Orchards

EM™ is being used by growers in the north island to prevent the spread and decrease the impact of PSA. Download the Report which shows EM™'s positive impact on Soil Nutrition and the plants susceptibility to PSA.

The aim of using EM™ in your soil is to get the biological activity working efficiently. That means effective organic matter recycling, to build humus, the food for your soil and trees. By developing a productive understorey through the alleys between the trees and mulching the forage and prunings, this organic matter food source in conjunction with EM™ Ready to Use (RTU), can return the microbial life to your soil. This will lead to better water use, efficient nutrient uptake, and healthy soils leading to healthy trees. EM™ RTU can be applied through the irrigation system, or sprayed onto the soil, understorey and tree foliage. 

During disease pressure periods EM is targeted as a foliar application to crops, this has two 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 is primarily soils, and secondary as foliar. EM RTU can be applied directly with a sprayer or injected through an irrigator.

The Effects of Effective Microorganisms in Kiwifruit Production

Increases the harvest, while reducing operational costs, because:

• the health and fertility of the soil is promoted
• the development of the humus (formation of the clay-humus complex) is increased
• the biological activity of the soil is vitalised – many worms populate the earth
• the moisture and nutrient retention capacity of the soil is improved
• thanks to the quicker warming of the earth in spring, vegetation begins earlier
• root growth is simulated and the plants’ level of resistance is increased
• fertiliser costs are reduced thanks to more readily available nutrients
• enhances budbreak

Better quality fruit is produced because:

• kiwifruits look better and have better colouring.
• the kiwifruit are characterised by their outstanding taste.
• the kiwifruit mature more evenly and are of a standard size.
• the kiwifruit contain more antioxidants and bioactive substances such as vitamins, trace elements, etc.
• few crop shortfalls
• the harvest can be stored for much longer.

Key applications for Kiwifruit

• On established vines, apply 20 litres EM  RTU per ha with as much water as possible, target key periods. Crops can be treated frequently during the season with an accumulative effect the aim is to maintain a healthy microbial population at all times
• Combine with fertilizer applications to increase efficacy of applications at 10-20 litres EM RTU/ha
• For a Foliar spray dilute with water down to 1% and apply
• Bokashi applied to young trees or established trees, can really boost the soil conditions to provide a healthy nutrient rich environment. Bokashi can be made by adding EM Ready to Use to the compost process, then compacting and covering tightly to exclude air. This process is the same as making silage. In 4-8 weeks you will have a fermented compost. This is applied around the outer drip zone of the trees (read publication on Viticulture and EM here)

Want to buy Bokashi compost? Go to www.Bokashi.co.nz

Low Cost EM Use

For large scale use we recommend using our EM Soil and Crop product. This is our expanded ready to use product and is the most cost effective way to use EM. It can cost as low as $2 per litre depending on volume purchased (please contact us for volumes in excess of 200 litres). We recommend using 15-20L per hectare when using EM by itself or 5-10L per hectare when used in conjunction with other nutrients.