To enable the transition towards a truly Sustainable Development for all.

Various Products

There is a range of products that can be made from the Effective Microorganisms (EM). The products are referred to as the derivatives. See what they are, what they can do and how simple they are to make.

EM Derivatives

1. EM-FPE (Fermented Plant Extract):

Bioactive supplement of vitamins, hormones and enzymes. FPE prevents pests & disease of the plants and soil, too. The cost of making FPE can be very cheap if you use weeds, but using herbs will improve its quality and is then similar to EM Insecticide (Isseki – Sancho or 3-in-1).

2. EM 3-in-1 or EM Insecticide:

This is a powerful contact poison and although organic and made from known spices, should ideally only be used when there is a problem. It will also harm beneficial insects. However it is often brewed together with the EM5 and sprayed preventatively.

3. EM-FF (Fermented Fish):

This is a good foliar feed, acts as a tonic and provides Nitrogen to plants in slow release. The use on crops results in fruit sugar content rise and with constant application will help by supplementing photosynthetic bacteria and amino acids.

4. EM-FCM (Fermented Chicken Manure):

This is a good foliar feed and will provide immediate N and P to the plant in times of shortages from the soil.

5. EM5:

This derivative is an organic insect repellent and is non-toxic. EM5 is used to help prevent disease and pest problems in crop plants and is also effective for animals to prevent insects from attacking their skin. It is mainly used to repel insects by creating a distasteful barrier. EM5 also helps control diseases/pest attack by the mechanism of ‘competitive exclusion’, a form of natural biological control.

6. EM Bokashi:

Bokashi is a Japanese word, which means ‘fermented organic matter’. Make Bokashi by fermenting organic matter (e.g. bran, oilcake etc) with Multi EM in an airtight container. EM Bokashi is on one hand an important soil amendment used to promote the increase in plant nutrients and the abundance of beneficial microorganisms in the soil and on the other hand a valuable feed amendment and used for livestock. Use at a rate of between 1% and 3 % of their total diet.

Making the EM Derivatives

Making Multi EM

Stock EM

  1. EM has a sweet-sour taste and smell (pH below 3.7).
  2. It  needs to be stored in an airtight plastic container. Gas needs to be released occasionally.
  3. The best temperature for storage is between 15 and 20 0C with little fluctuation (less than 10 0C in 24 hours).
  4. It needs to be stored away from direct sunlight, preferably in a storeroom.
  5. Ideally blankets or bubble sheets should be used as insulator at the top and the sides of the containers. The container should be placed directly onto the ground in summer for coolness and in winter the insulation should be placed under the base of the container as well.
  6. The beige/white fungi appearing on the surface are beneficial in EM. Don’t worry.
  7. The  shelf life for Stock EM is 6 months.

An appropriate sized plastic container with an airtight lid is chosen for making the quantity of the derivative needed. A length of spaghetti tube should run through the lid into a container of water. Be sure to seal the spaghetti tube into the lid.  This allows for the gasses that are formed to pass out of the derivative container without letting in oxygen.

How to make Multiplied EM (Multi EM)

  • Materials
    • 3 %   good quality Stock EM
    • 5 %   pure liquid cane molasses
    • 92 %   clean water
      • Borehole  drinking water
      • City water: containers with city water needs to be left open in the sun for  up to a day to get rid of the chlorine before being used.
    • Temperature  20-25 0C is best (a range from 15 – 37 0C is acceptable)
  • Preparation
    • Mix the molasses in warm water to dissolve it completely.
    • Mix Stock EM into the molasses water.
    • Fill the container with good (ideally warm) water. Leave a gap at the top for some air.
    • Mix well.
    • Seal the container airtight and release the gas often.  With larger quantities use a breather pipe to release the gas, without needing daily control. For this drill a hole  in the lid of the container, seal a spaghetti tube into the lid and place the other end into a bottle filled with water. Now the gas can escape, but no oxygen goes back into the container.
    • Extended / Multi EM is not as balanced as the Stock EM, because some microorganisms multiply more quickly than others do.
    • Never extend twice !
  • Good Multi EM
    • When  the Multiplied EM is ready it smells and tastes like the Stock EM.
    • It  is ready in 3 to 14 days, depending on the temperature.
    • Favourable  pH is below 3.7.
    • Multiplied EM can be safely stored for 1 month but often extends to 3 months if conditions are favourable.

1. How to make EM-FERMENTED PLANT EXTRACT (FPE):

Materials

3 % good quality Multi EM

3 % pure liquid cane molasses

Clean water

Borehole drinking water

City water: containers with city water need to be left open in the sun for up to a day to get rid of the chlorine before being used.

Temperature 20 – 25 0C is best (a range from 15 – 370C is acceptable)

Container full of fresh weeds, herbs and other plant matter. When choosing appropriate plants the Japanese say use ‘plants with lots of life’. This would mean that any plant, which shows by its’ appearance a strong indication of its’ health, can be used.

Preparation

Put the weeds and plants (chopped 2- 5cm) into an airtight bucket or container. Lightly press down by hand and fill the bucket

Mix the Multi EM and molasses into (warm) water and pour the solution into the container.

Close the container airtight, install breather pipe as with Multi EM if necessary (see diagram).

Store the container away from the sun in a warm place (20- 350C)

Stir the weeds regularly to release the gas.

Good EM-FPE

It is ready in 1 – 2 weeks.

Favourable pH is less than 3.7

Spray in a dilution of 1:1 000-1 500.

EM FPE can be stored for 1 – 2 months.

Use of EM FPE

Spray on plants at 1:500 to 1:1000

Spray on soil (to suppress disease) at 1:100 to 1:500

2. How to make EM INSECTICIDE or EM 3-in-1

Materials

3% good quality Multi EM

3% pure liquid cane molasses

Clean water

Borehole drinking water

City water: containers with city water need to be left open in the sun for a day to get rid of the chlorine before being used.

Temperature 20-25 0C is best (a range from 15 – 370C is acceptable)

2 % by weight Chilli

2 % by weight Garlic

2 % by weight Ginger

2 % by weight powdered Black Pepper (second grade)

Should some ingredients be not available locally, they can be replaced with a herb/spice of similar action.

Preparation

Put the spices (chopped or minced) into an airtight bucket or container.

Mix the Multi EM and molasses into (warm) water and pour the solution into the container.

Close the container airtight, install breather pipe as with Multi EM if necessary (see diagram).

Store the container away from the sun in a warm place (20 – 350C)

Stir regularly to release the gas.

Good EM 3-in-1

It is ready in 1 – 2 weeks.

Favourable pH is less than 3.7

Spray in a dilution of 1:1 000 – 1 500.

EM 3-in-1 can be stored up to 6 months.

Use of EM 3-in-1

Spray on plants at 1:500 to 1:1000

Mix with EM5 at a rate of 50/50 and use as a preventative spray

3. How to make EM-FERMENTED FISH (FF)

Materials

3 % good quality Multi EM

3 % pure liquid cane molasses

Clean water

Borehole drinking water

City water: containers with city water need to be left open in the sun for a day to get rid of the chlorine before being used.

Temperature 20 – 25 0C is best (a range from 15 0C – 37 0C is acceptable)

10 % by volume crushed fish or fishmeal, preferably of blue skinned fish, e.g. sardines.

Preparation

Fish or fishmeal (crushed or chopped 2 cm) into an airtight bucket or container.

Mix Multi EM and molasses into (warm) water and pour the solution into the container.

Close the container airtight, install breather pipe as with Multi EM if necessary (see diagram).

Place the container into the sun. This is the only EM derivative to be placed into the sun for fermentation. This is done to especially encourage the photosynthetic bacteria.

Stir the brew regularly to release the gas.

Good EM-FF

It is ready in 1 month.

pH is between 6 and 7

Spray in a dilution of 1:1 000 – 1 500. If it is too smelly mix with 25 % Multi EM just before spraying.

EM FF can be stored for 6 months.

Use of EM FF

Spray on plants at 1:500 to 1:1000

1:300 inoculation into the soil

4. How to make EM FERMENTED CHICKEN MANURE (FCM)

Materials

3 % good quality Multi EM

3 % pure liquid cane molasses

Clean water

Borehole drinking water

City water: containers with city water need to be left open in the sun for a day to get rid of the chlorine before being used.

Temperature 20 – 25 0C is best (a range from 15 – 37 0C is acceptable)

20 % by volume chicken manure

1 % by volume EM Bokashi

Preparation

Put chicken manure into an airtight bucket or container.

Add bran Bokashi.

Mix EM and 3% molasses into (warm) water and pour the solution into the container.

Close the container airtight, install breather pipe as with Multi EM if necessary (see diagram).

Store the container away from the sun in a warm place (20 – 35 0C)

Stir regularly to release the gas.

Good EM FCM

It is ready in 1 – 2 weeks.

Favourable pH is between 5 – 6

Spray in a dilution of 1:1 000-1 500.

EM FCM can be stored for 1 – 2 months.

Use of EM FCM

Spray on plants at 1:500 to 1:1000

1:300 inoculation into the soil

5. How to make EM5 – INSECT REPELLENT

Materials

10 % good quality Multi EM

10 % natural grape vinegar (not spirit vinegar, which is derived from coal)

10 % pure liquid cane molasses

10 % Alcohol (above 40% alcohol content)

60 % Good clean water

Preparation

Mix the molasses in warm water to dissolve completely.

Add alcohol and vinegar to the molasses water and stir.

Fill into the container

Add Multi EM last

Fill container with water, leave a little gap of air.

Mix well

Seal the container airtight and release the gas often or install breather pipe as with Multi EM (see diagram).

Good EM5

When EM5 is ready the strong Molasses smell has disappeared and is a good blend with quite a strong alcohol smell.

EM5 takes a little longer to mature, between two and four weeks.

The pH is around 3.6

EM5 can be stored for 6 months.

Use of EM5

Spray on plants at 1:500 to 1:1000

Mix with EM 3-in-1 50/50 as a preventative for insects

Spray on animals (against tick, flee, mite etc infestation) at a rate of 1 -10%

6. How to make EM BOKASHI

There are many different kinds of Bokashi for various applications. Below is a recipe, which can be used universally, is simple and cheap to make. The liquid we use to mix into the bran varies because the moisture content of the bran also varies. The quantities below are therefore a guide.

Materials

1 % good quality Multi EM

1 % pure liquid cane molasses

About 30 % vol. good clean water

125 – 150 % by volume of container wheaten bran, maize bran or any other available   bran

A airtight sealing plastic bucket

Preparation

Mix the molasses in warm water to dissolve completely.

Add Multi EM

Depending on quantity empty bran into a wheelbarrow or onto a clean concrete floor.

Spray EM/molasses mix onto the bran, with a backpack sprayer or watering can. Mix bran thoroughly with hands or spades. Continue spraying, while another person mixes.

To test if the moisture content is right (approx. 35%) you take a handful of the bran and squeeze in your hand. If liquid drips out, it is too wet. When you open your hand you want the ‘sausage’ to hold its form, open slightly, but not crumble apart. If it crumbles you need to add some more liquid.

Fill the bran into the bucket in layers of about 20 cm at a time and then compact it with your fists or trample with your feet. You want to get all the air out. Bokashi is an anaerobic fermentation process.

When the bucket is full cover with a few layers of newspaper, to absorb condensation water, and seal the lid well.

Good Bokashi

Bokashi takes 4 to 8 weeks to mature.

When it is ready, Bokashi has a sour smell, a bit like pickles.

It can be stored up to 6 months.

Use of EM Bokashi

Use as soil improver at 200gr/m2

Feed: 200g/animal/day. Small animals 100 – 150g/animal /day (between 1 % – 3 %of their feed).

EM and Cleaning Dams and Reservoirs EM DUMPLINGS

EM can be used effectively to maintain and clear water in dams and reservoirs. Multi EM is added to the water at a rate of 1:1000 – 1:10000. To support this inoculation of the water and to impact on the sludge build up on the floor it is suggested to make EM Dumplings which are placed into the water at a rate of 1 dumpling per square meter floor area. Using the following recipe make as many dumplings as needed. Place each dumpling as an individual and don’t stack them higher than two layers. The idea is for the ray fungi to completely encase the entire surface area of the dumpling When the ray fungi have established themselves and the dumplings look like fur balls they are ready to be used. They are now thrown into the water trying to position them at the rate 1 dumpling per square meter.

Materials:

Dried sludge from the lake/dam/river/cess pit

EM Bokashi

(Bentonite) clay (if the sludge is not clayey enough already)

Multi-EM

Use the following quantities:

15 litre (1 bucket) of dried sludge

0.5 litre Bokashi

0.5 litre Bentonite (this is dependent on the clay content of the sludge and needs to be experimented with)

2 litre Multi-EM (This is dependent on the moisture content of the sludge and needs to be experimented with. The final product must be as a bread dough and must not be too runny!)

Every thing is mixed thoroughly to a consistency, that allows making nice firm balls, to the size of a tennis ball.

The balls are all placed where they will not be disturbed and covered with newspaper / hessian / or a tarpaulin.

Then they are ready to be placed into the pond/dam at about 1 ball per square metre.