add fertilizer.   Craig Macmillan  17:49  Now that leads me to a couple of other things. So in terms of application in vineyards, it's very common to band compost right under the vines in the vine round and not in the middle. Some folks are experimenting with full on broadcasting across the whole surface, right and this has worked really well in range land contexts, which is interesting. And then there's a question about whether compost needs to be incorporated into the soil or does it need to be cultivated in what are your feelings about that for you know, a soil that's maybe a clay soil relatively dry.   Jean Bonhotal  18:23  I'll talk specifically for vineyards on this some vineyards will start their new plants their starts with like some vermiompost. And  vermicompost is a pretty popular product to use when we're putting our starts in. And these are like five year old vines that are just getting planted. And we really want these guys to go. So that will help with nutrients. It will help with soil aggregation, it will just make healthy soil. I have had a poster up before as because it says compost don't treat your soil like dirt. And that's really what we want to do. We want to compost we want to add compost so that we're not just dealing with mineral soils. And I think it's really important for us to be thinking about that way. So the adding a you know, an eight ounce cup of compost vermicompost into the holes is supposed to work very well. And a lot of people in California have actually experimented with that. From what I'm told. What their plant responses are, I haven't followed those. So I don't know. Broadcasting I've seen people more put it in the row middles so that they don't end up with a lot of bull wood in their vines because if they get the nutrients up against the vines at the wrong time, that can be problematic. So sometimes they'll even take immature compost and put that in the row middles. That keeps keeps grass down keeps weeds down, you'll still have some cover there. But then it slowly works its way into the vineyard.   Craig Macmillan  20:06  When you're referring to row middles you mean under the vine?   Jean Bonhotal  20:09  I mean, between the, the rows.   Craig Macmillan  20:11   Between the vines. Okay.   Jean Bonhotal  20:12  Yeah, I've seen that done a lot in New York, where people are using it that way. And sometimes we'll use an immature compost because that we call it a killer compost, which we shouldn't, but it kills the area, and it won't encourage the growth in the row middles. And it keeps it a little bit away from the vine for a little while, then by the next season, that's all integrated into that soil system.   Craig Macmillan  20:39  Fascinating. Fascinating. Now, what do you think about banding underneath the vine?   Jean Bonhotal  20:43  By banding, you mean just putting it right against the wood?   Craig Macmillan  20:48  Generally, just underneath the vine, not in the middle, the strategy there, I think is I'm trying to get a higher concentration, if you will, and I want to put it where the vine roots are going to be in. So they're going to be predominantly in the vine row, not not exclusively, but they're gonna be that's where the highest concentration of roots is going to be. So the idea is, hey, if I'm going to put five tons per acre on, let me put it on in a narrow band, like 18 inches, as opposed to, you know, eight feet, you know, in terms of in terms of width, it sounds like you're kind of more interested, if you would kind of recommend, you know, putting it in the middle as opposed to under the vine.   Jean Bonhotal  21:21  I don't have enough experience with grapes to recommend. So I'm not going to make that recommendation. This is what I'm seeing in the vineyard, the way the growers are choosing to actually experiment and see what is getting the nutrients to the plant at the right time. So what strategy is, is working best. Using the vermicompost in the hole that's been very productive using some of the row middles. I'm not sure about banding I have no experience with that. So I don't want to speak on that. I'm more of the compost production cleaning up the best person. You know, what, when we get the calls, this pile over here, stinks by the neighbor, then I step in and and try to get everything more productive.   Craig Macmillan  22:13  That makes sense that makes tons of sense. One other application that I do think you can speak to is erosion control. What role can compost have an erosion control.   Jean Bonhotal  22:22  We do a lot of work with compost, and I'm gonna share with you some posters that will give you simple compost use instructions. We work in agriculture, we work in erosion control, we work in urban garden gardens and farms. So there's all different possibilities with all different compost and every compost, even the compost that aren't the quality that we want for our vineyard. Every compost has a potential use, even if it's just daily covering a landfill, so that we've taken those metals or those that toxicity out of the environment, and at least concentrated it in smaller places so that maybe it can be recovered at some point when we figure that kind of stuff out.   Craig Macmillan  23:07  And the way this is working is that the compost is binding this soil somehow or is it reducing the impact of the raindrops or what's the mechanism.   Jean Bonhotal  23:17  We do both compost blankets and compost socks and erosion control. So the compost blankets we have blower trucks that can spray compost, it's a big big hose, we spray compost onto a hillside, when we put that blanket down. When the rain comes if the rain comes in, it hits the soil, it hits the soil and it makes mud and that mud starts running down the hill. And that's erosion. When it hits the compost, the compost acts like a sponge. And that sponge will just keep sucking in that moisture. And then slowly release it like a sponge will. And so the plants can use it better and it doesn't create those rivulets and the erosion that other things do.   Craig Macmillan  24:10  What kinds of rates per acre per square yard or what are we talking about?   Jean Bonhotal  24:15  For it depends on per crop. When we put a blanket down, we'll put in out about a inch blanket. So that's a visual, and we want to make sure that it's well covered I'd put one or two inches down easily, because that will start incooperating. Remember I told you about those worms? The worms will come up and start processing some of that material. And that'll only be incorporated in the soil in that way. So we don't actually incorporate we will seed put the blanket down and then we might hydro seed on top of that blanket. And that'll create cover some kind of cover crop whether it depends on our goals. We'll put whatever cover crop we might put red clover on our roadside we might put, you know, depends on where we are what we're putting in, but usually a low grow local plant. So we don't want to take you know, a plant from New York and put it in California, it's not going to produce the same way. We want to make sure that we are in the right conditions. We have the right plantings and all that and Soil and Water Conservation Districts which are all over the country. They give you guidance on what should go on to slopes. What should go into row middles, it depends on the plants though, and cooperative extension does a lot of that, what application do we need for what crop. One of the things that we are finding with soil blends and stuff when we're trying to bring in topsoil topsoil has lots of different definitions, a lot of times it's sand. Because we can't get topsoil, it's very difficult, we've used up a lot of our topsoil, and we don't have that rich earth to bring to someplace else to put that topsoil down. So we're working right now on grow tests to look at what percentage of compost should be mixed with the mineral soil, or with close to mineral soil or with the soil existing soil. And one of the things that we're finding is that we can really use in most for most crops, and for soil sustainability to build those soils, we can use about 50% compost in all of those, and we're getting really good results with crops. It does depend whether we're growing cabbages or grapes, or we really need those soils to be more sustainable. If our soils are sustainable, they'll increase the water holding capacity, you know, through the compost application, but they also help with pest resistance. So we'll have more pest resistance, because we have healthy soils, we have more competitors that are actually able to take things out instead of working in a chemical system where okay, the cut worms came in, and the cut worms are really happy to be working in. There's nothing telling them not to. And similarly with powdery mildews and some of the other diseases, we seem to have better results with having a healthy soil. So not just dust that we've added fertilizer to.   Craig Macmillan  27:32  Sure. And that makes total sense of any there are a lot of folks that are looking at this kind of a holistic plant science, plant physiology approach, which is what you're talking about. And there's a lot of exciting things going on and talking about compost being a part of it is really cool, basically at aout of advice or what one thing would you like people to know as far as their own compost production goes.   Jean Bonhotal  27:58  If you're producing compost, you're a microbe farmer. And that's what you really need to consider create a habitat that they're going to thrive in, and they'll do all the work for you. And that is my best piece of advice to anybody.   Craig Macmillan  28:14  That's great. And where can people find out more about you and your work?   Jean Bonhotal  28:17  I'm with Cornell Waste Management Institute at Cornell University. You can you can google us pretty easily.   Craig Macmillan  28:25  It's easy to find information about you. Yeah, and about the CWMI. So our guest today was Joan Bonhotal. She is the director of the Cornell Waste Management Institute. And she's also Senior Extension Associate with the Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Science section at Cornell University. Lots of great stuff is gonna be in the show notes. Again, we encourage you to look into this topic. It's exciting. There's a lot going on. Wouldn't you agree there's a lot of new science every year on this topic.   Jean Bonhotal  28:51  There is a lot a lot going on in composting, a lot going on in sustainable soil production and if we have sustainable soils, we will be able to grow healthy food and sustain healthy people. So there's just so much going on with all applications of composting.   Craig Macmillan  29:12  Very exciting.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai

On this episode of the I See Dead Plants podcast, host Ed Zaworski Interviews Clemson University professor of plant pathology Dr. John Mueller. John and Ed discuss how to sample for nematodes, management options available for affected fields, and more. Additional Resources https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/encyclopedia/nematodes-that-feed-on-corn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhbKk-HcMe0 https://blogs.clemson.edu/sccrops/2022-south-carolina-corn-production-guide-now-available/ https://uflnematodes.wordpress.com/ https://nematology.ucr.edu/ https://nematologists.org/   How to cite the podcast: Zaworski, E. (Host), Mueller, J.(Interviewee). Nematodes That Feast on Corn S2:E5 (Podcast). 1.11.20. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network. https://sites.libsyn.com/416264/s2e5-nematode-that-feast-on-corn

Like with many projects on a sustainable farm, composting at Niner Wines Estates began with a problem; what could be done with all the pumice from the winemaking operations. Patrick Muran Winemaker at Niner Wine Estates started experimenting with thermal aerobic composting in 2016. With a 200-acre property, the farm has a diverse array of plant material coming from the restaurant garden, cover crops, and vineyards. Patrick explains how they turned a waste stream product into a valuable commodity including what temperature a compost pile must reach, what plant material to include, how to inoculate a new pile, and how long it takes to make top quality compost. References: 1/20/2023 REGISTER: Improving Soil Health with Compost & Vermiculture Tailgate 53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration 106: What? Bury Charcoal in the Vineyard? 151: The Role of the Soil Microbiome in Soil Health 153: The Role of Nematodes in Soil Health Aerated Compost Tea Composting Handbook Compost Use for Improved Soil Poster Series Improving and Maintaining Compost Quality Niner Wine Estates SIP Certified Testing Composts Tipsheet: Compost Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  Our guest today is Patrick Moran, winemaker at Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles, California. And today we're going to talk about composting. Welcome, Patrick.   Patrick Muran  0:07  Thank you, Craig. Happy to be here. And to talk about some compost today.   Craig Macmillan  0:11  Yes, we are. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I want to let everybody know that Patrick and I work together. So this is not the first time that we've talked about this. So I know about what we do. But we're gonna try to get into the details here and try not to forget anything. It's a really cool project that you, you kind of you founded. Correct. You kind of got this whole thing going, right?   Patrick Muran  0:31  Yeah, it was birthed out of a problem of what do we do with all this pumice waste and ruin to kind of a passion project of figuring out how to unlock the keys and composting all this waste that we had?   Craig Macmillan  0:49  So when did it start? How long have you been doing this?   Patrick Muran  0:52  So this started late 2016, early 2017, we start building piles, Gosh, 5, 6 years now?   Craig Macmillan  1:01  Yeah, in a minute. So the idea here was that you had a lot of waste that was coming in, or grape material that was coming in and you wanted to do something with it. What were you doing with it prior to accomplishing with it?   Patrick Muran  1:12  I mean, I've been at this now, gosh, almost 24 years, you know, when I started, we had our big 40 yard roll off dumpsters getting dropped off and are filling them up with grape waste and pumice and stems and all that kind of stuff. But you know, we're scheduling trucks and paying for these trucks to be on the road and do all this material and material is getting stinky out there in the yard, flies are starting to fester, we had, you know, a similar problem here. Here I'm paying for a truck to come drop off this dumpster that's going to kind of make a mess and in our yard for weeks on end. And then pay to have that material removed. It was a kind of an, I love elegant solutions in this was elegant solution to a problem where we can turn a waste stream product into you know, a valuable commodity.   Craig Macmillan  2:04  Did you have an experience with composting prior to that?   Patrick Muran  2:07  No, not to the degree of what we're doing now. My notion of composting was probably like most people's it's like, oh, just chuck it in a in a black container or something in the yard and forget about it for six months and then come back later. And all of a sudden, it's it's all done. That was more or less my notion of what composting was. But when you're talking thermoaerobic composting, to the NOP like organic standards, it's a little bit of a different feel.   Craig Macmillan  2:36  How did you educate yourself about this? This is interesting to me this is you went from zero to now 100.   Patrick Muran  2:41  Yeah. With Cal Poly, actually Cal Poly had an extension program. And they brought in Dr. Elaine Ingham, and she did a seminar on composting, thermalaerobic composting in particular. And it just blew my mind like because I'm I'm microbiologist by by schooling, you know, I spent my year in college studying microbiology, and she was talking my jam, like she was talking all the biology in the soils. And in this compost that was promoting plant growth. So she she really kicked me off on this path. And, and so I just started educating myself on how to do it properly, and how to the biology and the ecology that supports your plant that you're trying to grow.   Craig Macmillan  3:33  So did you already have a plan for what you were going to use this stuff for?   Patrick Muran  3:37  No, I just knew if it was done properly, we could definitely use it all over the place. Like all of a sudden you've got this thing that can grow. But we did have a target because we have were growing grapes in a world. Our compost is going to help support the life that grapevines.   Craig Macmillan  3:56  When you started, were you using just pomice or were you adding other material to it?   Patrick Muran  4:02  No, I learned pretty early on that the more diversity of your ingredients that go into that compost pile, the more diversity you'll have as far as microorganisms, bacteria and fungi and protozoa and all these these different layers of of organisms. And I figured out pretty early on that we're going to need a diverse stream of sources to kind of hit our target.   Craig Macmillan  4:28  And where did you source that stuff from? Was it from the property? Did you bring stuff in from the outside?   Patrick Muran  4:33  Yeah, I mean, we've got over 200 acres here. So with a with a garden, cover crop growing, you know, we've got kind of a diverse array of materials, it was just a matter of collecting them your and making sure they're kind of staged and ready to go.   Craig Macmillan  4:54  What's the timeframe from when you have let's say pomice from harvest until you have something that you can use?   Patrick Muran  4:59  Yeah, so the ideal timeline for promised to complete product is about 60 days minimum is 15. But 60 days is the point of which you get that rich, organic material that's consumed all it's easy foods, and you get a little more diverse array of microorganisms in there.   Craig Macmillan  5:20  Are you measuring the microorganisms? Are you sending samples out or something to get an idea of what's there?   Patrick Muran  5:26  Yeah, we were doing both I do it here, or I was doing counts like bacterial counts, and, and fungal counts kind of fungal biomass and bacterial biomass. It's a little labor intensive. And after doing it enough times, you can kind of get a good sense of what the populations are, by easy look under a microscope, we are also sending out to an outfit called Earth Fort where they'll do the assessment for us, and then just kind of give us the results.   Craig Macmillan  5:56  So is that how you know when it's done? Or is there other cues to you? You go, hey, all right, we're there now?   Patrick Muran  6:02  Yeah, the cues that I use really are color temperature and and sort of the touch and feel of it all he can you get a sense of that digestion is complete, and you get into a form that really does look, I mean, it looks like 70%, dark cocoa chocolate bar, you know, hit that. And the whole pile has a very consistent makeup. So it's just there, you know.   Craig Macmillan  6:30  So you mentioned easy foods, what would those maybe be in those are things that the microorganisms are consuming? Is that right?   Patrick Muran  6:37  I would go back a step, I think of this is a lot like making wine, you know, you have the materials, you're starting kind of an inoculum, or a biomass that is going to grow, that's going to consume the nutrients that are available. You know, as a winemaker, there's a lot of parallels in composting as there is to making wine, you know, tank size or vessel size can inform you on how much heat will be generated and how fast fermentation may complete. Same goes for composting, the size of the compost pile will dictate kind of the thermal insulation that can take place. So you can kind of create a lot of thermal mass and a big pile. The next step is food. You know, we think of these two simple nitrogen compost, you think the carbon to nitrogen ratios. So again, nitrogen is your food source, those readily consumable foods, sugars, for example, really, you know, feed into the bacterial populations that just want an easy hit of sugar, and they go, so those are going to be the easy foods, the more complex foods, and it's again, similar to, to fermentation, you've got diammonium phosphate, you're now your DAP is like just putting gasoline on a fermentation. And you have more complex organic foods like for fermato or whatnot, yeast derived but they're much more complex or not as readily available, and they'll take longer to digest and release that energy. So then you got your food source. So I think carbon to nitrogen ratios, composting, I think of yeast to simple nitrogen and fermentation.   Craig Macmillan  8:23  So you're using a lot of the same kind of conceptual ideas that you use for making wine for making compost, it's there's some similarities in terms of kind of functionality in your mind.   Patrick Muran  8:32  And figuring out the proportions of those different components. And kind of the momentum, you know, that can be generated by it is really the key to unlocking a successful compost operation, as it would be with a successful fermentation operation too.   Craig Macmillan  8:50  When I was first learning about this topic, there was like a recipe that you were supposed to kind of follow. And one of the elements there was manure, so you had to have manure in the mix doesn't sound like you're doing that because there's not cattle on site.   Patrick Muran  9:02  That's right. And we've stayed away from manure for the moment because we'd like to use whatever's available on the property. And high nitrogen can come from other things other than manure, which includes things like alfalfa, all your nitrogen fixing plants, alfalfa, some clovers, but also seeds have a fairly high nitrogen content, just so happens to be got a lot of those coming out of these fermenters. So we use seeds as a high nitrogen component, they act a little differently because they're kind of a slow burn as opposed as opposed to a fast burn. They definitely will contribute to that heat to that energy release that temperature zone that you're trying to hit.   Craig Macmillan  9:49  Do the seeds breakdown because I've seen pomice compost piles before where the seeds just didn't change. Do they break down for you?   Patrick Muran  9:56  Yeah, they do break down they're not they're not fully in kind of destructured, you know, they're still like this funny shell, they almost look like a popcorn, they swell a little bit and kind of spilled some of their guts, but kind of the shell sort of remains of the seed. So they definitely have a different look and feel than when they started. But they do add a nice volume filling component, something like perlite or something like that, you know, they kind of fill, fill out the compost, make it a little fluff here.   Craig Macmillan  10:29  So even though there's this material left behind actually has a role that actually does something for the way the pile behaves, and what it will do eventually, it sounds like. On the manure topic, we have a new aspect to the system, the ecosystem at Niner. And that's chickens. Have you thought about or are you using manure from the chickens?   Patrick Muran  10:48  Not yet, just because we haven't needed to. This is what the beauty of this whole system is, you're getting rid of this waste as it is, you know, you're getting rid of garden waste, when you throw it in a green waste bin or you throw it in a, you know, a compost pile, we're getting rid of chicken manure as you clean up the chicken house and things of that nature. So you're collecting it, so why not use it. So all of these different streams are going to come into play in the chicken manure will come into play as well. It's just a matter of getting the material there staging it to making sure using using the right proportions at the right time, we just so happened to have worked out a formula with what we have currently. That's really nice and consistent. And chicken manure will change it a little bit. So we'll have to tweak it a little bit to get everything just right.   Craig Macmillan  11:38  Another thing that I believe you've been bringing into the system is chipped grapevines, and also material from landscaping. Again, I was under the impression that things with high lignin did not compost very well. Have you started with that material? Or is are things happening? Are you looking at stuff what's happened in there?   Patrick Muran  11:54  Yeah, so the high carbon source. So that's things like any sort of wood material, wood chips, hedgings anything that's going to have a lot of that cellulose hemicellulose. Like those really difficult to digest components, those can definitely be incorporated. And we like a nice proportion of those because they are great fungal foods, and we're trying to grow fungi as well on these compost piles. Those are a great source of fungal foods. And those do decompose, they take a little longer, we can give a little more time to the compost piles in terms of digestion, because you'll get that fungal push towards the latter half of composting. As they start speeding off of those partially digested woody components and high carbon sources.   Craig Macmillan  12:50  Do you have to inoculate the piles?   Patrick Muran  12:52  You can totally kick them off if you make compost teas. And so basically you take a finished pile, make some tea, and then use that tea to inoculate a new pile that's like Like imagine and throwing it in, it's really kick things off. The other way is to simply just take a finished compost pile and use a small amount as an inoculum. Like you would fermentation an inoculant you with the yeast and innoculate you with all the stuff that I've grown up with this previous pile to get you started right away, or like a native ferment and you can kind of sit around and wait for it to it's kind of naturally get some momentum, it takes a little longer certainly get that going as well.   Craig Macmillan  13:38  What is your method here? So you're collecting material, and then you have to make it into a pile of some kind. And then you have to manage the pile? Right? So there's things like moisture and temperature, correct. What specifically are you doing to manage the pile? And specifically, what are you looking at in terms of the variables that tell you oh, I need to do this or that.   Patrick Muran  13:55  To start wit we start with about four different streams of materials. We're starting with wood chips, or woody material, high carbon source, we're starting with green waste, which is anything that was cut green. So garden waste that was cut green, we even took grass clippings from you know, when they mow or around here as long as it was green. That's going to be one stream. The other stream is going to be rake. So anything that came out of destemers, it's going to kind of live in one vein. And then lastly, we're going to do the skins and seeds. So anything that came out of a fermentation tank that was fully fermented so they don't now we have our seed component. So we just treat each one of those streams as a different source. And we'll compose it's about 40% of woody material and we consider the rake is of woody material. So we'll go rake plus wood chips that's going to compose about 40% of the material. The green waste stream is going to be about 30% of that material. Okay, so that's going to be in those green waste, clippings and whatnot. And then lastly, we'll use the last 30% of the seed, and skin material, all the pumps that came out of tanks as a string. So we're going to take those components in those proportions and assemble it and kind of mix it up, we make windrows out of this, and they're roughly four feet tall, four to five feet tall, and about eight feet wide, we're gonna try and mix this as well as you can, and get moisture in there. Moisture is really the thing that sets this whole stage up to digest. I mean, you like any living organism, like you can't live without water, neither can these organisms. And moisture really is the key component to keeping that. We're going to try and strive for about 40% humidity or 40% moisture content. That's a touch and feel thing. Like you can really get scientific on how much moisture goes into a pile. But really, once you learn touching, feeling, squeezing the material, you'll get a sense of moisture, Woody materials really difficult to soak up. So we try and pre wet that a little bit. Seeds and green waste usually has sufficient moisture content to get things started. So mix it into a pile, mix it into those windrows. And then we no longer have covering piles at this point. So we just let them be out there. But if you have the right components in the right size, moisture, and composition, they'll kick off, I mean, we'll be up to 130 in gosh, within three days, certainly, we'll be right into a nice thermal compost, and then we're going to be turning it and we use a bucket on a tractor. It's not ideal. Ideally, you have a compost turner that aerated and really does a nice job of mixing. But we felt we got we can get by with a with a bucket on it on a tractor. And we do it by just simply folding that pile laterally. So if you think of a windrow, like pointing down, basically, one direction, we're going to come in perpendicular to that windrow, take kind of the outside piece, we're going to fold it up over the top, then we're going to kind of try and pull the core which is the hottest piece. And that's going to be become kind of the back end of that windrow. So you're kind of taking these in different sections. A better way to put it is if you think of a triangle, cut it into four parts. So you're going to have like the two wings, the top in the core. So you're trying to get the inside core cycled out, and you're trying to get the wings, whether it's the top or the outside sides to become the core, say you're just trying to fold union. So you're cycling the material through the core, that's basically the key. It is temperature and moisture determined. Typically were like every three to five days, but you'll find it needs more rigorous turning in the beginning. And then you can kind of back off towards the tail end.   Craig Macmillan  18:18  When do you get the water in? And how do you do that? I've seen different solutions to that problem. What do you put it in? How do you do it?   Patrick Muran  18:25  We've tried multiple solutions to this, the ideal is very small droplets. Like that's the ideal if you can get up a fine misting spray, that would be the best solution. Getting moisture in we use a fire hose, a water wagon. And that fire hose is able to emit you know a fine spray. So we go in with a water wagon, fire hose and a pump just basically wet out all the outside and then immediately turn it that's kind of the key is not set. It's just trial and error to figure out how much water do I apply? You know how what does this need to get? And that just has taken us a little bit of time to understand. You know, in the beginning it is more difficult to wet up. In the end. It's it's much easier to wet up knowing when and how much to apply is kind of that's what's taken us time to learn.   Craig Macmillan  19:21  Yeah, practice. You mentioned temperature you mentioned 103 degrees Fahrenheit, what what are the temperature bounds? What do you have to hit? Why do you have to hit it? What's too hot? How often do you measure that? How do you measure it?   Patrick Muran  19:33  temperature requirements are over 131. 131 to 170 for a minimum of 15 days. And you have to turn a minimum of five times in that 15 days. We use just a long stainless temperature probe. It's three feet, even a PVC sleeve and basically inserted into the core each day just to see where you stand. And then you're we do that kind of along the windrow in different spots, and kind of get an average of what's happening throughout the pile. And then secondly, we dig a little gopher holes into it like basically trying to dig down, or to get a sense of what the moisture content is like. And so we'll go dig through these piles, see where they stand, see what the moisture contents like, and then make a determination as to whether it needs water and turning and whatnot.   Craig Macmillan  20:31  You just dig in there with your hand, you already have a tool?   Patrick Muran  20:35  Now, I mean, it's it's, like I said, it's kind of nice. It's a touchy feely kind of thing. And you get a real good sense of what the moisture content and the different layers you can you'll find like moisture sort of will reside on the outside, but the core can become kind of dry, because that's the hottest spot. So just using your your old hands to kind of get in there is sufficient.   Craig Macmillan  21:04  Oh, when I forgot ot ask, What do you been using the compost for? Where's the finished product been going?   Patrick Muran  21:09  Right? Yeah, that's kind of going both into our garden or vegetable garden that we use for the restaurant and out in the vineyard. So they're applying it both aspects. And then I'm also making some compost tea or extract that I'm using to apply in the vineyard as well. The whole idea is, is really biology, you're trying to build the biology to support the plant that you're wanting to grow. And this is a great way to get the microorganisms that do the nutrient cycling and promote water holding capacity of the soil, suppress weeds. I mean, it's it's there's so many wins in the successful application of compost in those microorganisms to the soil. It's pretty cool stuff.   Craig Macmillan  21:57  Are you measuring that to see if there's changes over the time? Like maybe you're doing some kind of trial or experiment?   Patrick Muran  22:03  Yeah, yeah, we're working on on trying to assess this from a biological standpoint, what we're doing, what type of impact is that making? And how do you quantify that? There's a lot of discussion on that right now, what organisms matter what organisms don't matter? What is that nutrient cycling? Like? are you introducing harmful organisms to the, to the process? Yeah, we're trying to get answers both from a metabolic standpoint, just like metabolically, what's the activity in that soil, and then we're also doing it just by cell counts, and biological counts out there. Ultimately, we'd like to see long term what the impact is on the vine, as well. So we're trying to segment out different different blocks in our vineyard and assess what the yield is like what the cane weights are like what you know, the growth is like, and possibly even water holding capacity of the soil in the future.   Craig Macmillan  23:08  What is the number one like challenge or obstacle that you've had to overcome with this whole program?   Patrick Muran  23:12  It's like anything, just just getting off the ground, you know, like trying, failing, trying and failing. Doing it over and over again, it did take some time to get comfortable with like these types of assessments because I don't have like the analytical tools like to do it. So there is a little bit of a touch feel component. So just being comfortable going out there and saying, we need moisture, we need 200 gallons on this pile, you know, it needs to be turned today, you know, that sort of stuff, keeping things from going anaerobic is is really key that promotes a loss of nutrients, organisms that that are not going to help your plan all these things and keeping things in an aerobic manner on that aerobic side is, is very important as well. So it's just trial and error and getting those compositions moisture and size.   Craig Macmillan  24:11  That sounds like patience is an important part of this little in the willingness to keep trying, which I think is an important.   Patrick Muran  24:17  Wine making should be a good base of knowledge because it's also an act of patience. You know, these these compost piles will take a couple of months. I mean, fermentations and aging takes a couple of years.   Craig Macmillan  24:30  I do love the overlap. I've never thought of it this way. But I really do love the love the idea that the kind of the training and experience in one field can apply to another than some of the same kind of concepts in terms of like, hey, I have something that's alive, and I need to keep it alive. And I need to be patient as it does its thing. It reminds me of like a sluggish fermat you just have faith. You're gonna get through it. You know, just keep keep trying and try different things. Is there one piece of advice that you'd give someone who to start producing compost on site, either at the vineyard or the winery.   Patrick Muran  25:03  Yeah, I mean, I, my advice would really be just to start, like just getting a sense of even a small pile, like something you can manage and screw up and not have much consequence, just start small. It will help inform you on, like how you can shift the dynamic, based upon what you add to it, you know how much moisture it takes to kind of get this thing together. And then also recognize when you scale, things are going to change a little bit, because the size is going to change and the whole, the whole dynamic is going to change when to scale to like a windrow size. Just as get started, like we started with wire, mesh kind of hardware cloth piles built on pallets basically and, and just learn from it. And it was a bit of work. But I mean, you could do a really small one in in the yard, just to get a sense of it, keeping it aerobic learning the kind of the warning signs of when things go anaerobic, keeping consistent moisture content, that kind of stuff, you'll know if you got it right, or you got it wrong. I mean, it's, it's pretty apparent. And we and we screwed plenty up and re composted, um, you know, a few times over each time you learn a little bit from the process.   Craig Macmillan  26:22  Where can people find out more about you and more about what you do.   Patrick Muran  26:25  I mean, as far as education goes, I would really reach out to either Davis or Cal Poly, find out what they're doing, they'll give you a nice baseline where to start, and maybe the education that can help you not learn the hard way, I would really go to those groups first. Obviously, there's a lot of online type of stuff. And this is this is a dangerous thing. So I would really pick maybe some organic standards, there's some good worksheets on making organic compost put out by the NOP like National Organic Standards and, and things of that nature, that would be a good place to start. Because you could go down a YouTube rabbit hole with thermal composting and the different ways I think that was my struggle to begin with was the subjectivity it became a subjective form. And it's like, wow, no, I think that there's a little more, there's a little more precision here that than just again, throwing it in a bucket and leaving it for six months. And coming back, there is a little more science to it.   Craig Macmillan  27:30  And I do want to underline that there is so much so much more information and much higher quality information than there wasn't even 10 years ago. And so there's a lot of resources out there. And I think you're right, you have to be selective and decide what stuff is useful. And going to folks that have you know, the background and the science behind it. And there's a lot of that there. And so that's, I think we're living in what's going to become a golden age of composting here. There's more and more people do it. And there's more and more experienced this more and more ways of trying it. I think that's really exciting. And I really compliment you for the work that you've put in and sticking with it because like you said, you have to be patient and you have to try things and you're gonna fail and you have to just keep going. That's how you learn. You know, you gotta you gotta crawl before you walk, walk before you run. But that's our time for today. Our guest today was Patrick Muran, winemaker at Niner Wine Estates where he's been composting material on site for quite a while now has learned a ton and I really appreciate you being on the podcast, Patrick.   Patrick Muran  28:22  Absolutely. Craig happy to happy to be here and happy to be supportive of anybody out there trying this and want to reach out to me do whatever I can to help steer you out of the potholes.   Craig Macmillan  28:35  Well, we will have a lot of information also on the end links on the site. So there's a lot of resources out there.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Parasites: they're seen as blood suckers, freeloaders and the worst kind of groupies, writes parasitologist Scott Gardner. And though they can be dangerous, they're also "unseen influencers," essential to food webs and in some cases even beneficial to human health. We learn about the surprising world of parasites with Gardner, whose new book is “Parasites: The Inside Story.” Guests: Scott Gardner, professor of biological sciences and Curator of Parasites, H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska; author, "Parasites: The Inside Story" Henry M. Wu, associate professor of medicine and infectious diseases specialist, Emory University School of Medicine; director, the Emory TravelWell Center

Many people are becoming selective about what gets injected into their bodies, but don't think twice about having their animals vaccinated. Dr. Ruth Roberts joins me again today to talk about which vaccinations and flea, tick, and heartworm medications are necessary and which are not. She also explains how to incorporate mindfulness into our pet's daily routine. Options for environmental control against ticks and fleas: Nematodes that eat the eggs and larvae Borax or diatomaceous earth  Growth regulators that prevent fleas from forming a protective layer Capstar tablets Insect growth regulators to be given orally (Lufenuron)  Amber collars 0BugZone electromagnetic collars  About Dr. Roberts: Dr. Ruth Roberts has supported thousands of dogs and cats to overcome health hurdles like kidney disease, GI Illness, allergies, and cancer. Her natural approach to healing creates a gentle yet effective path for your pet to take on their journey to well-being.  Dr. Ruth created The Original CrockPet Diet, a balanced home-cooked diet for pets, as the foundation of health. Dr. Ruth will help you to develop a health plan for your pet via e-learning, videos on a range of health topics, and One on One coaching.   In this episode: How long the duration of immunity is for pets, and what that means. (30:56) What distemper and parvo are. (32:34) What happens when a person or a pet gets rabies. (35:37) How to dose a pet with Thuja. (37:00) What a titer is and what it tests for. (38:14) Should we back off with vaccines for low-risk animals or non-responders? (40:56) Why a kennel cough vaccination may be necessary. (43:20) Whether or not dogs need to be vaccinated against leptospirosis and Lyme disease. (44:45) Alternatives for tick and flea control. (51:20) Options for environmental control of ticks and fleas. (53:28) Heartworm prevention for dogs. (56:37) Incorporating mindfulness into your pet's daily routine. (58:24) Links and resources: Dr. Ruth Roberts's website  Follow Dr. Ruth Roberts on Instagram/ Twitter/ LinkedIn/ Facebook/ TikTok/ YouTube Free PDF download:  When Not to Take Your Pet to the ER Vet Get a 10% discount with CODE DRSTEPHANIEGRAY for The Original CrockPet Diet Follow Your Longevity Blueprint on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast 

A chat with Christy Wilhelmi.  In This Garden Chat: Now is the perfect time to get a 'kick in the pants' on starting back into our fall gardening. Christy Wilhelmi, frequent Urban Farm Podcast guest and author of Garden Variety, joins us for this month's Garden Chat to help dig into different aspects about one of the best times to garden.  She details her garden planning process and tells us what she likes to plant and how she decides when to plant it.  Christy also has plenty of tips for taking full advantage of this prime growing season no matter where you live. On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&A Our Special Guest:Christy Wilhelmi is the founder of Gardenerd, the ultimate resource for garden nerds, where she publishes her newsletters, her popular blog, top-ranked podcasts, and YouTube videos. She also specializes in small-space, organic vegetable garden design, consulting, and classes. Between 70-80 percent of her family's produce comes from her garden of less than 300 square feet. She is author of Gardening for Geeks, 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success, Grow Your Own Mini Fruit Garden, and just released in February 2022 is her debut novel Garden Variety (William Morrow/Harper Collins).

Think most nematodes are parasitic? Actually, the majority are beneficial and can provide biological control for bacteria, fungi and other nematodes. Deborah Neher, Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont explains that the name nematode in Latin means roundworm. But do not confuse these worms with the common earthworm. They have a very simple anatomy that is purely dedicated to eating and reproduction. The microscopic, aquatic organisms live in water films that surround soil particles. Nematodes are the most numerous soil-dwelling animal and can live in extreme conditions. Listen in to learn how nematodes fit into a healthy soil system. References: 28: Understanding Soil Health (podcast) 72: Soil Microbes and Nutrient Availability (podcast) Ecology of Plant and Free-Living Nematodes in Natural and Agricultural Soil Neher Lab Neher Lab Publications Perspectives article that covers history and approach to soil health with research agenda to soil health: Resilient soils for resilient farms: An integrative approach to assess, promote and value soil health for small- and medium-size farms. Role of Nematodes in Soil Health and Their Use as Indicators SIP Certified Soil Builders Module 3d: Compost for Soil Function and Disease Suppression, 9 December 2021. Invited Webinar Presentation (podcast) Soil community composition and ecosystem processes: Comparing agricultural ecosystems with natural ecosystems Sustainable Ag Expo November 14-16, 2022 | Use code PODCAST for $50 off The soil symphony. Interview by Leah Kelleher, 8 August 2020 (podcast) Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  And with me today is Dr. Deborah Neher. She's a professor at University of Vermont and has done some really, really interesting work on soil health in particular, micro organisms and what role they play. And so today we're gonna talk about nematodes. I'm excited.   Deborah Neher  0:15  Yeah, it's great to be here. nematodes get me excited too. Been working on it for like 30 years now, believe it or not.   Craig Macmillan  0:22  I believe it. First of all, let's drop back a second. And we're talking about healthy soil soil health, the role that these organisms play in that. What is your definition of a healthy soil, I think that's kind of a tough thing.   Deborah Neher  0:33  Sure. And I know everybody has a slightly different version. But just to keep it really short and succinct, it needs to be porous, it needs to be chemically balanced, as well as containing organic matter. Let me just elaborate on those briefly. We need a range of pore sizes in soil to help give it good structure and that also allows for a balance of water and oxygen, so that the plants and the microbes can live and have air to breathe. We need a chemically balanced both the nutrients as well as a pH. And as far as organic matter it plays a number of different roles. It can hold moisture and nutrients kind of like a sponge. And that's also where we have the biological activity happening. And organic matter has negative charges on its surface the nutrients have positive charges so they can attract you know like magnets with opposite charges. You know, organic amendments usually come with microbes as well as nutrients so they're bringing the life into soil and supporting that.   Craig Macmillan  1:31  And speaking of life, that's what a lot of your work has been the the soil microbiome plays a huge role and how that functions obviously and different organisms have different roles. So we have bacteria, fungi, we have protozoa, we have nematodes, am I leaving anybody out I don't want to leave anybody out.   Deborah Neher  1:49  Micro arthropods is another big one like mites is another one.   Craig Macmillan  1:53  Oh, yeah, that's right. When we do we don't talk about that much at least in my experience is the nematode part of it. What exactly is a nematode? First of all.   Deborah Neher  2:01  So the term nematode might be a bit foreign, it is a Latin word. If we translate it into English, it means round worm. And they are different than earthworms. They are different taxonomic phyla, so very different. One thing you will notice when you look at a nematode is it moves very differently than an earthworm. It has kind of a snake like S shaped movement, and that's because it only has longitudinal muscles, so it's not very coordinated. Nematodes are the most numerous of all soil dwelling animals. There's a great quote about how abundant they are. This quote is by a famous nematologist about 100 years ago, his name was Nathan Cobb, and he said, nematodes are so numerous that if you were to zap the earth, and just leave the nematodes representing the structure there, went outer space and looked back, you would be able to see see the Earth and the contours of the earth based on where the nematodes are. If you knew the associations of those nematodes and plants and animals well enough, you'd even be able to tell which plant and animal communities were wher. Back to kind of what they are there, you know, the very minute the soil nematodes are microscopic in size, one millimeter would be a very large one, you'd be able to see that kind of with your naked eye, but we usually have to look at soil nematodes, through a microscope. These tiny round worms, they basically are aquatic organisms, they live in the water films that surround soil particles. So I like to refer to them as the other aquatic organisms. And they're so tiny that they're forced to really navigate within the existing pore structure of soil within those water films. They are different from earthworm. Earthworms can move soil particles, these guys can't. Another kind of interesting thing, if you looked at their anatomy, it's very simple. They basically their whole anatomy is only about getting food and having sex, okay? They don't have any eyes, they don't have any appendages. They're determining where they're going based on kind of touch and smell chemical cues, as I'd like to say they've just got life down to the basics, just eating and having sex. And their whole whole body structure is based on that.   Craig Macmillan  4:28  They are relatively simple. What are some of the major categories of nematodes because there's a huge array of different even beyond genus just types and categories and do all kinds of different things. What are some of the major categories?   Deborah Neher  4:41  Yeah, I like to think about the categories we call them kind of feeding groups or trophic groups would be a way to think about it. Most people when they think of nematodes they automatically think about plant parasites, and that is an important, you know, group of nematodes but that's usually a minority. The majority of nematodes are actually beneficial. And they can be categorized into groups. One group would be bacterial feeding nematodes, another one that feeds on fungi. Another group that's actually predacious. And those can actually feed on protest or other nematodes. So they could have like a biological control component. And then we have some that we call omnivores, meaning they eat a variety of food sources. But those predators and omnivores are kind of higher up on the food chain than those that are feeding on the microbes. So you kind of almost have a whole food web just have nematodes.   Craig Macmillan  5:40  Wow, that's a that's pretty, pretty amazing. They also though, were parasitic to animals, their animal parasitic nematodes as well, right?   Deborah Neher  5:48  Yes, there are animal nematodes. These tend to be much larger than the ones you see in soil. They're not you know, restricted to going between the particles of soil. They're actually in the cavities, you know, the digestive cavities of animals. So examples like intestinal roundworms, pinworms, hookworms, those would be examples of nematodes that can be inside vertebrates, and those are very serious parasites.   Craig Macmillan  6:11  Yeah. And so that kind of where I was going for, which you've been very helpful was it's a type of organism that is incredibly diverse, all aspects of life on Earth are connected to nematode in some fashion. Now going back to soil specifically, so what are the roles that different kinds of nematodes play in the functioning of the healthy soil?   Deborah Neher  6:31  I'd like the fact that you pitch that as what is the function, because this is something I think about is it's really more important thinking function than just the specific organism itself. And that's why I study them. And that two major ecosystem functions in soil one is decomposition. And the other is nutrient cycling. Nematodes are really tightly linked with nutrient cycling, and particularly nitrogen, okay, and they're not feeding on, you know, the decaying organic matter, they're feeding on the microbes right. Their link in with nitrogen cycling is kind of both direct and indirect. Directly, they actually the food they take in any extra nitrogen they have, they excrete it in the form of ammonium as a byproduct. And that happens to be a nutrient or form of nitrogen in that plant can take up. So that's one way. And the second way indirectly is by feeding on bacteria and fungi, they can, you know, decompose the tissues, the body tissues of those microbes. Let me back up one moment, because bacteria and fungi are all especially bacteria, very important in nitrogen cycling, all the different stages. And nematodes can are a predator on those. And when you have a predator on a prey like that, you know, it kind of culls out or removes the sick, the weak, the old and keeps the most active ones going. And it ends up by that grazing activity on those microbes, that it makes nitrogen cycling more efficient, they can release more nitrogen per unit of carbon. So they don't take as much energy to kind of keep this nitrogen cycle going. So they're kind of keeping that bacteria in a healthy state, you know, in terms of their role in nitrogen cycling, but as I mentioned before, they also excrete ammonium. So we've estimated based on in my research that they contribute about eight to 19% of the nitrogen mineralization in soils, which is much higher than it's been reported in the past. So very important.   Craig Macmillan  8:46  That's incredible. And so what they're doing is they're consuming something and they're digesting it. And so it goes, it comes in in one form and leaves in another. Yes, it makes it in a plant available form.   Deborah Neher  9:00  Yeah, so you know, when they're ingesting bacteria, fungi, those are all their proteins and their bodies are comprised of amino acids. And when you digest an amino acid, one of the products is ammonium. And when the nematode gets more nitrogen than it needs for its own maintenance, the excess is then excreted as an ammonium. And that's a form plants can take up.   Craig Macmillan  9:26  And again, like they like that ammonium is going to be in solution in water on a soil particle and a root is going to grab that water and pull it up into the plant.   Deborah Neher  9:37  That's exactly right. Yeah, any nutrients have to be in water solution to be able to be transported into the plant through the roots.   Craig Macmillan  9:46  And this just occurred what are the conditions, soil conditions that promote different types of nematode populations and what are so conditioned that maybe limit them?   Deborah Neher  9:56  So that's a great question. What are the reasons that I got and to study nematodes in the first place is because they are distributed everywhere in all kinds of ecosystems, all types of vegetation. So that by saying they're everywhere means that they can also withstand some extreme conditions. I mean, we find them in extremes for temperature for cold for dry. Some groups of nematodes have an ability to go what they say in a kind of a cryobiotic state, or if it's for dryness and anhydrobiotic state, meaning when it's super dry, they can change into kind of a suspended animation or a dormancy where they can just kind of shut down, they survive, but their metabolism goes way, way down. And they have a way to kind of change their chemistry within their body so that they can stay alive and not damage their tissues. You know, I've studied nematodes in desert soils, where it's 60 degrees Celsius, so like, you know, over well over 100 degrees, and they're hanging out in there. Now, some of them are gonna get triggered into this other stage when it gets harsh. Okay, so one thing that would not be good for nematodes is if you would deplete the oxygen, they do require oxygen for survival. So if you had a situation where it was say flooded, for a long period of time, and all that oxygen got used up, that would be that would be very harmful to nematodes. The other thing that we can see is if you use very intense, general biocides, let's just say application of methyl bromide, for example, that pretty much wipes out everything.   Craig Macmillan  11:38  That'll take care of it. Yeah.   Deborah Neher  11:44  I mean, there are different species that that are adapted to different kinds of conditions. So if you have, you know, a tropics versus agricultural land in the temperate zone versus a wetland, they're gonna have different species just because they're adapted to those unique conditions.   Craig Macmillan  12:01  So you can tell a lot about a location. You can almost guess location like like constant I'm guessing that particulars species or perhaps genus, I'm not sure what level would be the important one, but you probably could or should identify these specific organisms, these specific types of organisms. How do you do that? We're talking about microscopic things that are distributed around soil. How do I find these little guys? What how did nematologists do it?   Deborah Neher  12:31  Yeah, no, that's a great question. First of all, address your species versus genus query. One is when we're looking to plant parasites, everybody identifies them to species, and sometimes even more precise than that there's actually races or, you know, subspecies, we would say. When we're looking at free living nematodes, we're happy if we can get to genus. We don't even have the knowledge to go to species for many of those. And part of it, there's so many different kinds, because I might find 50 to 100 different genera in one soil sample. So how do I get there, you get there. The first step is you have to get them out of the soil. And what we do is make a water slurry. So we'll take the soil, and we'll mix in water and stir that. And that will allow the nematodes to kind of swim out of that soil and into that water. And then we will run those through a series of sieves. So we start with kind of a coarse or large opening, go through that one first and make it successively smaller and smaller, until we can collect just we can get rid of the soil particles, and just have the nematodes on the final sieve. So that's one approach. But there are other methods that can be used to in terms of like cleaning them up as we can. I've used techniques where you can put them in a tray that has some kind of filter holding it up and having water and they'll swim out of that and you can collect them in an outer tray. And another cool technique is we can use a sugar flotation when you put this liquid into a tube with sugar, and spin it in a centrifuge, they're going to float because they're less dense than sugar. So if you're trying to concentrate them, you can use this method so that you can just pour the top part of that onto a serve. Now one tricky thing with that technique is you can't leave the sugar on very long, you got to get them rinsed off or they're just gonna shrivel. It's gonna make identification impossible, and it's also just a sticky mess to work with. So, people have been steering away from that. So I think of kind of a sieving methods giving a water slurry. The method I described with the sieving and flotation method is the one that I use for looking at entire soil communities. If one was interested in only the plant parasitic nematodes, there's another technique that's called an an illustrator, or semi automated method, and faster for like a diagnostic lab. And this is a technique where they use a sieve and they run water over it, and then there's some movement of that water and they can collect it, it's just a way they can try to process multiple samples. An illustrator is is a faster method, kind of what we call semi automated will allow a lab to process more samples within a day. The one downside with it is it's not as efficient with clay soils can miss some of the nematodes and under represents these predators, and the omnivores. It works great when you're just looking for a particular plant parasite, for example, that's fine, because you kind of know which needle in the haystack you're looking at.   Craig Macmillan  15:58  At least you know that.   Deborah Neher  16:02  Once you get the sample out, then it's usually in a water suspension. And we usually just let those settle for a little while and ends up that nematodes fall with gravity about one inch per hour, wait till they settle and we can concentrate them and then we'll first of all count how many nematodes we have in that volume of sample. And then we'll take a what we call a mass mount slide a slide that has a cavity, some depth, put some in there, and then we'll do the identification of those and we have to go to about 200 times magnification using a light microscope. Features that one looks at are some of the mouth features those that are at the feeding so you can understand the feeding, but also the the esophagus, within it and nematode you can see straight through there transparent. So and think about it is that you don't need the pigments if you're in soil because you don't have light. So these organisms are you don't need sight you're not seeing and they're you know, they're transparent. And so you can see straight through them. One of the challenges is, they are 3d. So sometimes you have to do a lot of focusing up and down takes a really good microscopists to do that. Some people will actually try to fix them or you know, kill them to hold them still. But sometimes you lose characters like how they move and swim can also be a character sometimes that helps to identify.   Craig Macmillan  17:31  And that quantification and identification has been important to another topic you work on, which has been around the idea of nematodes, as bio indicators might tell you something about what's going on in the environment, just whether they're there or not. And who. Can you tell us a little bit about that work, because fascinating stuff.   Deborah Neher  17:47  Sure. First, let me just give you a perspective, I consider myself a community ecologist. So I use a community ecology approach. So I'm looking at the community structure, or the community composition, and how that changes under different land management practices. The type of index that I found works the best is one that really looks at what the life history characteristics of different species. That means how sensitive or tolerant they are to disturbance, you know, how many offspring they have with their generation time is. So just to give an analogy, you know, it's kind of like comparing rats and elephants or carp and trout. Rats are the kind of what we call early stage, you know, they come in, they can tolerate a lot of stress where an elephant is going to be very sensitive, they have a long generation time. So if we apply that in nematodes, we have those that are early colonizers and those that are later in succession. We can tell the type and severity of disturbance based on the composition of that community. And as we learn more than we'll be able to even tell, you know, was that disturbance due to cultivation? Or was it disturbance due to heavy metal contamination, or perhaps even just a lot of additional a lot of fertilizer, that can actually shift a community to a very early successional stage. It's kind of an indicator of ecological succession. So you know, if you're in a forest, and you have a clear cut, and you want to progress gradually to a mature stand, old growth, you know, there's a lot of changes in species composition. So if there's no disturbance, you'd get to the old growth where there's, you know, the ultimate would be if you clear cut it, you can see the same kind of patterns in nematodes. So you can tell the kind of disturbance and where it's at on their trajectory. So that can be helpful to know the level of disturbance. It can be a tool for monitoring if you're trying to restore an environment as well. Now one thing that I just want to kind of address a myth is the idea of diversity. Most people think more diversity is better. And yeah, in general sense, but we have to be a little careful because diversity is just a mathematical equation. And it doesn't tell you who is there. You could have a diversity of invasives. Right? So we need to get to know who is there, it's just not how many different kinds are there. The other thing, if we're thinking of that analogy of a clear cut to an old growth is the most diversity is actually in the middle in the intermediate, because you're kind of in a transition between an early phase and a late stage. So you have overlap of species. For both of those. When you're at either extreme of the continuum, you actually have lower diversity, we tend to like to think about biodiversity, but we have to be a little bit careful in terms of that. And that's why I prefer an index that just looks at the community structure where it is on the whole continuum, rather than limiting it to just diversity.   Craig Macmillan  20:59  So is this something that a grape grower could use over time to see I'm using these practices? Is the community changing? is a community changing? In a good way? Are there things that I do that have suddenly you know, like you said, knock backwards and successional progress? Is that Is this the kind of tool? Is this the kind of measurement I can use to make decisions?   Deborah Neher  21:21  That is exactly it, it works best if you're doing it through time, you need to start somewhere and get a baseline. And then it's how is that changing through time, and it gives you feedback back on, am I on the right track or not? It's using this index where I really learned the cultivation or the physical disturbance of soil has the greatest impact on the soil foodweb. And it will set that back further than say, applying, you know, whether it's a chemical disturbance, whether that's a pesticide or fertilizer, for that matter. So the physical disturbance is really the most destructive to soil foodwebs.   Craig Macmillan  22:00  And that actually brings up another question, when we think about soil foodwebs. Are we talking about the first four inches? Two inches, six inches? Is there stuff happening in a foot that I should be interested in? Is there stuff below that, that I should be interested in? Because I got roots that are down at you know, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7? Feet? Where should I be putting my attention Deborah tell me please? Where should we put my attention?   Deborah Neher  22:20  Well, that's a great question, because so much sampling focuses on the top eight inches, because that's the plow layer. But that's a problem. Because really, the biology is going to be as deep as the roots. You know, the biology tends to be the most abundant near the surface and decreases as you go with depth. The other thing with roots is you have to think where are the actively growing roots. And when you're dealing with trees and woody plants, the biggest roots are not necessarily where all the activity is, it's really where the new roots are. And that's where the most biological so thinking about where is that happening? That would be the right place to look. Right. And usually that's a little closer to the surface, but there could be some of it deeper. So I usually like to think think about where the roots are. And that's where you should be sampling.   Craig Macmillan  23:07  Well that is some really good advice. And thank you for taking a topic that I personally have found very confusing over the years and giving it some clarity for me and also helping me see how we can what it means but also how we can use it and and how we should monitor it, which I think is great. So I want to thank you for being our guest, Dr. Deborah Neher Professor University of Vermont and plant soil science.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai  

A chat with Suzanne Bontempo.  In This Garden Chat: Bugs play a vital role in the health of an ecosystem, and with a little strategic planting, we can invite the "good" ones to join us in our own growing spaces. Join us as we talk with Suzanne Bontempo about planning ahead for bugs, how to recognize the difference between pests and beneficial insects, and how to encourage the ones we want for our garden ecosystems. On the last Tuesday every month we host The Urban Farm Garden Chats where Greg Peterson has a relaxed conversation in a Zoom room with a special guest to cover useful gardening topics, and they answer questions from the live listening audience. To join us for the next event, go to www.GardenChat.org or Click HERE to register for the Monthly Garden Chat with Live Q&A Our Special Guest:Suzanne Bontempo works as an environmental educator, teaching the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for sustainable, eco-friendly pest management around the home and garden. Suzanne, owner of Plant Harmony and program manager for Our Water Our World was recognized for excellence in her field winning the 2013 CA IPM Innovators Award. She has worked as a professional gardener for over 25 years. She loves teaching folks how to grow bountiful gardens that are also safe and healthy for you, your family, and the environment.

Nematodes are one of the least studied participants in the soil food web. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los speaks with nematologist Ernie Bernard PhD about nematode physiology and habits, beneficial attributes like protecting against pests and creating rich soil, and how to keep parasitic nematodes from becoming established in your garden.