Re: [compost_tea] EM

From: Steve Bridges <steve_at_texasgrown.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 21:38:32 -0500

>From this website http://www.livingsoil.co.uk/learning/soilsustain.html
~~~~EM stands for effective microorganisms and specifically refers to a coc=
ktail of beneficial bacteria that is used as a soil remediation and health =
measure in many organic farms in Japan. EM was discovered and developed by =
the Japanese horticulturalist and agriculturalist Dr Higa, Professor at the=
 University of Okinawa. EM contains over 80 microorganisms including popula=
tions of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts and smaller numbers of photosynthe=
tic bacteria, actinomycetes and other types of organisms that are mutually =
compatible and can coexist in balance in liquid culture. These microorganis=
ms are capable of generating minerals such as tocopherol, lycopene, ubiquin=
one, saponin, and powerful anti-oxidant flavonoids, such as quercetin, quer=
cetin-3-O-glucopyranoside, and quercetin-3-O-rhamnopyranoside.

EM can be used in agriculture via a number of methods. EM is innoculated in=
to the rhizosphere with the intention to regenerate soil, raise yields, and=
 improve the nutrient content of foods. EM can be drip fed or sprayed in di=
lution onto crops and soil. Alternatively EM can be used as a means of proc=
essing organic waste to create a rich compost to facilitate crop growth. EM=
 Bokashi is starter made from a mix of fermented organic waste, molasses an=
d wheat bran. It contains large populations of EM which are dormant. When B=
okashi is mixed with organic food waste or manure, it activates, and the be=
neficial microbes proliferate, fermenting the waste into nutrient and antio=
xidant rich compost that competitively excludes pathogenic bacteria and fun=
gi. 1 litre of EM which costs approximately £10 can produce 204 kg of Bok=
ashi, that can process 7530kg/7.5 tons of organic food waste. In other word=
s one litre of EM can create 7.5 tons of organic Bokashi compost, rich in b=
eneficial microbes.

EM is reported to assert a powerful regenerative effect on soil (Higa 1994)=
, helping to re-establish a balanced soil ecology and to combat oxidative c=
orrosion in plants and humans (Deiana, Dessi, Ke, Liang, Higa, Gilmour, Jen=
, Rahman, Aruom, 2002). According to Dr Higa, a combination of microorganis=
ms applied to the soil has a much higher chance of establishing itself that=
 the innoculation of a single strain. "If the microorganisms comprising the=
 mixed culture can coexist and are physiologically compatible and mutually =
complementary, and if the initial inoculum density is sufficiently high, th=
ere is a high probability that these microorganisms will become established=
 in the soil and will be effective as an associative group, whereby such po=
sitive interactions would continue." ~~~~

Steve Bridges

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: ericgoodenough
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 7:17 PM
  Subject: [compost_tea] EM


  OK, Expand Messages? Energized Manure? Exceptional Moderation? I
  give up. What does EM stand for?




   
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Received on Mon Jun 14 2004 - 23:16:08 EDT

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