Using homemade fermented waste as fertiliser farmers can increase their crop yields by 23 per cent while cutting the time it takes them to make traditional compost by 75 days.
Bokashi, a Japanese word for perfectly fermented organic matter, improves soil health and crop fertility more than traditional composting and takes less than two weeks to make compared to the three to four months it takes to prepare compost manure.
“500 kilograms of bokashi would be enough for a quarter an acre. To make this we will need 100 kg of dry leaves or sawdust, 100 kg of animal manure (preferably goat or chicken manure or a mixture of manures), 100 kg of topsoil (preferably with high clay content), 100kg of finely cut banana stems or grasses, 50 kg of ash/biochar or a mixture of both, 25-50 litres of water, 5-10 litres of molasses, 100 kg of either maize, wheat, or rice bran or a mixture, and one kilogram of yeast,“ explained Sasmson Muchira, a Kirinyaga farmer who has used bokashi to grow his greenhouse tomatoes for a year.
The first step to making the biofertiliser is to thoroughly mix the yeast into water and add molasses to the mixture before mixing in a bucket. This will be sprinkled on the various layers of the bokashi compost.
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On a flat surface, evenly combine the dry leaves or sawdust and finely cut banana stems or grasses. This first layer is sprinkled with the water, yeast, and molasses solution.
The animal manure is added as a second layer and again sprinkled with the water. Topsoil is then added as a third layer and is sprinkled. This is followed by a layer of ash or biochar and finally that of bran which are both sprinkled with the prepared solution.
To properly prepare the bokashi mixture, shovel and turn it from the bottom twice. Pure water is then added to the mixed mixture.
“You should squeeze the mixture in your hand and if it is breaking or flaky you will need to add more water, while if any water drips from it, you will need to add dry matter to the mixture,” explained Samson.
100 kilograms of maize bran costs Sh1,700 in local agrovets while 500 grams of yeast can be bought for as little as Sh150 in local shops.
“For the first four days, the mixture can be turned in the morning and evening every day as it will be extremely hot. From the fifth to the twelfth day it should be turned once depending on the temperature of the pile. By the fifteenth day the bokashi will have the same temperature as the environment and be ready for use,” said Jacan Business Empowerment field officer Chongo Firi.
The bokashi pile should be at most a metre tall to allow for air circulation.
He further added that the temperature of the heap should be between 50 and 55 degrees Celsius. If it is less or above this temperature range the microorganisms in the bokashi die.
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Temperature can be measured with a thermometer by putting your hand into the mixture and counting to ten. “If your hand is burnt, you know it is time to turn the pile to allow for air circulation and reduce its heat,” Chongo informed.
Maize and other cereals as well as leafy vegetables such as sukuma wiki require a handful of bokashi per plant during planting while cabbages need two handfuls and tomatoes need three handfuls of bokashi for every crop station. This is applied at planting, during weeding, or every three weeks depending on the fertility of your soil.