How to make EM solution and Bokashi in Home?

1. How Bokashi and EM can be
made in Home?
Shreeram Ghimire
President, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development Society (NCDS)
Kathmandu, Nepal
shreeram@ncds.org.np, ghimireshreeram25@gmail.com

2. EM
• EM stands for effective microorganisms.
• EM, also called inoculant, is the collection of anaerobic microorganisms
comprising bacteria and fungi.
• EM is widely used for growth, yield, quality and protection of vegetable
plants.
• EM consists of Lactic acid bacteria, Photosynthetic bacteria, Yeast, and
many other microorganisms.
• The concept was developed by Professor Teruo Higa from University of the
Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan in 1980.

3. Method
1. Make a thick wash of rice by water. Place that wash in a bottle by sealing
the lid for 5-7 days.
2. Boil 1 litre of milk and leave that to cool for nearly 15 minutes. Remove
skum (or skin) above the cooled milk.
3. Mix the wash (of rice) from step 1 with milk in step 2
4. Leave the mixture in a bottle with tight bottle in a place without light for 2
weeks
5. Remove the lid of bottle, filter the mixture. The filtrate (i.e. white liquid) is
em.
6. Mix 40-50 grams of molasses in 1 liter of em prepared in step 5
7. Now the em-1 is ready

4. Application
• Sanitation and cleaning: em is widely used in hospitals, public places and
private spaces for cleaning floor and toilets. EM can be effective to clean
jammed pit latrine.
• Composting: em is highly effecting in composting process. Its shortens the
process and enhances the quality of compost.
• Plant protection: em can help to control pest and diseases as well as improve
plant health.
• Hygiene: em can be used to cleanse the household utensils as em can make
them free of potential pathogens.
• Animal husbandry: spraying the em solution in the fodder of cattle can
improve digestion and prevent from various diseases.

5. Bokashi
• Bokashi is widely used for composting of mainly the food waste.
• Bokashi is simply the mixture of rice bran, em solution and
molasses.
• Bokashi contain huge number of microorganisms than em
solutions. So, the process of composting by using Bokashi becomes
faster and the produced compost is highly porous with uniform
compost particles.
• The concept was developed by Professor Teruo Higa from
University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan in 1982.

6. Method
1. Mix 50 grams of molasses and a cup of em solution in a hot water
2. Mix the 2 kgs of rice bran with solution from step 1 in such a way that rice
bran is mildly moist and should be warm
3. Fill the mixture from step 2 in a black polythene bag, remove all the air and
seal the bag
4. The mixture in the bag should be warm still
5. Place the bag inside a plastic box or drums and close the lid
6. Place the plastic box (or drum) in a dark place for 2 weeks
7. Open the lid after 2 weeks, pour all the formed Bokashi in a paper or
polythene sheet in a floor and dry it for 4-5 hours
8. Store the Bokashi in polythene bag or plastic bottles or drums

7. Application
•Composting: Bokashi can be used for managing fragile
wastes like food waste.
•Agriculture: Bokashi can improve soil fertility and control
pests in the soil.
•Plant protection: Bokashi can be helpful in controlling
various leaf and stem pests.
•Commercial composting plant: Bokashi is useful in
largescale compost plant. Bokashi can improve the
formation of porous compost and improve fermentation.

8. Thank you!