Changing The Way Food is Grown In America
Organic & Regenerative Farming Solutions
ORGANIC & REGENERATIVE FARMING SOLUTIONS
TOMATOES
TOMATOES
EM-1 has been used on tomato fields to reduce disease and increase tomato yield, size and taste. EM-1 is a ready-to-use soil probiotic comprised of Effective Microorganisms. Em-1 increases nutrient cycling in your soil and helps improve drainage, aeration, moisture retention and soil structure. Overall, growers saw a decrease in this fertilizer requirements and cost, while improving yield.
Because EM-1 contains live microbials it also improves water permeability. The bugs go to work in the soil, increasing beneficial microorganisms and other organisms, this creates more pores for water and air. The increased permeability can decrease your water usage.
- INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTION
- INCREASE YOUR YIELD
- INCREASE YOU BOTTOM LINE
- IMPROVE NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY
- BALANCE pH
- INCREASE ORGANIC MATTER
- IMPROVE MOISTURE RETENTION
- INCREASE SEED GERMINATION
RESEARCH AND RESULTS
La Quebrada del Aji Tomato Farm Case Study
La Quebrada del Aji” tomato farm in chile has been growing 'Luciana' tomatoes for more than 30 years and successfully introduced EM-1 to combat plant disease and the rising costs of fertilizers that were needed to fight the disease.
In Chile, the cost for tomato production is increasing year by year due to the extensive use of insecticides and chemicals. Approximately 50% of the total cost was going to treatments against Nematodes, Fusarium and Phytophthora disease. These diseases cause forage chlorosis and roots nodules leading to minor yield and plant decay.
At the end of the trial Eng. Ruben Marcos Borques said using EM-1 was 80% cheaper than using conventional chemical treatments and the result was bigger, tastier produce that buyers paid more for at the market.
They started a pilot test with EM from June 2016 until harvest season, from the end of November to January 2017. The test area was assigned to a greenhouse of 1 Ha, using half of the area for conventional farming and half for EM treatment.
The pilot test was divided into two for stages:
Preparation of Soil
This house had a cultivation of forage turnip that was incorporated into the soil and overturned to add more organic matter. Forage turnip was also treated with EM.
Preparation of soil started 1 month before planting.
AEM (Activated EM) was applied to the soil during one month.
Planting and Care
1. Immersion of seedling in water with AEM
2. Application of AEM to the soil and directly into the hole of plantation
3. Foliar application of EM･5
The Results:
Harvested tomatoes at the EM-1 treated area, were bigger in size and weight against ones from control area. The quality of harvest was excellent and buyers wanted the tomatoes that had been grown with EM-1 because the tomatoes were tastier.
The basket on the left is from EM-1 test, the tomatoes on the right are from the control area.
Tomatoes in the control area were small due to high incidence of nematodes and roots full of nodules.
Roots Treated With EM Were White, Healthy And Full Of Root Hairs.
Tomatoe plants treated with EM-1
Tomato plants from the control
Tomato Foliage Was Better With Plants Treated With EM-1
Tomatoe plants treated with EM-1
Tomato plants from the control
Number of Trichoderma and other beneficial microorganism populations increased with the use of EM while pathogens decreased.
EM-1 and common tomato pest and diseases
If you grow tomatoes then you know they are no stranger to pests and diseases. Common ailments include blossom end rot, blight, and the dreaded tomato hornworm among others.
Blossom End Rot:
Blossom end rot is a common tomato plant issue caused by a calcium deficiency. Tomatoes will begin to rot from the bottom and make the inside of the fruit mealy and inedible. Although lack of calcium in the soil may be the issue, it is more commonly a soil pH issue binding up the calcium or a watering problem causing periods of drought. Beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere can help in a variety of ways.
Besides being known to help naturally balance soil pH by cycling hydrogen, microbes in the rhizosphere can help calcium become more mobile and available to the plant. EM-1® specifically can decrease the risk of drought issues by helping soil become more permeable. If low calcium is indeed your issue, consider adding crushed egg shells for an all natural calcium boost.
Blossom End Rot:
Blossom end rot is a common tomato plant issue caused by a calcium deficiency. Tomatoes will begin to rot from the bottom and make the inside of the fruit mealy and inedible.
Although lack of calcium in the soil may be the issue, it is more commonly a soil pH issue binding up the calcium or a watering problem causing periods of drought. Beneficial microorganisms in the rhizosphere can help in a variety of ways.
Besides being known to help naturally balance soil pH by cycling hydrogen, microbes in the rhizosphere can help calcium become more mobile and available to the plant. EM-1® specifically can decrease the risk of drought issues by helping soil become more permeable. If low calcium is indeed your issue, consider adding crushed egg shells for an all natural calcium boost.
Blight:
Lack of airflow and wet leaves is the main culprit for tomato blight. The soil-borne fungi causes brown/black spots to form on older leaves, eventually causing the leaves to fall off. Rotating crops is one option as not all crops are susceptible. Another option is to spray your tomatoes with EM-1. Microbes such as Lactobacillus have natural antibiotic compounds that deter and/or get rid of fungal disease.
Blight:
Lack of airflow and wet leaves is the main culprit for tomato blight. The soil-borne fungi causes brown/black spots to form on older leaves, eventually causing the leaves to fall off. Rotating crops is one option as not all crops are susceptible.
Another option is to spray your tomatoes with EM-1. Microbes such as Lactobacillus have natural antibiotic compounds that deter and/or get rid of fungal disease.
Tomato Hornworms:
These ugly and giant worms are a tomato growers dreaded pest. They can strip a tomato plant of foliage within days and they blend in very well. Unfortunately, the only option with these pesky worms is picking them off one by one. A UV or black light at night is a useful option. If you happen to have some backyard chickens, this is a delicious treat for them.
Tomato Hornworms:
These ugly and giant worms are a tomato growers dreaded pest. They can strip a tomato plant of foliage within days and they blend in very well.
References;
EMRO Japan https://www.emrojapan.com/case/detail/90
How to Grow Award Winning Tomatoes with EM-1
Growing Tomatoes With EM-1
Trial on EM-1 and tomato yields
Fedco Seeds Organic Supply customer review on using EM-1 as a foliar spray to prevent tomato blight
Tips for growing delicious tomatoes
Dr Higa Guide For Healthy Soil
