Sounds like they are definitely discouraging the use of molasses in the tea brews. There have been quite a few people stating that for a while now. It does make sense.
@Ecompost - Thanks for the article
Slap
The biggest issue with it on no till or high SOM base is the placement of teas as a soil drench along side soil residues already high in carbons. High organic matter with excess carbons via BSM may add to an overall tying of N as in the case of immobilization
, or the temporary tying up of inorganic nitrogen by soil microorganisms decomposing plant residues and the related slow rates of decay on high Carbon inputs. Although not strictly a loss process. Immobilized nitrogen will be unavailable to plants for a time, but will eventually become available as residue decomposition proceeds and populations of microorganisms decline, hence why I brew protozoa teas to speed to release via cycling and predation.
I think the article is refer high SOM so anyone in Soil-Less should take this with a pinch of salt and maintain a good Carbon to Nitrogen ratio via BSM or other Carbs or you may as well go pure synth without any holding capacity for organics. So long as the N is added for the Bio and this isnt eating in to the plants needs, we are good.
Fertilizer nitrogen immobilization can be reduced by placing fertilizers below crop residues instead of incorporating fertilizer into the soil with residue as happens with most tea application...EG get a fat injection needle or bottom feed from a tray :-)
Soil organic matter contains an average of about 50 percent carbon and 5 percent nitrogen. This ratio (10:1) is relatively constant for organic matter. The C:N ratio of plant residue ranges from 10:1 for young leguminous plant tissue to as high as 200:1 for straw of some grains. Plant tissues low in nitrogen generally are more resistant to decomposition and require a longer time before the nitrogen is available to plants.
When a plant residue with a wide C:N ratio is incorporated into the soil, microbial decomposition starts. Microorganism populations increase greatly, evidenced by increased release of CO2 leaving the soil through respiration. The microorganisms take nitrogen from the soil for proteins. Consequently, for a time the concentration of inorganic nitrogen in the soil declines, and may be deficient for plant growth. As residue decomposes, the C:N ratio narrows. At a ratio of approximately 17:1, nitrogen becomes available for plant use. Decomposition continues until the ratio is approximately 11:1 or 10:1. Excessive adds of C would delay this process and cause more long ranging defs imo.
Eco
