• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.365-373
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• 2011

Effective Microorganisms (EM), a fermented medium developed by Professor Higa at the University of the Ryukyus, is a mixed culture containing dozens of microorganisms which are beneficial to nature including people, animals, plants and many microbial species in environment. EM is known to contain more than 80 kinds of anaerobic or aerobic microbes including photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, actinomycetes, fungi and so on, with yeast, lactic acid bacteria and photosynthetic bacteria as the main species of EM. Antioxidant effect generated by the concert of complex coexistence and coprosperity among these microbes is considered to be the main source of EM benefits. Currently, EM is earning an increasing attention with applications in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, environment and medicine among others. At the same time, however, a quantitative interpretation of EM system based on a mixed culture model needs efforts from biochemical engineers for efficient production and further promotion of EM. In this paper, we describe the functions of major microbes in EM and current researches and applications of EM in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, environment and medicine.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.795-799
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• 2008

We have studied bioremediation of effective microorganisms on crude oil spill in Taean, west-coast of Korea. Oil contaminated soil samples were collected on December 14, 2007, seven days after the Hebei Spirit oil-spilled accident. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) was measured to evaluate the effectiveness of effective microorganisms (EM) which were composed with yeast, photosynthetic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria on oil degradation. TPH concentration before EM treatment was 323.8 mg/kg, whereas TPH concentrations on 2 days after EM treatment and that of control (without EM) was 102.1 mg/kg and 170.6 mg/kg, respectively. On six days after EM treatment TPH was 91.3 mg/kg and that of control was 127.7 mg/kg. Percentages of degraded crude oil were 47.3% without EM and 68.5% with EM, 60.6% without EM and 71.8% with EM on 2 and 6 days after EM treatment, respectively. These results clearly showed that the application of effective microorganisms toward oil-contaminated soil was quite useful to degrade crude oil spill. These results were derived from the effects of biostimulation of microbial media nutrients and bioaugmentation of effective microorganisms. If we carefully apply these effective microorganisms, it can be a useful bioremediation method to recover oil-contaminated marine ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.565-574
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• 2011

The development of satisfactory alternatives for supplying the nutrients needed by crops could decrease the problems associated with conventional NPK chemical fertilizers. In this study, the effects of bacterial and fungal effective microorganisms (EM) on the growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) were evaluated. This investigation was carried out parrallel with conventional NPK chemical fertilizer and a commercial sold microbial fertilizer to compare between each of their effect. Sterile water and molasses were served as controls. Azotobacter chroococcum effect also was studied either alone or in combination with the effective microorganisms on the growth parameters. In contrast to the bacterial EM, the fungal EM alone without A. chroococcum had a more stimulating effect than fungal EM combined with A. chroococcum. Results showed that seedling inoculation significantly enhanced B. rapa growth. Shoot dry and fresh weight, and leaf length and width significantly were increased by both bacterial and fungal inoculation. The results indicated that the NPK chemical fertilizer deteriorates the microflora inhabiting the soil, while the effective microorganisms either fungal or bacterial ones increased the microbial density significantly. This study implies that both of fungal and bacterial EM are effective for the improvement of the Chinese cabbage growth and enhance the microorganisms in soil. The results showed antagonism occurred between A. chroococcum and each of Penicillium sp and Trichoderma sp in both agar and plant assays. The data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and Dunnett test.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.524-535
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to develop the creative hands-on activities using EM (effective microorganisms) that can enhance the environmental literacy of learners, and to examine the effect of its application. The program was composed of 10 sessions, including biological knowledge and ecosystem status of microorganisms, practical activities that stimulate the environmental behavior and emotion of elementary school students, and career design related to their aptitude and occupation in future. This program can also be connected to the domains of creative hands-on activities, that is, career activities, club activities, self-regulated activities and voluntary service activities. In this study, two classes of 3th grades of elementary school in Seoul were selected and divided into two groups. The experimental group to undergo the program of creative hands-on activities using EM showed higher environmental literacy than the control group. In the concrete, it is proven that this program contributed to the improvement of learners' environmental emotion, skill, and behavior. When interviewed with experimental group, we found that sustained EM hands-on activities were conducted in collaboration with their families, and they became more aware of the utilities of EM and could participate in the activities more interestingly. In conclusion, the creative hands-on activities program was very effective and helped elementary students to change their environmental literacy in positive ways.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2015

This study was aimed to determine the effect of basal application of Effective Microorganisms (EM) on the grow and yield of cucumber. For treatments, the EM was applied to soil with fertilizer composed with $N-P_2O_5-K_2O$-manure (24.0-16.4-23.8-2,000kg) in the 1.0 strength (defined as EM+1S), 2/3 strength (defined as EM+2/3S), 1/2 strength (defined as EM+1/2S), without fertilizer (defined as EM), or only fertilizer in the 1.0 strength (defined as 1S). In result, there was no significant differences of organic substance content and pH with the EM treatment. While the EC (Electric conductivity) concentration was decreased, plant-available P (phosphorus) was markedly increased. Chlorophyll content was highest in the treatment of EM+standard application rate for both semi-forcing and retarding culture. In contrast, no significant difference was found in plant height and internode length under the fertilizer treatment. Weekly harvested number of cucumber was highest at the treatment of EM+standard application for the semi-forcing culture, while it was 3.6 at the EM+1/2 application for the retarding culture. Weekly yield was greatest at the EM+standard application treatment and decreased with the decrease of fertilizer application rate. In addition, weekly yield was significantly reduced in the treatment of EM. There was no significant difference in yields by production time with the fertilizer applications?. Yield was increased with temperature for the semi-forcing culture, while consistent pattern was maintained for the retarding culture.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 2009

Lactobacillus sp., Acetobacter sp. and yeast were the most dominant organisms in the EM stock culture and subculture product. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast were able to grow in the fermentation process utilizing seawater. EM treatment of higher concentrations using EM stock culture and EM clay balls (1% or 4%) contributed to an early removal of malodor and an increase of DO in the polluted sediments, indicating an odor-removing activity of EM. The EM treatment of higher concentrations (1% or 4%) somewhat appeared to modify the microbial communities within the sediments, which was confirmed by existence of a few unique fragments from the stock culture based on PCR-DGGE. It still remains to be elucidated that EM cultures were directly involved in the malodor removal and potential sediment bioremediation.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.433-443
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• 2006

With treatment of Kitosan, Wood vinegear and EM(effective microoganism) which farmers call it as substance in fertilizing, conditioning and disease control substances, authors in vestigated on microorganisms change in soil and ealy growth characteristics of tomato. The results were summarized as follows: Among foliar application of kitosan, wood vinegear and EM(effective microoganism) treatments diluted by chitosan 500 times solution level was effective considering growth of tomato as compared other dilutions and control plot. Change of microorganism number in the soil for cultivation of tomato was increased with microorganism treatment plot as compared with control plot. Specially chitosan 500 times solution level showes the most significant effect.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.683-693
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the characteristics of the organic liquid fertilizer and find out optimum fermentation conditions of Effective Microorganisms (EM) including ascidian tunic. During the EM fermentation by adding ascidian tunic, electrical conductivity (EC) was increased, contrast to decrease the pH value, on related to the initial dosage molasses rate. Additionally, the total nitrogen quantity was shown to be increased on EM fermentation and the most effective increasing was recorded up to 220% on more than 15% molasses dosage condition. The phosphorus quantity was to be maximum rate on 21th of EM fermentation, and other contents, such to potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, had be shown an increasing patten during the fermentation period. After the EM fermentation, the concentration of hazardous material (Zn, As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, pb) was measured below than the official criteria for commercial fertilizer. As a effective material in fermentated fertilizer, the 29 kinds free amino acids were detected and their total concentration was measured to 7080.94 mg/L.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.427-436
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of microbial product on microorganisms in soil and the growth of leaf lettuce. The test material were treated with chitosan, wood vinegar and EM activity liquid, and treatment concentration was 50 times solution and 100 times solution level with foliar application. The results were summarized as follows : Among foliar application of microorganisms treatments diluted by chitosan 100 times solution level was effective considering growth of leaf lettuce as compared other dilutions and control plot. Change of microorganism number in the soil for cultivation of chinese cabbages and leaf lettuce was increased with microorganism treatment plot as compared with control plot. Specially chitosan 100 times solution level showes the most significant effect.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.734-737
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• 2005

This study was conducted to determine the effect of effective microorganism (EM) treatment in feeding system of swine on carcass characteristics. EM pork, which reared with EM additives and EM activated liquids, and conventional pork (non-EM pork) were stored at $4^{\circ}C$. Chemical composition and storage stability of EM pork were compared with conventional pork. Cholesterol content at EM pork was 71 mg/100 g, which is lower than that of conventional pork (83 mg/100 g) when the meats were stored at $4^{\circ}C$ refrigerator. And EM pork (0.165 MDA mg/kg) showed higher antioxidant effect than control pork (0.184 MDA mg/kg). And also protein denaturalization at EM pork showed lower rate $(3.19\;mg\%)$ than that of conventional pork $(4.9\;mg\%)$ when the meats were stored at $4^{\circ}C$ refrigerator, showing that inhibitory effect of protein denaturalization was increased up to $35\%$ over the conventional pork. These results show that the EM pork had superior traits in terms of cholesterol level, lipid oxidation and protein denaturalization to the conventional pork.