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Bokashi for beginners: what is it, and what can it do for me?

mosstrooper

Member
Many can make a legitimate argument that this lacto serum is preferable to the commercial EM-1 products (and there are a slew of them).
I'd probably be in that group as well.

Thanks CC
What is the argument for it being better?

Also, do silage microbes do the same thing?

I ask as i can probably get those for nothing from my local farm shop.
 

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
Indeed, its like a very large pile off grass clippings with added microbes. I suppose expecting anything nice to come out of that is pretty optimistic.:)

I feel the same way about bokashi bucket juice. Best to compost it if you can. It does help speed up drains though.
 

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
mosstrooper

The whole deal in my linking to Mr. Carandang's work (or at least a small part of his body of research) was to give you an introduction into the concept of BIM

With the "I" in BIM being the most important component in his approach - INDIGENOUS

That, in and of itself, is the basis of his work. As an artisan baker using similar techniques prior to reading his work and incorporating the science on creating sourdough cultures make some kind of sense - same deal, lactobacillus strains, specific enzymes and (natural) yeast cultures.

But using EM-1 products is definitely easier and not a bad springboard to learn more once you realize the benefits from the basic technology - BIM/FPE

HTH

CC
 

mosstrooper

Member
Ahh, aye, i get it. I know about sour dough and ginger beer plants, both made in much the same way.

I did read the article, in fact i read it a couple of days ago too, i was particularly impressed with the idea of capturing microbes in the woods using cooked rice.
 

Clackamas Coot

Active member
Veteran
The Effectiveness of EM-1, Bokashi and AEM

The Effectiveness of EM-1, Bokashi and AEM

This study, How Effective are 'Effective Microorganisms (EM)? Results From a Field Study In Temerpate Climate was posted 6 months ago at Science Direct.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Ackerstrasse
5070 Frick,
Switzerland

The abstract is pretty interesting on a number of points.

Effective microorganisms® (EM) is a microbial inoculant promoted to stimulate plant growth and soil fertility in agriculture. In our study we investigated the effects of EM on crop yields and soil microbial parameters in a 4-year field experiment under organic management (2003–2006) in Zurich, Switzerland.

Treatments of the EM preparations (i) the spraying agent EMA, (ii) EMA with the EM enriched organic substrate Bokashi and (iii) EMA with Bokashi and farmyard manure were applied in each year. As controls to treatments (i)–(iii) the same treatments were included with sterilised EM preparations and a control without EM application.

Crop yields in each year and the soil microbiological parameters soil respiration, microbial biomass (SIR, CFE), dehydrogenase activity and microbial community structure (RISA, CLSU) were determined in spring and autumn 2005 and spring 2006. In laboratory incubation experiments cellulose degradation, N mineralisation potential and N mineralisation from added substrate were determined.

The EMA application as spraying agent alone (treatment (i)) showed no significant differences to the untreated control (treatment without EM application) for any of the investigated parameters. Significant differences to the untreated control for crop yields and soil microbial parameters were found if Bokashi was applied in addition to EMA ((ii) and (iii)).

However, these differences were not consistent throughout the parameters and sampling times. Treatments with living EM compared with its sterilised control treatments showed no differences on any of the parameters. This indicates that the small effects observed were not caused by the EM microorganisms but rather by the nutrient inputs derived from Bokashi. The sampling time showed stronger effects on soil microbial biomass, soil respiration and microbial community structure when compared to the effects of the treatments.

We conclude from our results that ‘Effective microorganisms’ did not improve yields and soil quality during 4 years of application in this field experiment under the temperate climatic conditions of Central Europe.​

CC
 

mosstrooper

Member
Thanks CC.
So, the long and the short of this abstract is:

Forget EM as a soil amendment and just use it to make an inoculant for the production of Bokashi?

I hate scientific abstracts, scientific method forces scientists to so over qualify their statements that i just get lost in a sea of words.
 
folks feeding bokashi to their worms: does anything go in this scenario? can the worms rip down the foods they normally couldn't after the fermentation process (ie meats, bone, FRIED FOODS??). I have a pretty steady source of french fries that I'd like to be able to feed my worms, although not exclusively of course. I'm currently brewing up my own inoculant, so it'll be a few months before I can even test the resulting bokashi out on my worms.
 

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
Bokashi for beginners: what is it, and what can it do for me?

I would totally try French fry bokashi.

let it ferment a good long while.
 

DGI

New member
This might be a stupid question but once you have made a batch of lacto bacilli serum can you replenish it by adding milk or something else?
 

mad librettist

Active member
Veteran
you would add some of it to milk or rice wash or water and molasses, and get a new serum.

probably a good idea to start over with a wild culture periodically.

I'm lazy, so I just use EM.
 
T

tuinman

After reading this thread and doing some additional research I now have 4 of these bokashi bins cycling at once - and taking the food scraps from 3 different households

I tried to make it as easy as possible for everyone - they just drop off coffee cans or ice cream tubs full of food scraps and I mash it down and sprinkle the bran on top. Once a bin is full it sits for as long as possible (which is why there are 4 now) while the next fills up. It's been going at a pretty good clip.

Haven't been doing anything special at all, no grinding, freezing, chopping or anything along those lines. Definitely have noticed the longer you let it ferment the easier it breaks down later - or the faster worms tear through it. Right now I'm trying to let it ferment at least two months before using (might need a fifth bucket to get it along that far).

Since I don't have a good set of soil or compost built up yet - what doesn't get fed to the worms it being buried in holes around the yard in areas that need improving. The longest 'plug' of bokashi has been buried for almost six weeks now - when I checked after 3 it was largely unrecognizable except for the rare huge chunk, such as lettuce stem.

Thank you for the great launch off and initial walkthrough - this really is a fantastic way to prepare food waste for composting. Can't wait until I have enough used soil to start burying bokashi in it!
 

Corpsey

pollen dabber
ICMag Donor
Veteran
all good now!!


on a side note, i cooked up a batch of Bokashi Bran last week, waiting another week or two till it is done then on to my bokashi adventure.

WAY cheaper then buying it at the store, i already had the molasses, then picked up 2 pounds of wheat bran at the store for like 2 bucks, already had awesome high mineral sea salt from cooking, and had just made a lactobacillus culture anyways for my soil. Grabbed two home depot buckets and a lid, now im ready to roll with trash goodies.

Ill update in a few weeks if things work out
 
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