The Science of Soil Health: Fighting Plant Disease with Microbes

One of the critical functions of healthy soils is that they contain beneficial microbes that can enhance plant defense against disease, and sometimes against insects; our journey took us to Clemson's Dr. Geoff Zehnder to talk about his work.
Dr. Geoff Zehnder is a professor of entomology and his primary responsibility is to support the sustainable agriculture program at Clemson University. Dr. Zehnder's other projects include the Clemson Student Organic Farm and Farmer's Market, and the Clemson Heirloom Vegetable Garden. He also supervises graduate work on a host of topics including biological controls, integrated pest management (IPM), fertility in organic farms, composting and soil amendments.

[@thekopys3094]

So what do I need to do to stop cucumber beetles in my small garden? How do I make a "slurry"?

[@gsmscrazycanuck9814]

Your missing a piece of data for me. What was the BRIX readings for the treated and control? I find that high BRIX plants don't have disease and insects won't touch them.

[@gerryreimer9090]

What kind of slurry?

[@Trey8207]

Hello, Do you guys know of any rhizo-bacteria based fertilizer or additive that I can use on a few sick trees?

[@PickledPoacher]

+Trey Harris (Coastal Turf and Garden) are you using a Nitrate N based fertiliser? Nitrate forms of Nitrogen are not ideal for trees and so you may find a simple check on whats being used today will help to solve this matter. Trees prefer more acid forms of Nitrogen, so any Ammonium forms would be better suited. Studying forest soils, we typically find a fungal dominance among the microbe populations. Fungus tend to secrete Organic acids which prevent other microbes in the soil and bacteria, from converting Nitrogen to Nitrate forms, which we can get trees to use, but they wont be happy.
The process of Nitrogen to nitrate (NO3-) conversion happens at pH levels at least above 6.5 but typically 7.0+, and it is the bio film secreted by bacteria that promote conditions for this. Short day crops prefer Nitrate Nitrogen which is fixed by Bacteria which can exist freely in soils, perennial plants such as trees, form relationships with fungus, and so NH4+ forms are preferred.
If you are looking to inoculate and trees are the target, then you should look more at a fungal treatment, so a Myco product like www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Better-Organix-Root-Better-50g-Mycorrhizal-Rhizobacteria-Inoculant-/262241566484?hash=item3d0ed0bf14:g:W~cAAOSw5dNWl9-U will contain everything you need to establish a higher ratio of fungus to bacteria. Its got beneficial bacteria strains in it, so can be used on more than just your trees I suspect.
Hope this helps, sorry I just found this clip if i am late :-) I found some awesome products here for my trees and orchard plants
betterorganix.com/