In recent years there has been a welcome trend away from chemical farming methods and a greater emphasis on the important role of microbes in soil health.

For many generations farmers have relied on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to extract maximum yield from their fields. The problem is that these systems destroy the microbiology of the soil, and ignore the importance of the microbes in soil health. 

Even when farmers turn to organic methods, to restore the health of their soil, without proper knowledge of microbes they encounter new problems as the soil returns to its natural state. Crops are extremely prone to disease in soils that have been depleted of their microbial communities.

Harnessing the power of microorganisms

A solution, pioneered by Japanese scientist, Dr Teruo Higa, is to introduce Effective Microorganisms to the soil, and stop the dependence on chemical fertilizers. Dr. Higa was one of the first people to recognize and champion the importance of microorganisms to a healthy soil ecosystem.

Dr. Higa is a pioneer in the field of organic soil fertility. He grew up in a farming family and decided at a young age that he wanted to work in the area of agriculture. He completed a doctorate in Agricultural Research at Ryukyus University, where he later went on to become a professor.

While working in the lab, Dr. Higa accidentally spilled some microorganisms near some plants. He noticed a few days later that the plants had flourished. Dr. Higa decided to devote his research to understanding why. 

This led him to develop natural methods for farmers and gardeners to reduce their use of chemicals and harness the power of microbes through EM Technology.

Dr. Higa developed a soil conditioner called EM-1®, which can be used on fields or gardens to create healthy soil which allows plants and vegetables to thrive. 

What is EM-1?

EM-1® is a liquid product containing Yeast, Photosynthetic Bacteria and Lactic Acid Bacteria. EM-1 has been used in all kinds of agricultural applications with excellent results. 

When used on a tomato farm in Chile it reduced tomato plant disease and increased yield, quality and taste. Used on pasture, it increased growth and allowed more cuts throughout the growing season. Applied to roses, the flowers grew 1-2 weeks faster with bigger blooms.

With spiraling costs for fertilizer, it has never been more important for farmers to understand the savings they can make by harnessing the power of microbes. Fertilizer costs have gone up by over 30% in 2022, following an increase of 80% in 2021.

Conventional microbiology has been ineffective at recognizing the importance of microbes to soil fertility. In conventional microbiology, scientists take soil samples and bring them back to the laboratory for analysis. This isolates the soil from the environment and means there are as little as 0.1% of the original microorganisms present.

Dr. Higa showed how introducing microbes into the soil, along with high-quality organic matter, encourages the microbes to synergize with existing bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the soil.

As the organic matter decomposes, it releases organic acids (nucleic acid, citric acids, amino acids, lactic acids), ethers, alcohols, aldehydes, bioactive substances (vitamins, enzymes, hormones), and sugars into the soil. The microorganisms also accelerate the chelation of salts.

The Effective Microorganisms in EM-1 helps to restore the balance and diversity needed for fertile soil. It improves seed germination and root development.

EM-1 increases nutrient availability by making nutrients more bioavailable. Using EM-1 improves plant size, color and size. It also accelerates the conversion of organic matter into soil humus.

Continuing to use a product like EM-1 can built the soil up to a level where it becomes ‘fertile or fermentation soil’ which happily absorbs all organic matter. 

Increasing the level even further sees the proliferation of bacteria which aids photosynthesis and raises nitrogen level. It encourages microorganisms which dissolve inorganic nutrients like phosphorus. 

Dr. Higa says that when you compare crops grown in soil using chemical fertilizers with soil using EM-1, the first crop will show only a slightly positive difference. But the third crop will be much better in the EM-1 soil. By the third rotation, the soil depending on chemical fertilizers will have become poor.

Given that soil in farmland is used continuously, the long-term benefits of EM is essential for soil fertility.

The benefits of endotoxins

Another benefit of mixing EM-1 into soil is that it helps to produce LPS (lipopolysaccharides) bacteria - also known as endotoxins.

LPS have been shown to have major benefits for human health and also for fighting pests in soil and on plants. Food cultivated in EM-1 enriched soil contains more LPS than in fermented foods. Brown rice and grains are high in LPS. It is also found in many herbal medicines. 

By contrast, fertilizers and pesticides can reduce or kill bacteria. This is one of the reasons why the amount of LPS in vegetables has declined in recent years. In the same way that vegetables grown with fertilizers have fewer mineral and vitamins than in the past.

How to achieve great soil fertility

To recap, healthy soil needs microbes. Spraying the soil with chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, to boost productivity, is expensive and damaging in the long-term. With fertilizer costs soaring, it is an increasingly unsustainable approach.

A far better way to ensure organic soil fertility is to encourage the proliferation of microbes in the soil, through the addition of EM-1®, a product which uses Effective Microorganisms which were discovered by Dr. Higa in 1982.

EM-1 is a multimicrobial mixture of lactic acid, phototrophic bacteria, yeast and ferment-active fungi. When this mixture comes into contact with organic material, the microbes generate vitamins, organic acids, minerals and antioxidants.

When used in farming, EM-1®can enrich soil through the reproduction of beneficial microorganisms. This soil encourages high crop yields or high-quality plants.

Another benefit is that the food produced using EM-1®is of higher quality and free from dangerous chemicals and pesticides. The soil will naturally develop a tolerance towards pests and diseases. 

The longer you use EM-1®, the stronger the soil will become and the higher the fertility.