crab shell meal, chitin, and mycorrhiza...

[mostnonymouse]

I have access to a practically unlimited supply of crab shells locally that I planned on turning into my own crab shell meal. For those who don't know, crab shells are loaded with calcium and are a good slow-release source of N, P, Mg, and some K, as well as chitin. Chitin is the substance that makes up the exoskeletons of fungus and nematode eggs. When crab shell meal is applied to a soil, the micro-organisms that feed off of chitin grow to massive numbers, putting significant pressure on nematode and fungus populations. I'm very interested in becoming self sufficient and I'm in the process of building a soil I can be proud of based off of free, locally available amendments. While i'd love to use homemade crab meal, and fully intend on doing so, I can't find any information regarding the affects of these chitin-feeding bacteria on mycorrhizae. Does anyone know if this is a legitimate concern when using crab shell meal, or if there are any downsides I may not be aware of?

 

[mad librettist]

maybe frame this a bit differently. if you are imagining an ideal fungi:bacteria ratio, though that is oversimplifying, is crab shell meal going to favor bacteria to the detriment of cannabis?

I don't have any hard data, but I can tell you that I have no problem growing cannabis despite heavy use of crab meal, and I also get mushrooms in the worm bin where I have also been feeding lots of crab meal.

 

[supermanlives]

no crab here but lots of shrimp and lobster. no issues at all

 

[GoneRooty]

If I understand your question, you're asking if the chitin eating bacteria will affect the mycorrhizal fungi in your soil? That's a good question. I know that plants exude chitinase as a defense mechanism, which actually helps the mycos enter the roots without being recognized as an enemy http://plantbiology.unibas.ch/molbio/molbio.htm
I do understand your concerns since fungi cell walls are chitin. Maybe someone like MM can chime in on this.

 

[mostnonymouse]

Nice link rooty. Thanks

 

[h.h.]

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2556926

 

[guest2012y]

No problems here,but this concern has popped up before.

 

[CascadeFarmer]

In my quest for sourcing materials from the the local area seems I might have found a new option. I'm thinking of collecting some waste material from the operations they do on Upper Klamath Lake when they harvest the blue green algae from there. A byproduct they filter out is mainly a fresh water microcrustacean called Daphnia. I found out one company actually dries the Daphnia and sells it to the aquaculture industry. Others just dump it. While fresh water still chitin. I get my sea trace minerals from Sea Crop.

They're cute little things...

Only reason I'd collect the stuff is for the chitin but if whole may supply other goodies.

 

[Dab Strudel]

If I understand your question, you're asking if the chitin eating bacteria will affect the mycorrhizal fungi in your soil?

Thats what Im asking now

 

[il19z8rn4li1]

^^^ In healthy Natural Living Soil... simply answer... NO, people been using it for years
now on a large scale imo... never read any issues. (probably because noone
has ever used straight crab meal for their nute inputs)


just remember..

diversity is KEY to a really healthy natural soil

everything in moderation, as you can have to much of everything at some point or another.