I'd like to try whey as a bacterial spray. With the thought of probiotics vs antibiotics, I've been thinking about using acid or "sour" whey from yoghurt making as a bacterial combatant because it already contains the probiotics. I've read papers about certain strains of Lacobacillus plantarum showing good fireblight control qualities and I'm assuming some strain(s) of Lactobacillus plantarum are around in yoghurt. I have access to acid whey and have been granted permission by the owner of the orchard I manage to experiment on the Esopus Spitzenburg trees this year (because they are marked for removal due to being the dirtiest trees in the orchard). It can't hurt to try it out since the trees are going to get axed anyway...
- Is a surfactant necessary for spraying liquid whey? If so- what is recommended?
- % whey- I'm thinking about going with 2% in water with a surfactant just because that's what is listed for fungal spore inhibition. I'm not adding this whey to the "core holistic recipe" just yet because my experimental budget is basically $0 and the acid whey is free.
-Spray Schedule: It's likely we won't have fruit this year due to tonight's 19 degrees and 35 mph NW wind so we might not even have bloom. Depending on the weather, I've already sprayed copper at green tip and plan to spray the whey at full pink, first open blossom (crossing fingers we have one), and again as new blossoms open (and before the next rain). Not sure what to do about shoot infection, which we get due to extreme vigor. I'll have to think that one out and will probably have some time due to tonight's bud death.
I welcome any thoughts, exclamations, naysaying, etc...
Mid-Atlantic VA, Zone 7a
(And often representing other areas throughout the South)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2014 08:32AM by Michael Phillips.