NewzVille Exclusive
Many parts of the world these days facing low agricultural productivity and food shortages because of environmental factors such as weather and soil quality. Now big question is how to rejuvenate the inherent capabilities of the soil to improve harvest output?
A Tokyo based company in Japan has developed TOKYO8, a plant activation compound that utilizes the power of microbes to solve the issue.
Unlike compost or fertilizer, it works by rapidly breaking down organic matter in the ground to invigorate the soil and increase crop yields. Because different microbes are active in different environmental conditions, TOKYO8 is also notable for its effectiveness in a diverse range of soils around the world.
TOKYO8 was developed by Tokyo-based Taiyo Yuka Co., Ltd, which has been researching bacteria since it entered the business in 1989. One result of that research is a “secret recipe” for a combination of 1,500 types of bacteria that is effective on sludge of any composition.
When the company began searching for ways to commercialize the formula for other uses, agricultural applications emerged as one possibility.
After that, joint research was conducted with institutions like the University of Tsukuba and Saitama University to identify bacteria with properties beneficial to agriculture, and TOKYO8 was born.
“Many farmers in Asia and Africa make a living from small plots of land,” says Taiyo Yuka CEO ISHIDA Taihe. “We hope to broaden our business model by signing franchising agreements with them, so that they can manufacture enough TOKYO8 for use on their own fields, plus a surplus that they can sell to supplement their income.”
TOKYO8 concentrate is diluted by a factor of 10 to 100 and then sprayed on soil or leaves, where it begins to take effect immediately. By efficiently breaking down organic matter in the soil, the bacteria in TOKYO8 join soil particles together into lumps. More lumps mean more gaps within the soil, making it “fluffier”, means easier for roots to grow in the soil, improves drainage and water retention, and conserves the soil’s micro-biodiversity.
This, in turn, allows plants to absorb more nutrients, helping them grow in a healthy state.
Because TOKYO8 can improve soil at minimal cost, facilitating local production of food for local consumption, it could also contribute to the resolution of such problems as poverty and famine.
