Abstract
Effective microbes (EM) are the coexisting naturally occurring useful microbes applied as inoculant to enhance the beneficial microflora of the soil ecosystem to facilitate agricultural production. The participating microbial consortium includes lactic acid and photosynthetic bacteria, actinomycetes, fermenting fungi, and yeast, among others. These microbes are physiologically well-matched and coexist in a provided medium. EM formulation could be applied to a target crop in the most appropriate manner and form, and is easy to handle. It could be applied in several manners, as soil application, foliar application and as seed treatment. Microbial formulation in agricultural practices for enhancing productivity is sustainable and eco-friendly approach. When applied, EM formulations reportedly have positive effect on several crop growth parameters. It enhances the productivity, biomass accumulation, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidative response to abiotic stress in rice. EM formulations reportedly augment the trace elements contents, root and shoot weight, nodulation and pod yield in rajmah, while it boosts the root and shoot weight, nodulation and seed yields in bean, and drought and virus tolerance, shoot weight, pod number and biomass in soybean. Reportedly, formulated EM perks up the chlorophyll, N, P, carbohydrate and protein contents in sunflower, whereas it stimulates the root and shoot growth, leaf number, fungal disease resistance in groundnut. It could lead to an improved root growth, plant height, chlorophyll content, pod yield, fungal disease resistance, Cr-resistance and pest resistance in okra. This review compiles and provides critical insight to the effects of EM formulations on various crops, particularly the cereals (rice), pulses (rajmah, bean and soybean), oilseeds (sunflower and groundnut) and vegetable (okra).
Highlights
Healthy soil ecology entails the ability of soil to save the flora against soil-borne pathogenic microbes and parasites
Use of chemical fertilisers indiscriminately leads to soil pollution gradually deteriorating the soil fertility
Biocontrol agents secreted by the Effective microbes (EM) protect the plants from harmful microbes as from environmental stress
Summary
Healthy soil ecology entails the ability of soil to save the flora against soil-borne pathogenic microbes and parasites. Commercial liquid formulation EM-1 containing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum), yeast (Candida utilis), and actinomycetes (Streptomyces albus) decomposes fruits and vegetables refuge and the resultant compost performs better in terms of increased leaf surface area, total leaves, total chlorophyll content, shoot length, plant height, branches and foliage count [22]. Another EM formulation composed of Bacillus sp. Bokashi reportedly facilitates nutrient release from soil, improves soil carbon mineralisation, and enhances the soil properties It increases the photosynthesis and protein activity in crops, increases crop resistance to water stress, facilitates spreading of the roots, and suppresses the pests and plant diseases in agricultural practices [35–37]. Temperature 24 °C, pH 6.0–7.5, Relative Humidity 60%, Total nitrogen ≤1.4%, EC 0.25 dS m− 1, Apparent density 120 kg m− 3, Total Porosity 90% (v/v)
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