Chemical Engineering Transactions (Feb 2020)
Effective Microorganisms as Remediation for Marginal Soil in the Philippines
Abstract
The use of effective microorganisms (EM) technology is rapidly gaining popularity not only in agricultural development but also in environmental management. In this study, EM were used as remediation for marginal soil. Formulated EM from fish amino acid, lactic acid bacterial serum, and commercial EM were applied to marginal soil weekly for 10 weeks. The physical and chemical properties were analysed before and after treatment application. With the objectives of determining the change, results revealed that there was a change on the selected physical and chemical properties of the soil. Soil texture has changed from light to medium in all treatments. The highest increase in pH (5.4 %), organic matter content (200 %) and phosphorous content (115.7 %) was noted in fish amino acid; while the highest increase in electrical conductivity (514.3 %) and potassium content (89.1 %) was noted in the commercial EM. Effective microorganisms can be utilized to remediate soil problems in relation to improvements on soil texture, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and phosphorous content.