Back S. Yoshida
EM Research Organization, Okinawa, Japan
Abstract
The technology of Effective Microorganisms (EM) is a holistic concept that
could be easily adopted on farms. The advantages arise from the benefits
in terms of animal growth, the processing of wastes and its use in crop
production. Thus studies were undertaken in Japan to evaluate the holistic
concept of EM. In dairy cattle, milk yields were increased along with quality.
Mastitis incidence was reduced. The foul odors of cattle sheds were lower
and the time taken for composting of manure was also reduced. Thus the
manure was ideal organic fertilizer for cropping and was effective in supporting
growth of many crops. The application of the slurry reduced weed incidence.
The overall integration of EM into farm operations is presented based on
these case studies in Japan.