What is Bokashi ?

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).