Bokashi is an organic soil
amendment originally formulated in Japan, where it is widely used. It is a
fermented organic fertilizer containing indigenous microorganisms and nutrients
which are beneficial to soil and plants. Practical advantages associated with
the use of bokashi include the rapid preparation time (only 24 weeks) relative
to traditional compost (6 months) and the reduced cost compared to commercial
fertilizers because it is manufactured from lowcost, locally available
materials. Moreover, it is easily substituted for chemical fertilizers without
requiring much additional training. As such, it is an appropriate tool for
farmers who are in the process of making the transition from conventional to
organic agriculture. The use of bokashi fertilizer can become a stepping stone
from which to explore other organic agriculture practices and techniques.
Bokashi can be used as a basic fertilizer during soil preparation and also as a
supplementary fertilizer during the fruiting stage. Research with peanut crops
has shown that crops treated with bokashi fertilizer had higher growth rates,
increased nodulation and higher yield than crops treated with chemical
fertilizer (Yan and Xu, 2002).
