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Kyusei Nature Farming Trial Area

What is Nature Farming

Kyusei nature farming is a form of organic farming, developed in Japan last century by Mokichi Okado, (1882-1955).

The five aims of Kyusei Nature Farming are:

• Production of safe and nutritious food to enhance human health.
• Development of economic and spiritual benefits to both farmers and consumers.
• Sustainability and ease of practice by every person.
• Conservation of the environment.
• Production of sufficient food of high quality for an expanding world population.

Kyusei nature farming places emphasis on soil management… developing healthy soils which in turn will produce healthy crops.

EM ~ Effective microorganisms

Effective microorganisms (EM ) is a microbial technology adopted by practitioners of Kyusei nature farming.

EM consists of mixed cultures of beneficial and natural occurring microorganisms that can be applied as inoculants to increase the microbial diversity of soils and plants.

EM contains:

• Lactic acid bacteria,
• Yeast,
• Photosynthetic bacteria
• Actinomycetes, and other types of organisms

EM is unique from other microbial products because of its diversity of microbe species that co-exist and compliment each other in their action.

Bokashi

EM can also be used to make “Bokashi”.
Bokashi consists of plant and animal by-products that are combined to produce a fermented compost-like additive. It acts as a ‘house’ for EM continuing to inoculate the soil and surrounding plants and releases nutrients to the soil slowly.
International research has shown that the inoculation of EM cultures to the soil/plant ecosystem can improve soil quality, soil health, and the growth, yield, and quality of crops.

What is happening here?

This area will provide a long-term study of the effect and interaction of EM and compost addition and a display of minimal tillage and use of mulching.
It will also serve trials to investigate the effect of EM accelerating the breakdown of DDT in soil.

This research is partly funded by the New Zealand Nature Farming Society(NZNFS), a charitable trust, with a mission to promote the development and production of EM technology in conjunction with the aims of nature farming (organic farming) in NZ.

To find out more about EM and Kyusei Nature farming contact:

Mike Daly naturefarm@xtra.co.nz or visit www.emnz.com