Intensive Fresh Vegetable Production
The applications of EM in intensive fresh vegetable production are
centered around improving your biggest asset, your soil. So the aim is
get your biological activity working at a high level. That means
effective organic matter recycling, through crop residue incorporation
and compost applications. 
This organic matter recycling builds humus, the food for your soil
and plants, will give improvements in nitrogen fixation, greater
micorrhyzal activity, leading to more effective nutrient availability.
Fresh vegetable crops have high nutrient requirement and are sensitive
to soil physical conditions. EM in combination with generous
applications of organic matter, either by composting or green manuring
will promote this type of soil. In addition, these crops are generally
high value, and come under periods of disease and pest pressures during
the growing phase. During these periods EM is targeted as a foliar
application to crops, this has 2 main functions, firstly it creates
better growing conditions and this leads to a stronger healthier plant.
Secondly it provides competitive exclusion, which means that it
out-competes pathogens for space, by inoculating the leaf surfaces with
beneficial microbes.
Therefore the target for EM is your soils, particularly during
periods of organic matter incorporation (compost, green manure). And
secondly, as a foliar application to keep optimal health on the plant
leaf areas.
EM can be applied directly with a sprayer or injected through an irrigator.
Key applications for Fresh Vegetable Production
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Make compost using EM-A (3 litres EM-A/cubic metre)
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Apply EM-A to crop residues and green manure at the incorporation stage
, apply 20 litres EM-A per ha with as much water as needed to get good coverage.
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Apply EM-A at primary cultivation stages, to inoculate crop residues, and
induce weed strikes.
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Apply EM-A as a seed soak (1:1000) or incorporate into seed coating slurry
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Apply EM-A through the critical growth stages, to maintain optimal plant
growth, crops can be treated frequently during the season (10-14 day interval)
with an accumulative effect apparent.
-
Fermented plant extract (FPE) similar to a fresh herb tea, can be made
and is used during periods of high disease pressure.
-
EM5 is another preparation made using EM, vinegar and alcohol, and is useful
as a insect repellent.
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Both FPE and EM-5 need to be applied before the disease or pest becomes
established. These formulations work more on creating an environment that
is not conducive for disease and pest establishment, rather than directly
as a control agent.
-
Combine with fertilizer applications to increase efficacy of applications
(10-20 litres EM-A/ha
-
Crops treated with EM during the ripening phase will have greater storage
capacity, and reduced problems, such as rots etc.
- TO READ A PUBLICATION ON RESEARCH DATA SHOWING THE EFFECT OF EM ON VEGETABLE & CROP PRODUCTION
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