Mad Lab
Member
Hey everyone,
Trying to get a thread going on something I thought alot of growers, especially outdoors, where using these days, but I cant find much on it on IC.
If you havent heard of EM1 or active EM1 (AEM) here's a little information regarding these awesome anarobic microbes, that's right, not aerobic like most of the beneficial we use. Also EM5, which is an upgrade to the EM1 which is a great organic pesticide.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-1[/FONT]
EM stands for “Effective Micro-organisms” and is a liquid culture with basically three genera of microorganisms, i.e. lactobacilli (as in curd and Sauerkraut), yeast (as in idlis, bread, beer and wine), and photosynthetic or phototrophic bacteria (as in some pickles and cheeses, and in the roots of water hyacinths). These organisms are not being modified by genetic engineering, they are safe and easy to handle and cause no harm even if accidentally ingested. Since 2000 EM is produced in India, too, and being made available at affordable rates.
Prof. Teruo Higa, an agriculturist from Okinawa, Japan, developed EM. He had made the accidental and fortunate discovery that some symbiotic aerobic and anaerobic organisms jointly exhibit stronger and more interesting properties than the individual organisms on their own. In 1982, he went public with his product in Japan, and in 1989 in the international domain. By now, EM is manufactured in 50 countries and used in more than 150.
EM was developed for the agricultural sector and improved the quantity as well as the quality of crops: taste, scent, color intensity, longevity. Surprisingly, the first users also reported of its power to counteract “rot, stink and rust”. If EM can control the fouling of organic debris, it can also control associated pest nuisance – flies, cockroaches – and the spread of pathogens. It became obvious that EM could be utilized for composting and solid waste management, and in sewage and effluent treatment. And if EM is anti-oxidant or anticorrosive, it can also find use in medical and technical contexts.
Thus EM is successfully used in agriculture and horticulture, in animal husbandry and aquaculture (fish, shrimp etc.), in composting and solid waste management, in sewage and effluent treatment, in environmental rehabilitation of wastelands and of eutrophied water bodies – and in the management of hygiene.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-1 & AEM[/FONT]
EM1 helps prevent pests, pathogens, and diseases due in large part to the competitive exclusion principle of ecology which states, "In ecology, the competitive exclusion principle,[1] sometimes referred to as Gause's law of competitive exclusion or just Gause's law,[2] is a proposition which states that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant. When one species has even the slightest advantage or edge over another, then the one with the advantage will dominate in the long term. One of the two competitors will always overcome the other, leading to either the extinction of this competitor or an evolutionary or behavioral shift towards a different ecological niche. The principle has been paraphrased into the maxim 'complete competitors cannot coexist'.[1]" When you innoculate with EM1 you provide an advantage of much more than "the slightest degree" and the beneficial microbes prevent pests, diseases, and pathogens via 3 pathways: 1. by taking up the physical space so that competitors have no space in which to live; 2. by taking up the resources so that competitors have no resources upon which to live; 3. by feeding upon and killing competitors directly eliminating pests, pathogens, and diseases.
EM is made available as EM1 or so-called EM stock solution. This contains the microbes in a semi-dormant state (as spores) and has a shelf life of six months. EM1 needs to be activated or extended by mixing one volume part EM1 with one volume part of jaggery or molasses and twenty volume parts of water. This process creates Activated Effective Micro-Organisms (AEM). This mixture needs to be placed in an airtight container of food-grade plastic and kept undisturbed in a shaded place of stable temperature to ferment for 5-10 days. Because of gas development during fermentation, metal or glass containers cannot be used, and the pressure building up in the container needs to be released once a day. After about one week, i.e. when the pH has dropped to below 4, activated EM solution (AEM) is ready for use. This should be used within one month.
In agriculture AEM is diluted in the range of 1:500 to 1:1,000, in wastewater treatment from 1:500 to 1: several thousands. Wherever its use has benefits, EM proves to be a cost-efficient input.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-5[/FONT]
EM5 is a non-chemical insect repellent and is non toxic . EM5 is used to prevent disease and pest problems in crop plants. It is usually sprayed onto plants at a dilution of 1/500 -1/1000 in water. It is mainly used to repel insects by creating a sort of barrier. EM5 could also control insect populations. EM5 carried by insects to places of food storage could "contaminate" the stored food. The process of fermentation that takes place in the food due to EM5 makes it non-edible to insects, thereby diminishing populations.
In making EM5, ingredients may vary. A standard set of ingredients is listed below. However, to make effective EM5 for more persistent pests, more organic materials should be added (organic materials that has a high quantum of antioxidants such as garlic, hot peppers, aloe, neem leaf, pruned green fruits, and grass) which are considered to be of medicinal value. When using such materials, they should be chopped or mashed in a mixer. Some or all of the materials may be used in making EM5.
The following is a standard set of ingredients for making EM5
lngredients(Standard).
1. Water #1 600 cc
2. Molasses 100 cc
3. Vinegar #2 100 cc
4. Distilled spirit (30-50 %) #3 100 cc
5. EM1 100 cc
#1 Well water preferred since tap water is chlorinated.
#2: Natural vinegar is better than artificial acids
#3: Whiskey or Ethyl alcohol could be used.
Items needed in making of EM5
A large pot may be used to initially blend all of the ingredients. Plastic containers are required to store the EM5 along with a funnel to pour the EM into the containers.
Blend the molasses with water, make certain that it has been completely dissolved. You may use warm water for quick dilution of molasses.
Add vinegar and distilled spirit, followed by EM1.
Pour the mixed solution into a plastic container which can be shut tightly (A glass container should not be used). Remove excess air in container to maintain anaerobic conditions.
Store the bottle in a warm place (20-35 °C), away from direct sunlight.
When container is expanded by the fermented gas, loosen the cap of the container to release gas. Shut it tightly again.
The EM5 is ready for use when the production of gas has subsided. The EM5 should have a sweet smell (Ester/alcohol).
EM5 should be stored in a dark cool place, which has a uniform temperature. Do not store in the refrigerator or in direct sunlight. EM5 should be used within three months after preparation.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Spray EM5 diluted in water 1/500-1/1000 to wet the crop.
Start spraying after germination, before pests and diseases appear.
Spray in the morning or after heavy rains.
Apply EM5 regularly.
Since EM5 is not a pesticide, germicide or a harmful chemical, the application method is different from other agrochemicals. Chemicals are used to solve a problem forcefully and quickly and are applied at specific intervals. EM5, on the other hand, should be applied from the time of planting before the development of any disease or pests. If this is not done and diseases or pests appear, EM5 should be sprayed daily until the problem disappears.
Application can be done once - twice a week with a direct spray onto the plants. Direct spraying on harmful insects should reduce populations leading to eventual disappearance.
A thorough spraying to the plant ensures good results. Continuous or regular sprayings ensure that harmful insects which may have escaped or are recent additions will be affected by the EM5. EM5 works over time. Thus regular applications brings out the best results.
Although chemical applications may give rapid results, it may be harmful to plants and soil. The long term effects may be disastrous not only to the environment but also to the farmer's economic condition and health. EM5 has no adverse effect even with excessive applications. In contrast, EM5 may enhance the plant's strength through the absorption of EM and therefore increase the level of antioxidation (that is, the ability to suppress disease, pest infestation, and overcome any debilitating factors.). Although EM5 may take time to create the best condition depending on soil and type of crops grown, it will benefit the environment, the soil, the plant cultivated, and the economic status of the farmer.
The upliftment of the economic status occurs as EM5 can be made easily and cheaply. Over the long term, less EM5 (costs for the material to make EM5) is needed since the soil conditions change. This ensures a healthy and strong crop to protect itself from disease and pests. The post-harvest crop residues incorporated back to soil as a pre-treatment before the next season is recommended and, additionally, the use of EM5 would help in the suppression of diseases and pests that would be recycled back into the next crop.
EM5 contains EM l - therefore it contributes to the beneficial effects that EM 1 increasing yield and quality of the crop. Thus, less expense is incurred on fertilizers and no cost would be expended on agricultural chemicals.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]FPE[/FONT]
Fermented Plant Extracts or FPE/ EM1-FPE, is most commonly done as a plain liquid manure or plant extract is a dynamic practice gaining increased usage in India, Africa, Asia, and Central America where poor farmers need to obtain fertility and pest control from local plants and simple on-farm extraction methods." Steve Diver, ATTRA*
For centuries extracts have been used as elixirs for all sorts of ailments. Individuals would seek out certain plant materials that were known for their beneficial properties and ferment them to extract the desired benefits. This same technology can be used to extract properties from plants such as geranium to make a citronella extra for keeping away mosquitoes. Hot peppers and garlic are also known for their pest-deterring properties.
Trying to get a thread going on something I thought alot of growers, especially outdoors, where using these days, but I cant find much on it on IC.
If you havent heard of EM1 or active EM1 (AEM) here's a little information regarding these awesome anarobic microbes, that's right, not aerobic like most of the beneficial we use. Also EM5, which is an upgrade to the EM1 which is a great organic pesticide.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-1[/FONT]
EM stands for “Effective Micro-organisms” and is a liquid culture with basically three genera of microorganisms, i.e. lactobacilli (as in curd and Sauerkraut), yeast (as in idlis, bread, beer and wine), and photosynthetic or phototrophic bacteria (as in some pickles and cheeses, and in the roots of water hyacinths). These organisms are not being modified by genetic engineering, they are safe and easy to handle and cause no harm even if accidentally ingested. Since 2000 EM is produced in India, too, and being made available at affordable rates.
Prof. Teruo Higa, an agriculturist from Okinawa, Japan, developed EM. He had made the accidental and fortunate discovery that some symbiotic aerobic and anaerobic organisms jointly exhibit stronger and more interesting properties than the individual organisms on their own. In 1982, he went public with his product in Japan, and in 1989 in the international domain. By now, EM is manufactured in 50 countries and used in more than 150.
EM was developed for the agricultural sector and improved the quantity as well as the quality of crops: taste, scent, color intensity, longevity. Surprisingly, the first users also reported of its power to counteract “rot, stink and rust”. If EM can control the fouling of organic debris, it can also control associated pest nuisance – flies, cockroaches – and the spread of pathogens. It became obvious that EM could be utilized for composting and solid waste management, and in sewage and effluent treatment. And if EM is anti-oxidant or anticorrosive, it can also find use in medical and technical contexts.
Thus EM is successfully used in agriculture and horticulture, in animal husbandry and aquaculture (fish, shrimp etc.), in composting and solid waste management, in sewage and effluent treatment, in environmental rehabilitation of wastelands and of eutrophied water bodies – and in the management of hygiene.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-1 & AEM[/FONT]
EM1 helps prevent pests, pathogens, and diseases due in large part to the competitive exclusion principle of ecology which states, "In ecology, the competitive exclusion principle,[1] sometimes referred to as Gause's law of competitive exclusion or just Gause's law,[2] is a proposition which states that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist if other ecological factors are constant. When one species has even the slightest advantage or edge over another, then the one with the advantage will dominate in the long term. One of the two competitors will always overcome the other, leading to either the extinction of this competitor or an evolutionary or behavioral shift towards a different ecological niche. The principle has been paraphrased into the maxim 'complete competitors cannot coexist'.[1]" When you innoculate with EM1 you provide an advantage of much more than "the slightest degree" and the beneficial microbes prevent pests, diseases, and pathogens via 3 pathways: 1. by taking up the physical space so that competitors have no space in which to live; 2. by taking up the resources so that competitors have no resources upon which to live; 3. by feeding upon and killing competitors directly eliminating pests, pathogens, and diseases.
EM is made available as EM1 or so-called EM stock solution. This contains the microbes in a semi-dormant state (as spores) and has a shelf life of six months. EM1 needs to be activated or extended by mixing one volume part EM1 with one volume part of jaggery or molasses and twenty volume parts of water. This process creates Activated Effective Micro-Organisms (AEM). This mixture needs to be placed in an airtight container of food-grade plastic and kept undisturbed in a shaded place of stable temperature to ferment for 5-10 days. Because of gas development during fermentation, metal or glass containers cannot be used, and the pressure building up in the container needs to be released once a day. After about one week, i.e. when the pH has dropped to below 4, activated EM solution (AEM) is ready for use. This should be used within one month.
In agriculture AEM is diluted in the range of 1:500 to 1:1,000, in wastewater treatment from 1:500 to 1: several thousands. Wherever its use has benefits, EM proves to be a cost-efficient input.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]EM-5[/FONT]
EM5 is a non-chemical insect repellent and is non toxic . EM5 is used to prevent disease and pest problems in crop plants. It is usually sprayed onto plants at a dilution of 1/500 -1/1000 in water. It is mainly used to repel insects by creating a sort of barrier. EM5 could also control insect populations. EM5 carried by insects to places of food storage could "contaminate" the stored food. The process of fermentation that takes place in the food due to EM5 makes it non-edible to insects, thereby diminishing populations.
In making EM5, ingredients may vary. A standard set of ingredients is listed below. However, to make effective EM5 for more persistent pests, more organic materials should be added (organic materials that has a high quantum of antioxidants such as garlic, hot peppers, aloe, neem leaf, pruned green fruits, and grass) which are considered to be of medicinal value. When using such materials, they should be chopped or mashed in a mixer. Some or all of the materials may be used in making EM5.
The following is a standard set of ingredients for making EM5
lngredients(Standard).
1. Water #1 600 cc
2. Molasses 100 cc
3. Vinegar #2 100 cc
4. Distilled spirit (30-50 %) #3 100 cc
5. EM1 100 cc
#1 Well water preferred since tap water is chlorinated.
#2: Natural vinegar is better than artificial acids
#3: Whiskey or Ethyl alcohol could be used.
Items needed in making of EM5
A large pot may be used to initially blend all of the ingredients. Plastic containers are required to store the EM5 along with a funnel to pour the EM into the containers.
Blend the molasses with water, make certain that it has been completely dissolved. You may use warm water for quick dilution of molasses.
Add vinegar and distilled spirit, followed by EM1.
Pour the mixed solution into a plastic container which can be shut tightly (A glass container should not be used). Remove excess air in container to maintain anaerobic conditions.
Store the bottle in a warm place (20-35 °C), away from direct sunlight.
When container is expanded by the fermented gas, loosen the cap of the container to release gas. Shut it tightly again.
The EM5 is ready for use when the production of gas has subsided. The EM5 should have a sweet smell (Ester/alcohol).
EM5 should be stored in a dark cool place, which has a uniform temperature. Do not store in the refrigerator or in direct sunlight. EM5 should be used within three months after preparation.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Spray EM5 diluted in water 1/500-1/1000 to wet the crop.
Start spraying after germination, before pests and diseases appear.
Spray in the morning or after heavy rains.
Apply EM5 regularly.
Since EM5 is not a pesticide, germicide or a harmful chemical, the application method is different from other agrochemicals. Chemicals are used to solve a problem forcefully and quickly and are applied at specific intervals. EM5, on the other hand, should be applied from the time of planting before the development of any disease or pests. If this is not done and diseases or pests appear, EM5 should be sprayed daily until the problem disappears.
Application can be done once - twice a week with a direct spray onto the plants. Direct spraying on harmful insects should reduce populations leading to eventual disappearance.
A thorough spraying to the plant ensures good results. Continuous or regular sprayings ensure that harmful insects which may have escaped or are recent additions will be affected by the EM5. EM5 works over time. Thus regular applications brings out the best results.
Although chemical applications may give rapid results, it may be harmful to plants and soil. The long term effects may be disastrous not only to the environment but also to the farmer's economic condition and health. EM5 has no adverse effect even with excessive applications. In contrast, EM5 may enhance the plant's strength through the absorption of EM and therefore increase the level of antioxidation (that is, the ability to suppress disease, pest infestation, and overcome any debilitating factors.). Although EM5 may take time to create the best condition depending on soil and type of crops grown, it will benefit the environment, the soil, the plant cultivated, and the economic status of the farmer.
The upliftment of the economic status occurs as EM5 can be made easily and cheaply. Over the long term, less EM5 (costs for the material to make EM5) is needed since the soil conditions change. This ensures a healthy and strong crop to protect itself from disease and pests. The post-harvest crop residues incorporated back to soil as a pre-treatment before the next season is recommended and, additionally, the use of EM5 would help in the suppression of diseases and pests that would be recycled back into the next crop.
EM5 contains EM l - therefore it contributes to the beneficial effects that EM 1 increasing yield and quality of the crop. Thus, less expense is incurred on fertilizers and no cost would be expended on agricultural chemicals.
[FONT=Impact, sans-serif]FPE[/FONT]
Fermented Plant Extracts or FPE/ EM1-FPE, is most commonly done as a plain liquid manure or plant extract is a dynamic practice gaining increased usage in India, Africa, Asia, and Central America where poor farmers need to obtain fertility and pest control from local plants and simple on-farm extraction methods." Steve Diver, ATTRA*
For centuries extracts have been used as elixirs for all sorts of ailments. Individuals would seek out certain plant materials that were known for their beneficial properties and ferment them to extract the desired benefits. This same technology can be used to extract properties from plants such as geranium to make a citronella extra for keeping away mosquitoes. Hot peppers and garlic are also known for their pest-deterring properties.
