| EM | An acronym for Effective Microorganisms. A term coined by Prof Dr. Teruo Higa who discovered EM and developed the EM technology. |
| Activated EM (also, AEM, A-EM, EMA, EM-A, AEM-1) | Activated EM (or Activated EM-1) is made by mixing EM-1 with molasses and water and fermenting for about 3 to 5 days in a tightly closed container (preferably plastic so it can expand) until the pH drops below 4.0. Activated EM is mainly for economic reasons. For example, a gallon of EM-1 can be made into 22 gallons of Activated EM (at 1:1:20 ratio). The activated EM-1 can be used in the same way as the EM-1, but should be used within 30 days after the pH drops below 4.0. Activated EM can be made by the user or available through an authorized Activated EM Service Provider. Activated EM is not meant to be a commercially packaged product. The following are also used to refer to Activated EM: AEM, A-EM, AEM-1, EMA, EM-A, Extended EM*, EM-X ('X' for 'extended')** * See Extended EM below for explanation on why it's no longer in use or avoided. ** EM-X is a completely different product. See EM-X below. |
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| EM Bokashi (EM-1 Bokashi, EM•1 Bokashi) | The term bokashi has been used in Japan for a long time by farmers. It refers to organic materials that have been fermented and made for good fertilizer. The farmers would find and gather certain materials (for mineral content and microbial contributions), including such things as mountain moss, and ferment them in a pit, for example. However, the results could be unpredictable and finding the materials was not always easy or convenient. With EM-1, it became very easy to consistently produce bokashi. The standard ingredient for EM Bokashi for farm use in the U.S. is wheat bran treated with a solution of EM-1, molasses and water. In other parts of the world, rice bran is used since it's more readily available and cheaper. Sometimes other materials are added, such as fish meal and oil cake, for nutrient and mineral content, depending on use. EM Bokashi is also used to treat food waste and recycle them as quality fertilizer. EM Bokashi can be made at home or can be purchased ready-made from our onlineshop. |
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| EM Bokashi Mud Balls | In a similar way that EM Bokashi is made, EM Bokashi Mud Balls (or EM Bokashi Balls) are made with the sludge (mud) from the bottom of a polluted body of water (river, lake, bay, etc.). When the EM Bokashi Mud Balls are fermented and ready, they are then thrown into that same body of water at various spots in order to decrease the pollutants and clean the water. |
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| EM Ceramics | EM Ceramics refers to various types and forms of ceramics made with EM-1 and EM-X kneaded into the ceramic clay. EM Ceramics are used in a wide range of applications, including water treatment, filter systems, and as a mixing component in paint and cement where the EM Ceramics come in a powder form. There are basically two types of EM/EM-X ceramics: low temperature types which are porous and are absorbent (can take/soak in [impurities]), and high temperature types which are adsorbent (can hold [impurities] within the surface area). |
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| EM-1 (also, EM1, EM•1) | EM-1 is a brownish liquid containing a mixture of microorganisms. EM-1 is produced through a fermentation process and consists of water, molasses, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and phototrophic bacteria. The specific combination of microorganisms is the key to its effectiveness. The microorganisms are all natural, non-pathogenic, non-toxic, and classified as Bio safety Level 1. Items that are Bio safety Level 1 (BSL-1) are known NOT to cause diseases in healthy human adults. The classification is based on assessment of the potential risk using U.S. Public Health Service guidelines and also as provided by the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) scientific advisory committees. All lactic acid bacteria and yeasts used for EM-1 production are on U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) GRAS list (generally recognized as safe). Also, in the United States, the EM-1 products are OMRI Listed. OMRI is the Organic Materials Review Institute and when a product is "OMRI Listed" the product has been reviewed and determined to be allowed for use in organic production. Organic growers can then use these OMRI Listed products and still have their operation maintain their organic certification. EM-1 is the core product with which all other EM products and EM materials are produced. Note. The official print form is EM•1 with a centre bullet (or bullet mark) instead of a dash or hyphen. The centre bullet however, does not always come out correctly in different Web browsers or when transmitted in an email message. Some people don't know or always remember the key combination on their keyboard to generate the centre bullet. Therefore, either EM-1 or EM1 has been in general use. |
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| EM-2 | No longer provided or was never available in most of the world. Originally, EM-2, EM-3, and EM-4 were sold separately and were to be combined by the farmer at ratios depending on their soil, crop and other conditions and application methods. Each product had a different set of microorganisms. The combination of all three was referred to as EM-1. Eventually, it was just as effective if EM-1 was used as made by the manufacturers. It also made it easier, more convenient, and less complicated to use EM-1. |
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| EM-3 | No longer provided in most of the world. See EM-2 above for details. |
| EM-4 | No longer provided in most of the world. See EM-2 above for details. |
| EM-5 | Also known in Japan as Stochu (or Sutochu). It is used to directly apply to plants (not while it's flowering though) to deter (make unpalatable to) pests. It is made with EM-1, molasses, vinegar, and spirits (40% alcohol, such as vodka or tequila). Sometimes spices are also added, such as garlic and hot pepper. |
| EM-W | This product is currently only manufactured and available in Japan. The W stands for "white" since there is no colour to the liquid and it can therefore be used on white or light coloured clothes and linen to avoid the stains that may result if EM-1 is used. |
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| EM-X (EM•X) | EM-X is a dietary supplement. It is a liquid dietary supplement made of rice bran, papaya, and kelp. It is produced using EM Technology by the Tropical Plants Resources Institute (TPR) in Okinawa, Japan and exported worldwide. EM-X does not contain any living microorganisms -- it is micro filtered. EM-X contains 18 amino acids and over 40 trace minerals. It has been tested and recommended by doctors and dentists in over 50 countries. |
| EM-Z | This product is no longer manufactured. This product was intended for automotive applications (i.e., gasoline additive, engine oil additive). |
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| Extended EM | This term is no longer used or is avoided in many places because of the confusion it caused. The more accurate term is Activated EM (see Activated EM above). Extended EM is no longer used because it implied that EM/EM-1 can be extended or propagated into more of itself, i.e., EM-1 creating more EM-1 over and over again. In actuality, when EM-1 is mixed with anything else, including water, it is no longer EM-1. That is, the balance of microorganisms that characterized it as EM-1 is no longer there. It then becomes whatever was produced (Activated EM, EM Bokashi, EM ceramics, etc.) with its own characteristics, specific uses, and limitations. For example, Activated EM is made in order to quickly multiply the microorganisms in EM-1 in a liquid medium where 1 gallon of EM-1 can produce 22 gallons of Activated EM (or Activated EM-1). The 'activation' sort of wakes up the microbes to become active and increase in number (this is where the termpropagation would come to mind). This is a very economical method for applying EM on a large scale. However, the Activated EM must be used within 30 days. After 30 days, the activated/awakened microorganisms start to die off. Some have suggested re-applying molasses (food source for the microorganisms) in order to make the Activated EM last longer. But once activation is started, the different species propagate and die off at different rates and some species rely on the excretions from the other microorganisms making it very difficult to maintain the original balance. Also, the addition of water and molasses brings in other microorganisms, making the situation impossible to control. Therefore, the 30 days rule of thumb has been established within which the Activated EM is most effective. After that time or adding more molasses will not guarantee results. Another point of confusion is that some have used the short hand, "EM-X," where the X stood for 'extended,' and it has been used in regions where perhaps they did not know about EM-X, the dietary supplement. |
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| FPE or EM FPE | Fermented Plant Extract. Also known as Green Grass Liquid Fertilizer. It is made by cutting fresh grass and weeds (discarding flowers, flower buds, and wilted parts) and mixing with EM-1, molasses, EM Bokashi, and sea water. It is left to ferment in an air-tight container for about 10-14 days. Afer fermentation, the liquid is extracted and used as a liquid fertilizer, often diluted in water, and the solid remains are also used as fertilizer. |
| Propagated EM | This term is no longer used or is avoided in many places because of the confusion it caused. See Extended EM above for detailed explanation. The more accurate term is Activated EM (see Activated EM above). |
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| Stochu (or Sutochu) | See EM-5 above. |