Back U. R. Sangakkara and T. Higa
University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and
University of Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
Full Paper (PDF File: 206KB)
Abstract
Tropical food crops are primarily grown in small landholder farming systems under subsistence conditions. Thus, production under low-input technology is relatively poor, and the response of different crops to improved management practices varies widely.
Use of effective microorganisms (EM) in agriculture has been suggested as a way to increase crop production. The fundamental basis of the process is to develop the entire ecosystem of the field in order to utilize the inherent resource capacity, optimally and in a sustainable manner, Since this technology could produce different responses in different crops, a case study evaluated the performance of four different crops using EM technology at a single location. Emphasis was placed on the yield comparisons of each crop for the different treatments over two seasons.
Treatments in the study included the use of inorganic fertilizer, EM with and without fertilizer or an organic amendment, and a control. The crops were based on farmer preference and included eggplant (Solanum melongena), vegetable beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), capsicum (Capsicum annum) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Mungbean (Vigna radiata) was cultivated during the intervening dry season.
During the first wet season, the beneficial influence the EM technology was the greatest with the bean crop. The solanaceous crops did not respond to the new technology to the same extent. However, it was evident that EM enhanced the efficient use of organic matter as a source of nutrients. Yields of the control plots also increased with the use of EM.
During the second wet season a greater effect of EM for increasing crop
yields was evident. This confirmed earlier reports that time was required
after the application of EM for the conversion of the soil ecosystem into
a dymamic and zymogenic state.