1 2 but have also proved to have two practical effects. They create a kind of EM zone which repels pests, and they promote the growth of the plants. Prof. Higa himself described this several years ago: “EM users know that EM can create a kind of barrier. If you hang, for example, ceramic and plastic bottles with activated EM at the four corners of a bed, the crows stay away and even the bulbuls [tropical bird similar to a starling or blackbird] will rarely visit the beds. At the same time the plants in these beds are characterized by strong growth. It is, of course, even more effective when beds (or fields) are surrounded with such bottles every 4 or 5 metres.” As we can see from the pictures, the effect seems to be improved when the bottles with Activated EM are connected by water bottles. The Best Way to Use EM In 2014 Prof. Higa summarized his recommendations for the use of EM in the garden – and by extension, of course, in agriculture. 3 4 1 2 Strong, healthy and tasty EM vegetables have been growing here for 10 years. Prof. Higa’s gesture is not (only) a simple victory sign, but refers to the fact that this banana tree developed two equal, trunks, each of which formed two fruit sets. 3 4 Beds or individual plants are surrounded by plastic bottles with activated EM·1 and water. They generate an EM vibration field that repels pests. 5 Author: Pit Mau, (Quotations of Prof. Higa from Prof. Higa’s Monthly Messages, Courtesy of Web Ecopure/EMRO Japan) Photography: Osamu Miyagi Also papayas grow very well in the garden. Prof. Higa’s “Little” Big Garden In his latest book entitled EM Effective Microorganisms – Our Perspective (German translation of the Japanese Original shin chikyu o suku daihenkaku, 2012), Prof. Higa gives many examples from the little garden which he planted on a derelict piece of wasteland surrounded by residential build ings. He calls it the “blue sky palace for plants”. Anyone who has read his book will have got some idea of what the garden is like, but it all really only becomes clear when we see the pictures which Osamu Miyagi (EMRO Japan) took for the EM<strong>Journal</strong> in January on Okinawa. A Model Farm Prof. Higa began working on this project shortly before his retirement from the University of the Ryukyus in 2007. He saw it as a model for EM agriculture. On an area of approximately 1,000 m 2 he wanted not only to carry out ex periments himself, refine his methods and observe the results precisely, he also wanted to show what can be achieved by many years of consistent use of EM technology combined with exclusively natural cultivation. In addition he wanted to demonstrate that it is possible with out any major technical input – for example for senior citizens who want to try farming – i.e. without ploughing and with continuous cultivation, to achieve fantastic yields both in terms of quality and quantity. The first thing we notice in Prof. Higa’s garden is the large number of plastic bottles surrounding individual beds or plants like a fence. They not only give the natural plot an optical structure, “First, make good-quality Activated EM·1 that is below pH 3.5, increase the amount of organic matter in the whole soil, and manage the soil so that the microbiome is close to the type of microflora of EM, which has predominant - ly beneficial microorganisms. And then spray a 100-120 dilution of Activated EM·1 on foliage every few days with a watering can or other method. When you mix in Super Cera C [EM ceramic powder] in a 1,000 to 2,000 dilution, it will be even more effective. If, however, insect pests still appear, thoroughly spray the whole with a 3-5 part dilution of good quality Activated EM·1. It is even more effective if you add 1:500 parts Super Cera C. If you spray this once every 2 to 3 days for a total of three times, most insect pests will disappear.” “As I have mentioned many times before, I apply 400 liters of good quality Activated EM·1 to 1,000 m 2 per month, and I always add a 1:1000 concentration of EM Super Cera C to it [i.e. 400 g per 400 l].” This, of course, refers to a garden in a tropical climate where the plants grow all year round. At the start of the development of EM·1, Prof. Higa experimented with different types of water for the best results with Activated EM·1. The best effect was achieved with seawater. (The water of the Pacific has a salt content of around 3.45 percentage weight.) He also uses seawater in his garden for activating EM. 5 4 | EM <strong>Journal</strong> 51 | english | March 2015 5