Indigenous Effective Microorganisms (IEMs) - Japan - ARI
by the Asian Rural Institute
submitted August 2019
Indigenous Effective Microorganisms (IEMs)
What are Indigenous Effective Micro-organisms (IEMs)?
Effective Micro-organisms are a group of useful micro-organisms such as Koji bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, photosynthesis bacteria and actynomycetes. Professor Teruo Higa from Ryukyu University named this group of micro-organisms "Effective Microorganisms" and he trademarked the brand in 1994.
If we want to use "EM," we have to buy it. However there are many ways to collect these kinds of useful micro-organisms from local resources. At ARI we use several methods to collect local micro-organisms without buying "Group of Micro-organisms" from outside of our community. Rather, we can develop our own local group of micro-organisms by ourselves. We believe that these kinds of indigenous micro-organisms are more fit to our own local environment and they are more effective.
Therefore we do not call them "Effective Micro-organisms," even though it is the same kind of group of useful micro-organisms as "EM." We call them Indigenous Effective Micro-organisms (IEM).
How to make IEM ball
Prepare materials
Soil (at least 5 kinds from different places) - 1kg
Rice bran - 2kg
Molasses - 0.5kg
Beans oil cake - 0.5kg
IMOs - a little
Mix all materials above.
Add water to them. The moisture content is 60% which is the same as Bokashi.
Put the mixture into a polyethylene or vinyl bag. Close the bag tightly.
Place the bag in another polyethylene bag and close it tightly again to maintain anaerobic conditions.
Place it under the shade to avoid direct sunlight.
When it smells sweet fermentation, it is ready to use. If it smells sour or bad, it is a failure. It takes 3-4 days in summer and 7-8 days in winter.
How to make IEM solution
Prepare materials
Hot water (40-50℃) - 100cc (100g)
Molasses(Brown sugar) - 10-15cc (10-15g)
IEM ball - 50g
Water - 600-700cc (600-700g)
Put 10-15g of molasses to 100g of hot water (40-50℃).
Add 600-700g of water to the molasses solution and put in 50g of the IEM ball.
Ferment it in a pet bottle (1 liter). The IEM solution is ready to use in 3-5 days.
How to make IEM Bokashi I
① Prepare materials
Rice bran - 3.2-3.5kg
IEM ball - 30g
Rice husk - 300g
IEM solution - 1 litter (1000g)
Water - 600-700g
Plastic container - (10 liters)
② Mix 3.2-3.5kg of rice bran with 30g of the IEM ball.
③ Mix 300g of rice husk with 1 liter of the IEM solution.
④ Mix ②, ③ and add water (60%). Check moisture by taking a firm hold. If water comes out, it has too much water. If it crumbles easily, it has not enough water.
⑤ Fill up a 10-liter plastic container with mixture of ④. Do not compress it but shake it slightly to take out air from the container and seal it with a plastic cover.
⑥ After one week, if it smells very sweet, compress the surface strongly and cover it again.
⑦ It takes more than one month to ferment. Whenever you use it, you can take out the necessary amount from the container.
How to make IEM kitchen garbage compost
① Put IEM bokashi in the bottom of a plastic container which has a tap at the bottom.
② Take out water from the kitchen garbage as much as possible.
③ Put 2-3 handfuls of kitchen garbage on IEM bokashi in the container.
④ Put 2 handfuls of IEM bokashi on the kitchen garbage in the container. Mix IEM bokashi and kitchen garbage well.
⑤ Put a plastic sheet on the surface of the mixture of ④.
⑥ Seal the container with a plastic or vinyl cover.
⑦ Take out the fermented liquid from the tap of the plastic container.
⑧ Dilute this fermented liquid with 500-1000 times of water. Apply it to the soil of the vegetable fields.
⑨ Fill up the plastic container with kitchen garbage and IEM bokashi. After one week fermentation, it smells like pickles of vegetables.
⑩ Mix container of soil and 3 containers of IEM kitchen garbage.
⑪ Cover with a plastic sheet. It is ready to use after one month.
How to make Su to Chu (Natural Pesticide)
① Prepare materials
Water - 600cc
Molasses - 100cc
Vinegar - 100cc
Liquor - 200cc
IEM solution - 100cc
② Mix 100cc of molasses with 600cc of water which is 50℃.
③ Add 100cc of vinegar and 200cc of liquor (more than 30% alcohol) to ②.
④ Add 100cc of the IEM solution and put the mixture in a polyethylene tank. Close the tank with a cap.
⑤ Gas appears after 15-30 days under 20-30℃.
⑥ Open the cap on the tank and release air and close it again.
⑦ When it smells of ester, it is ready to use. (Smell of fruits, green apple, and Cemedine)
⑧ Keep it in a dark cool place. Do not keep in a refrigerator or in direct sunlight. You cannot store it more than 6 months.
⑨ Dilute Su to Chu with 500-1000 times of water and apply it to the plants including both side of leaves.
IEM solution for livestock
Prepare materials
Water - 100 liters
Molasses - 1 liter
IEM solution - 1 liter
Pour the mixed solution into a plastic bucket or drum which can be shut tightly.
Keep the bucket in a warm place (20-35℃).
It is ready to use after a few days. However you should use it within 3 days after mixing materials.
Application of IEM solution to livestock
Spray it onto the floor, walls, ceiling and drain of animal pens to reduce the bad smell of manure. It is effective to decrease the number of flies and mosquitoes.
How to make IEM Bokashi II
① Prepare materials
Rice bran - 4kg
Oil cake - 1.5kg
Fish meal - 1.5kg
IEM ball - 70g
IEM solution - 1 liter (1000g)
Water - 500cc (500g)
Plastic container - (10 liters)
② Mix 4kg of rice bran, 1.5kg of oil cake, and 1.5kg of fish meal with 70g of IEM ball.
③ Put 1 liter of IEM solution to the mixture of ②.
④ Add water to the mixture of ③. Check moisture by taking firm hold. If water comes out, it has too much water. If it crumbles easily, it has not enough water.
⑤ Fill up a 10-liter plastic container with mixture of ④. Compress it and seal it with a plastic cover.
⑥ It takes more than one month to ferment. You can take out the necessary amount of Bokashi II from the container whenever you need to use it.
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