Actinovate for disease control/prevention
 

I posted a blurb in the Soilbuilding 101 forum (a new method) thread that I was using Actinovate and tomtrees ran with it and added the following discription of the product which I copied from his post.

"Actinovate® SP is a high concentration of a patented beneficial bacterium on a 100% water soluble powder. This powerful new product effectively suppresses/controls a wide range of soil borne diseases including Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Verticillium and other root decay fungi..

Actinovate® SP is also labeled as a spray application for foliar diseases (when appled as a spray) such as Powdery and Downey Mildew, Botrytis, Alternaria and others.

In fact, when used as a preventative, researchers have seen Actinovate® SP work as well or better than most chemicals.

The benefits of Actinovate® SP don't stop there: Because of the special properties of the Actinovate® microbe, plants treated with Actinovate® SP will be vigorous, have increased vitality and have much better root growth. Actinovate® SP contains the microorganism Streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC 108.

When introduced into the soil this microbe colonizes and grows around the root system of plants. While settling in the root's rhizosphere the microbe forms a synergetic relationship, feeding off of the plant's waste materials while secreting beneficial and protective by-products. This combination of the colonization and the protective secretions forms a defensive barrier around the root system of the plant which in turn suppresses and controls soil pathogens. S. lydicus also has been shown to prey on certain pathogens, disrupting their cell walls and disabling them in the process. Finally, the by-products of the Actinovate® microorganism also aid plants in complexing minerals and micronutrients found in the soil, allowing easier uptake and, thus, creating a stronger, more robust plant.

This symbiotic relationship between plant and microbe is the optimum balance for a natural, productive soil environment. Actinovate® SP makes it happen".

When I planted my seedlings (most were 18" tall) I put in the hole 1/8 tsp "Actinovate" and 1/4 cup "Gardengrounds". Here is a brief discription of what "Gardengrounds" are:
"Garden Grounds contains coffee grounds, organic fertilizer, 8 species of growth-enhancing natural mycorrhizal fungi, 14 strains of beneficial soil bacteria, 11 types of time release carbohydrates and 20 different amino acids. Coffee grounds add organic matter to the soil and contain nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and micronutrients necessary for plant health".
Its been 4 weeks since I have planted out And I have no signs of disease as of yet. I have made two foliar applications of Actinovate since the plantout, One with it mixed in water and the second I put it in my compost tea during the brewing process and then applied via a hose end sprayer. I have 21 plants in containers and 10 plants in the ground. I will post pictures in the near future and keep everybody updated as to "How go's It" in this thread. Ami

[SIZE=3][COLOR=black]I think we have done a lot for tomatoes with good taste, good looks, good production, -------. [/COLOR][/SIZE]
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[SIZE=3][COLOR=black]I feel that tomato deceases are the biggest concern and challenge for all tomato growers.[/COLOR][/SIZE]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]Ami, thanks for posting this topic and please keep us informed of your progress.[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=3]dcarch[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR]

I bet that alot of those "patented benficial bacterium" are present in aerated compost tea and some of the better mycorhizae products.

Dunkel, evidently the strain that they use for Actinovate is not. I queried a couple mycorrhiza suppliers concerning the compatibility of Actinovate with the common strains of Mycorrhiza and they said there were no problems. Currently I,m using the compost tea kit from T&J enterprises and Thomas Giannou said go ahead and add the Actinovate to the tea mixture and brew together.
Another product I'm going to try is CBF-2606 made by echchem. Fungal diseases are often spread by zoospores that are transported from one plant to another and from lawn to lawn or field to field. CBF-2606 is a biological fungus control for the prevention and control of plant fungi on fruit, vegetables and horticultural and agricultural crops. CBF-2606 destroys zoospores that cause fungal disease, on contact.
When I enquired to the compatibility of CBF-2606 this was their response.
CBF-2606 will not disrupt the efficacy of "mycorrhiza plant root inoculants".
CBF 2606 is a proprietary natural product formulated to destroy zoospores that cause fungal disease, on contact.
I also want to use it on my grapes as I do have a fungal problem in the fall when they are ripening on the vine. Ami

Great information, useful stuff, I'll search for these things over here in Europe,
orflo

orflo, Havn't seen you post as of yet but would like to welcome you to Tville. Alot of wonderful people with one passion in life, "Tomatoes". I'm in Germany and I could not find either product listed in Europe.
What products are you interested in? I ordered mine from the states. Ami

Hi Ami,
I'm not a specific "tomato lover", but more a vegetable and unknown vegetable lover (offering member of SSE and arche noah), I was especially interested in this actinovate product, I grow organically only and a few years ago I had some problems with verticillium, I managed to control it by sterilising my soil with llots of fresh green grass ,I digged this into the ground and covered the whole lot with plastic, the graas heats up and sterilizes the ground above, but sometimes an eggplant with verticillium contamination still shows up, I don't understand why, so if this actonivate could control the disease I would be happy,
Frank

orflo, I'll send you a PM. Maybe I can Help. Ami

Product Update. I would like to report that after having on and off rain for the last 4 weeks that my 35 plants are disease free. After the initial application to my tomato plants when initially planted I have made 4 foliar applications, 2 with compost tea and 2 with ferts. So far so good and totally satisfied with this product and being organic to boot. Plant out was 1 May for me. Ami