Table 1 A compilation of various EM formulations and their crop wellbeing benefits

1.

EM-1, (commercial, Environ Biotech, Mumbai, Maharashtra)

lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum), photosynthetic bacteria, yeast, fermenting fungi (Candida utilis) and actinomycete (Streptomyces albus)

1 L EM-1 mixed with 20 L water and 2 kg Jaggery (pure cane sugar)

Sathyabama University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (12°52′23″ N, 80°13′21″ E)

Total nitrogen 980 mg kg^− 1;

P 901 mg kg^− 1, K 3014 mg kg^− 1, Organic carbon 36.5%, Humic acid 21 mg kg^− 1

Black gram (Vigna mungo)

Study conducted in 5 × 3 m plot; sowing at 30× 10 cm spacing

Shoot length, total chlorophyll, leaves and foliages, plant height, leaf surface area and branches of crop were increased

[22]

2.

EM Bioaab (commercial, NFRD Foundation, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

Photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and actinomycetes

1 L diluted Bioabb (0.2% v/v) applied to soil mixed with Parthenium green manure; fortnight foliar spray till end

University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (31.4790° N, 74.2662° E)

pH 7.5, Organic matter 0.87%, Total N₂ 0.045%, Available P 6.50 mg kg^− 1, Exchangeable K 100 mg kg^− 1, B 1.08 mg kg^− 1, Mn 23.80 mg kg^− 1, Fe 10.80 mg kg^− 1, Cu 1.80 mg kg^− 1

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

–

Shoot length, dry biomass, spike length, number of grains per spike, grain yield of crop increased

[23]

3.

EM Bioaab (commercial, NFRD Foundation, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

Photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and actinomycetes

1 L diluted Bioabb (0.2% v/v) applied to soil mixed with Parthenium green manure; fortnight foliar spray till end

University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (31.4790° N, 74.2662° E)

pH 8.2, Organic matter 0.90%, Total nitrogen 0.05%, Available P 14 mg kg^− 1, Available K 210 mg kg^− 1

Pea (Pisum sativum L)

Study conducted in pots of 20 cm diameter filled with 2.5 kg soil (30 cm depth)

Nodule number, nodule biomass and grain yield of crop increased

[24]

4.

EM Bioaab (commercial, NFRD Foundation, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

Photosynthetic and lactic acid bacteria, yeast and actinomycetes

EM stock diluted at 1:1000 (EM:tap water ratio); 300 mL diluted EM applied to soil 7 days before sowing

University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (31.4790° N, 74.2662° E)

pH 8.1, Organic matter 0.9%, EC 4.8 mS cm^− 1, Total nitrogen 0.05%, Available P 14 mg kg^− 1, Available K 210 mg kg^− 1, Fe 9.53 mg kg^− 1, Cu 1.71 mg kg^− 1, Zn 4.42 mg kg^− 1

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L)

Study conducted in pots of 20 cm diameter filled with 2 kg soil (30 cm depth)

Root and shoot dry biomass of crop increased

[25]

5.

EM − 1® (commercial, Punto EM, Roccasterone, Sanremo, Italy, http://www.italiaem.it/Home/em.html)

–

EM-1® stock applied to soil every 7 days

Milan State University, Milan, Italy (45.4601° N, 9.1946° E)

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)

Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L)

Study conducted by sowing one seed in each 22 cm size pot

Photosynthesis and crop yield increased

[26]

6.

Self-formulated

Candida tropicalis, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Streptomyces globisporous, Lactobacillus sp., photosynthetic bacteria

EM stock mixed with poultry dropping fortified paddystraw

Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India (28°40′ N, 77°12 E)

pH 8.26–9.17, Available N 220–226 kg hm^− 2, Available P 27–38 kg hm^− 2, Available K 585–601 mg kg^− 1, Available P 0.31%, Organic Carbon 0.35–0.36%

Marigold (Tagetes L),

Calendula (Calendula L)

Study conducted in 2 × 2 m plot size

Carotenoid pigment content increased; increased acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase activities at flowering

[27]

7.

Self-formulated

Lactobacillus plantarum, L. casei, Streptococcus lactis, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, Streptomyces albus, Streptomyces griseus,

Aspergillus oryzae and Mucor hiemalis

80 mL EM applied to soil before sowing; with chemical fertilisers

–

Total soil N 3.4 g kg^− 1, Available P 0.025 g kg^− 1,

K 0.44 g kg^− 1, C/N 13

Sweet corn (Zea mays L. cv. Honey-Bantam)

Study conducted in pots of 0.02 m surface area filled with 3 kg fresh soil

Increased biomass and grain yields

[20]

8.

Oki Bac 174 (commercial, Oikos Chile Ltda, Lampa, Chile)

Bacillus subtilis,

Bacillus licheniformis,

Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus polymyxa, Bacillus macerans, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, Nocardia corallina, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Trichoderma viride

50 g consortium and 100 g saccharose added to 10 L tap water; resultant solution applied at planting, and every two-month interval

El Nogal Experimental

Station, University of Concepcion,

Chile (36°35′ N 43.2″ S, 72° 04′39″ W)

Temperature 13 °C, pH 6.74, Organic matter 5.77%, NO₃⁻ 11.6 mg kg^− 1, K 406.3 mg kg^− 1, P 77.3 mg kg^− 1

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L)

Study performed in 30 × 30 cm pots and 30 cm deep per seedling; seedling done 1 × 3 m apart

Increased plant biomass

[28]

9.

Self-formulated

Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp., Azotobacter sp., Frauteria sp.

Seeds immersed in 48 h old EM for 5 min and transferred to water agar (nine seeds per plate); incubated at 30 °C for 4 d

Balaji Nagar, Andhra Pradesh, India (14.4492° N, 79.9993° E)

–

Black gram (Vigna mungo L)

–

Enhanced seed germination, root volume, shoot dry mass, total dry mass of crop

[29]

10.

Self-formulated (EM compost)

Streptomyces albus, Propionibacterium freudenreichii,

Streptococcus lactis, Aspergillus oryzae, Mucor hiemalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, Lactobacillus sp., Rhodopseudomonas sp., and Streptomyces griseus

50 kg EM compost consisting of 50 kg traditional compost fortified with 200 mL concentrated EM; applied twice a year before planting of crops (maize, wheat)

Qu-Zhou station, North China Plain, China Agricultural University (115°01′ E, 36°52′ N)

Temperature 13.2 °C, pH 8.77, Rainfall 542.7 mm, Bulk density 2.65–2.58%,

Organic carbon 5.82 g kg^− 1,

Total N 0.59 g kg^− 1, C/N 9.86, Available N 64.6 mg kg^− 1, Available P 26.1 mg kg^− 1, Available K 65.4 mg kg^− 1

Maize (Zea mays L), Wheat (Triticum aestivum L)

Study performed in 4 × 8 m plots

Increased soil C, N and nutrients content; increased crop yield

[30]