Rice Production with EM-1

               

Rice is the common staple food for us Filipinos. Producing rice is never easy. It requires labor and capital. Farmers allocate majority of the budget in buying fertilizer and pesticide they need.

 

We are suggesting to use EM-technology, to minimize cost of the fertilizer and pesticide they need in growing rice. This will benefit both farmers and consumers without deteriorating the health of soil and environment.

 

Effective Microorganisms or EM-1Technology is a combination of beneficial microbes that helps purify and revive nature. These are friendly microbes and work well with the existing indigenous microbes within your farm. Good microbes should be dominant in the soil to be able to help in converting the nutrient hidden in the soil or organic fertilizer into available form and make it available for plant uptake. The lactic acid bacteria in EM-1 helps in protecting the plants against harmful microbes that causes diseases on rice. More beneficial microbes within your farm means more forces to combat harmful microbes. 

 

"PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE". This applies if you really want to optimize the benefits of every inputs you apply and minimize the expenses. Instead of using chemicals for prevention of pest and disease or putting too much synthetic fertilizer, we suggest you to use organic fertilizer like vermicast, compost or any processed animal manure or use EM derivatives such as  Bokashi Fertilizer, EM-5  and EM-FPE. The materials needed in making this EM derivatives is available in your locality. Most of it are just for free. The process of making was discussed on previous blog published. Just click the link if you want to recall the procedure.

 

We are not suggesting to completely remove their existing practices. This method may be used together with existing method of growing rice. Whether conventional or organic farming. But of course there are some exemptions on the timing of application if the farmer is using conventional method. This will be further discuss in this article.

 

The method of application discuss below is the common and combination of simplified method in rice farming. The use of EM-1 in rice and other plants is very flexible. Everyone is free to create their own method and experiment according to farm environment. It is very safe to use and you don't need to worry about overdose.   

 

How to prepare EM Activated Solution (EMAS) 

                 

 

 

 

You could maximize your EM-1 by making EM Activated Solution (EMAS). Dilute 1 liter molasses to 28 liters of Non-chlorinated water.  Then add 1 liter of EM-1 Concentrate. Mix well. Cover it tightly. Ferment it for 7 days. During its fermentation gas will form inside the container. Just loosen the cap to release the gas and tighten in again to continue fermentation. When it has sweet sour smell after 7 days, its ready to use. For areas with low temperature, the fermentation period may take up to 15 days.

 

For Seed Treatment

Prepare the seedbed at least 10 days before sowing to allow the organic matter to properly decompose.

To hasten seed germination and prevent development of seed borne diseases, soak seeds for 24 hours in DEMS (Diluted EMAS Solution)  at the rate of 1:1000 ( ex. 200 ml EMAS to 200 liters water). It is necessary to replace the water use in soaking this seeds atleast every 6 to 12 hours.

 

Nursery stage

Dilute EMAS 1:500 to 1000 and water this to seedlings at least once a week. EM-FPE  or EM-5 could also be sprayed for healthy root development  and  to prevent  pest and diseases. (1 ml EMAS or FPE or EM-5 for every 500ml to 1 liter of water.)

For Land Preparation

1. After harvest add all crop residues and compost to field and apply 1000 kg of Bokashi  per hectare. If you have your own organic fertilizer, apply the usual amount you are using. Then just add diluted EMAS as stated in procedure no. 2 below.

     

2. Dilute 1 liter of EMAS to 200 liters of water per hectare and water to the whole field. This will hasten the decomposition of rice straw and other plant debris in the field. At the same time it will be your additional organic basal fertilizer. If the field is flooded with water dilute 1 liter EMAS to 100 liters of water.

3. One month before next cultivation, do the first plowing .

  

4. After first plowing, Apply diluted EMAS at the rate of 1 liter EMAS to 100 liters of water per hectare. Pour it or spray it flooded field during land preparation. Leave it for 20 days until weeds germinate.

Protocol from Kyusei Nature Farming

     When EM is applied to soil with organic matter, it breaks the dormancy of weed seeds because of the organic acids and bio-active substance produced by this beneficial microbes. Therefore most weed seeds will germinate at the same time.

 ***If you use herbicide, but still want to add EM-FPE or EMAS to bring back the beneficial microbes unto the soil allow 3-7 days for withdrawal period.***

 

5. Do the second plowing  and incorporate the weeds to the soil. This reduces the weeds on your rice field. Additional to this, when you transplant the seedlings, weed seeds will take sometime to germinate again. Tillers are taller that time therefore it will be difficult for weeds to grow because of light and nutrient competition.

    One week before transplanting add 1,000-4,000 kg of organic fertilizer such as vermicast, processed animal manure or compost. You may add EMAS or EM-FPE diluted 1: 200 after adding the organic fertilizer. The beneficial microbes will start working by converting the nutrients into available form from this organic fertilizer.

   You may also use synthetic fertilizer. But if you use sythetic fertilizer you may skip adding diluted EMAS or EM-FPE.

 6. Transplanting. Ideally transplant 3-4 bunch of seedlings when it is 25cm high with planting distance of 25cm x 25cm.

Transplanting

     15 days after transplanting dilute 2 liters of EMAS or EM-FPE  to 200 liters of water  (per hectare) and spray it to rice tillers.

***Some of rice farmers I know, dilute 500ml to 1 liter EM-FPE and 500ml to 1 liter EM-5 to 200 liters of water. They spray it foliar atleast once a week***

Growth stage of Rice
  ♣ At 30, 60 and 90 days after transplanting dilute 500ml to 1 liter EM-FPE and EM-5 to 200 liters of water and spray this to 1 hectare rice field. If spraying is not possible because its already on its flowering or millking stage, just pour or drip EM-FPE at the side of the rice field. Frequent application of EM-FPE may needed sometimes to provide additional enzymes to rice plant. Do not worry it has no overdose.   

***Mr. Bert Baniqued a rice farmer in Nueva ecija uses Fish Amino Acid (FAA) or Kuhol Amino Acid (KAA)with EM-1 on his rice field. He dilute 2 liter of  FAA or KAA in 200 liters of water and pour it once a week on his rice field.***

     
 ♣  Broadcast 500 to 1,000 kg bokashi per hectare once a month for additional nutrient. Instead of using bokashi fertilizer you may also use vermicast, compost or any processed animal manure.

***Or follow you regular application of synthetic fertilizers. But as much as possible use more organic fertilizer than synthetic fertilizer.***
     
 ♣ To prevent pest and diseases dilute 1 liter EM-5 to 200 liters of water and spray this to rice field once a week especially during rainy season. But if you want to suppress the pest and diseases on early stage instead of using chemicals, dilute 2 liter EM-5 per 200 liters of water. Spray it twice or 3 times a week until pest and disease is suppress.
    
     If the rain continuosly pour in 3 days or more, after the rain stops, dilute 1 liter EM-5 and 1 liter EM-FPE and spray it to rice tillers to prevent disease. Do this on 3 consecutive days.
  
    Use chemicals as your last option if the organic concoctions can no longer suppress pest and diseases.
***Prevention is better than cure.***


 

 

Your may share your own experiences in using EM technology. Comments and suggestions are also welcome. Thank you for taking time to read this.