Organic Pineapple Working Group

[Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>]

Dr. Mohammed Selamat bin Madom asked about the possibility of using
EM for inducing florescence in pineapple:

> ... I am posting a question/opinion to you all whether it is
> possible to make use the product named "Effective microorgasims
> (EM) as an alternative to Ethephon for flower induction in
> pineapple".

> This product which is originally found and being trade marked by
> Prof. Teuro Higa from Japan is difinitely an organic or natural
> product.

Agriculture is an activity that depends on the presence, activity
and diversity of the soil microorganisms responsable for the soil's
fertility in a fundamental manner, because no soil microorganisms
means no soil fertility. Soil fertility depends on the presence,
activity and diversity of beneficial soil microorganisms.

Conventional agricultural production systems fail to to consider the
importance of beneficial soil microorganisms or provide for the
conditions that beneficial soil microorganisms require in order for
them to be present, active and diverse in the soil. This failure
leads conventional farmers to a permanent state of dependency on
concentrated, synthetic agrochemicals which impede the presence,
activity and diversity of the soil microorganisms in the soil (thus
creating a vicious circle).

Organic agriculture considers the soil to be an environment that is
fundamental to farming success and attempts to create conditions
that promote the presence, activity and diversity of beneficial soil
microorganisms.

Aside from making the soil's nutrients available to the plant, in
many cases beneficial soil microorganisms also engage in symbiotic
relationships with and /or produce substances active in ways that either
promote plant growth, inhibit plant pathogens, or both.

So the presence, activity and diversity of beneficial soil
microorganisms is an accurate indicator of soil fertility and in
organic agriculture, an attempt is made to provide the conditions
beneficial soil microorganisms require in order to be present,
active and diverse.

One such method involves the use of compost tea. EM proponents and
product vendors claim that the inoculants they offer have a longer
shelf life, since their organisms are facultative aerobics and
therefore, do not require a continuous supply of oxygen.

While this may be a desirable trait for those wishing to sell
bottles of proprietary substances or formulas, it means little to
those desiring to create a soil environment capable of of supporting
the presence, activity and diversity of beneficial soil
microorganisms, unless the bottled microorganisms OMRO sells are
multiplied (via compost tea brewing) and prove to be both well
adapted to the soil conditions found in the farmer's soil and
beneficial to cultivating high quality pineapple (in this case).

A focus on creating the conditions soil microorganisms require in
order to be present, active and diverse in soils seems preferable to
many adherents of organic agriculture. <www.soilfoodweb.com> But
even Dr. Ingham isn't attempting to define which soil microorganisms
produce which substances under which circumstances, much less the
activity and use of each substance.

In fact, few researchers are attempting to do this anywhere and this
is unfortunate. More priority should be given to this approach, so
that funding for the equipment needed becomes available and we
ourselves are working towards accomplishing that goal at this time,
with pineapple as one of the first crops for which we intend to
elaborate a Biologically Integrated Farming System
<www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/bifs> that depends on naturally occurring
biological proceses.

> You all may check from many informations on this
> EM?available in EMRO (EM research organisation).

I found nothing in the following urls that suggests that microbial
inoculants from EMRO and others have been used successfully for the
purpose of inducing florescence in pineapple or any other crop.

<http://eminfo.vmicrobial.info/>
<http://www.emamerica.com/effective-microorganisms-agriculture>
<http://www.emamerica.com/effective-microorganisms-apnan-manual>

> Why I suggest this product?. Based on a number of research and
> observations, they found that EM enhanced flowering intensity of
> some crops?.

Can you cite the studies?

> I, personally have not tried to make a comparison between
> application of Ethephon versus EM. So why not we make a trial.

Some here have experimented with the use of compost teas for organic
pineapple and perhaps would be willing to report on their findings.

In any case, protocols for the study you suggest must be defined.

In my opinion, EMRO's approach of offering bottles of "select" but
unspecified anaerobic soil organisms does not inspire confidence.

Other than that, I sympathize with your suggestion that the
importance of soil microorganisms to agriculture in general and
inducing florescence in organic pineapple be investigated further.

Thank you for your input.

This is a topic that deserves more attention, here and elsewhere.

Douglas Hinds
OPWG Chair
<douglas.hinds AT gmx.com>
<douglas.hinds AT gmail.com>

Director General
Center for Community and Rural Development (CeDeCoR, A.C.)
<cedecor AT gmx.net>, <cedecor AT gmail.com>, <cedecor AT inbox.com>

Coordinador
Alianza para la Responsabilidad Ecológico y Social en el Desarrollo
(Alliance for Ecological and Social Responsibility in Development)
<aresd AT gmx.com>
Mexico


---------


> Best regards,

> Dr. Mohammed Selamat bin Madom
> Ketua Unit
> Unit Pengeluaran Bahan Tanaman,
> Biji Benih dan Baka Ternakan
> Ibu Pejabat MARDI 
> Serdang, Selangor
> Tel D/L: 03-8943 7464
> Faks: 03-8943 7378
> e-mail : msmadom AT mardi.gov.my
>
> Dr. Mohammed Selamat bin Madom
> Head
> Planting Material, Seed and Livestock Breed
> Production Unit
> MARDI Headquarters
> Serdang, Selangor
> Tel D/L: 03-8943 7464
> Faks: 03-8943 7378
> e-mail : msmadom AT mardi.my
>
> -----opwg-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote: -----
>
> To: <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> From: Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent by: opwg-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: 08/23/2009 11:24AM
> Subject: [OP] Ethylene Flower Induction in Pineapples.
>
>
> In ancient roman times fruits were ripened in large ceramic jars
> with a burning incense inside the sealed jars with fruits. 
> I have also seen induced senescence in greenhouse flora, when
> worker and visitors are cigarette smokers. One of the many
> reactive chemicals in cigarette smoke is ethylene. I would just
> put it out there as a thought..but lighting small well controlled
> bonfires to release smoke in an around the pineapple field...or
> using a hand held smoker like a beekeepers one...can effectively
> produce the required amount parts per million, for floral induction
>
> In the caribbean where I am from- Rastafarians and indigenous
> indians use the dried leaves and any form of weeds growing in the
> fields and burn them to ward off pests and diseases. I would infer
> that this may also in some way benefit the the floral induction process in 
> field crops.
>
> What do you think 
>
>
> Lyndon Ramrattan B.Sc.(Agronomy) 
> M.Sc.(Tropical Commodity Utilization) 
> Univeristy of the West Indies. 
> St. Augustine 
> Trinidad and Tobago. 
>
>
>> 
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific 
>> than "Re: Contents of OPWG digest..." 
>> 
>> 
>> Today's Topics: 
>> 
>> 1. Flower induction in organic pineapples 
>> (Organic Pineapple Working Group) 
>> 
>> 
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>> 
>> Message: 1 
>> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:58:16 +0530 
>> From: Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org> 
>> Subject: [OP] Flower induction in organic pineapples 
>> To: "Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org> 
>> Cc: ilmi AT iti.lk 
>> Message-ID: <4A8CC2D0.000008.04116@ITI-PC> 
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" 
>> 
>> I am not sure how acceptable carbide stones are. As far as I know, on 
>> contact with water, carbide liberates acetylene gas which is an analogue 
>> of 
>> ethylene. Certain unacceptable impurities are also known to be present in 
>> tcarbide. 
>> 
>> Would like your comments. 
>> 
>> Shanthi 
>> 
>> -------Original Message------- 
>> 
>> From: Organic Pineapple Working Group 
>> Date: 8/19/2009 6:21:29 PM 
>> To: opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org 
>> Subject: Re: [OP] OPWG Digest, Vol 17, Issue 1 
>> 
>> Currently there is the use of carbide stones. I am not positive on the 
>> source of this carbide, or the chemistry. It releases ETHYLENE gas upon 
>> contact with moisture. 
>> 
>> > From: opwg-request AT lists.ibiblio.org 
>> > Subject: OPWG Digest, Vol 17, Issue 1 
>> > To: opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org 
>> > Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:57:02 -0400 
>> > 
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>> > Today's Topics: 
>> > 
>> > 1. Re: Pineapple News No. 16 (Organic Pineapple Working Group) 
>> > 
?>> > 
>> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>> > 
>> > Message: 1 
>> > Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:16:11 +0530 
>> > From: Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org> 
>> > Subject: Re: [OP] Pineapple News No. 16 
>> > To: "Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org> 
>> > Message-ID: <4A854073.000018.05740@ITI-PC> 
>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" 
>> > 
>> > Dear Duane, 
>> > 
>> > I wonder if you would be able to help with information on organically 
>> > acceptable methods for flower induction. 
>> > 
>> > Best regards, 
>> > 
>> > Shanthi 
>> >