Using Microorganisms to Promote Healthy Soil for Healthy Plants and Healthy Farmers, Part 7

A primer on using EM (efficient microorganisms) making your own organic fertilizer.

Read Part 6.

How to make your own processed chicken manure (PCM)–enjoy reduced odors and no flies.

1. Dilute 1 liter EMAS with 50 liters of water.
2. Spray on and mix with manure in a shaded area. Avoid overly wetting the pile.
3. Pile the manure up to 1 meter high. Cover this with a jute sack, coconut leaves, or a used tarpaulin.
4. After 1 week, turn the pile with a shovel. Continue turning this every 5 days for 3-4 weeks.
5. After the turning, put the fermented manure in sacks and store these in a shaded area, away from direct sunlight.

Never apply fresh chicken manure on your field. This can emit a very foul smell which can be aggravated when soaked by rain. The pathogens or bad bacteria population will explode and infect your plants with diseases.

If you have a good friend with a poultry house who wants to give you all the chicken manure his or her flock produces, just accept it. You can convert it into effective compost in less than a month!

Do you know that diluted EM solution (DEMS) is a good cleaner for drip lines? EMAS diluted 50 timesis a good cleaner for algal growth in drip lines. The friendly microbes just love to break down the algae that clogs the emitters. Mix the EMAS in a drum and use the Venturifertigation attachment to apply the solution to your drip lines every three days. It not only cleans your drip lines, it is also a great soil conditioner and plant growth enhancer rolled into one.

(Story continues after photo.)

How Much will it Cost to EM-Power Myself with EM Power?

A simple computation will show us the economics.

• EM-1 cost per liter: Php580 to Php780; costs become higher with added handling and delivery costs

• EMAS at 30 times: Php25 to Php30/liter including molasses, water, and labor

• EMAS diluted 50 times: Php0.50 to Php0.60/liter when applied

One liter of EMAS can be mixed with three 16-liter backpack sprayers. That is around Php10 per 500 square meters of vegetable plot per application. The result is better soil conditions and improved plant growth, plus all the bonuses, such as an organic fungicide and pesticide at a very minimal cost.

That is also your cost to remove odor and flies from your poultry house and piggery, or the garbage piles of restaurants and communities. Diluted 200 times, it can keep your restaurant, hotel, and resort fresh smelling. Even odors from toilets, pets,animal pens, canals, and septic tanks can be neutralized in minutes with EM-power! This will be covered in another article or explained over a cup of Starbucks—your treat.

A complete drip irrigation and sprinkler system that can save you 80% on labor and water costs is readily available at HarbestHydrobest. It is imported from Israel. For a free consultation and budget estimate, please call 0917-8345837 or 0922-8603522 or 02.6717411 to 14 or email [email protected].

This article was prepared by the Harbest Organix Department of Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, with its major reference being the EM Training Manual 2011 Edition published by the EM Kyusei Natural Farming Center, Saraburi, Thailand. Write us for guidance and a free consultation. You can reach us at the numbers given above and [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also visit our blog online at www.harbest-agri.blogspot.com.

This appeared as “Healthy Soil for Healthy Plants and Healthy Farmers” without a byline in Agriculture Monthly’s September 2015 issue.