What is JADAM Microbial Solution aka JMS? Social Media Is Full Of It But Is It A Useful Gardening Technique?
Table of Contents
For several years now there has been an increasing interest in JMS, the JADAM Microbial Solution. But what is it, is it a well researched credible horticultural technique or is it just another myth? These are the questions I set out to answer in this article.
JMS is sometimes referred to as LoM solution (Local Microorganism solution).
JMS is a modified form of Korean Natural Farming. KNF has been practised for millenia.
JMS History
The JMS microbial solution was first created by Youngsang Cho, the founder of the Jadam farming system. It is claimed that the system harnesses the power of local microbial lift make plants grow healthy and strong. In 2002 he established “Jadam Natural Pesticide Institute” in South Korea, where he developed and tested his system which its claimed to be ultra low cost and organic.
What is JMS?
The JMS, Jadam microbial solution, is an anaerobic microbial solution that has been brewed from leaf mould, salt, potatoes and rainwater for 2-3 days. So, in effect, it is a mix of “local” microbes that have been “boosted” or multiplied in numbers.
That does however raise various questions that I will answer later.
How To Make JMS
The following is a composite recipe taken from several interpretations/translations of Youngsang Cho’s recipe. I don’t recommend it .. I merely repeat it. If it sounds a bit muddled or confused, it is because there are so many online and published interpretations of the recipe.
5 Steps to Make JADAM Indigenous Microorganism Solution (JMS)
1. Collect Ingredients
- Indigenous Microorganisms: Gather leaf mould from a wooded area. You can also cultivate leaf mould by allowing leaves and grass clippings to decompose.
- Potato: A small potato is ideal.
- Seawater: Collect seawater or use sea salt.
- Non-chlorinated Water: Use rainwater or let tap water stand for 24 hours.
2. Prepare Potato
- Cut the potato into smaller pieces.
- Boil the potato until soft.
- Let the potato cool.
3. Fill Bucket with Water
- Fill a 3-gallon bucket with non-chlorinated water.
- Add 330 ml of seawater to the bucket.
4. Add Ingredients
- Place the potato, leaf mould, and a small stone in a mesh cloth.
- Tie the mesh cloth to a stick and place it across the bucket’s mouth.
- Dip the mesh cloth into the water and gently massage it.
- Let the mesh cloth suspend in the water.
Optional: Add plant material from the intended plant for customisation. That is what the recipe says .. I’ve no idea what it means. Maybe it is lost in translation from Korean to English.
5. Cover and Ferment
- Cover the bucket with a lid. (I wonder why it needs a lid .. no one has explained this.).
- Allow the mixture to ferment for 36-72 hours. Bubbles forming on the surface indicate microbial activity.
- Bottle and use as below.
How to Use JMS
Let me again repeat that I do not endorse these methods .. you might have sensed by now that I’m rather wary of them. The last one seems especially strange and I definitely don’t recommend it. I’ll explain my reasons in more detail later.
Soil Drench: Pour JMS straight onto bare or mulched soil where you’re planning to plant. How much per square yard no one seems to say!
Seed Starting: When saturating your potting mix, add JMS to the water, diluted 1:100.
Watering Plants: This is our most common method. Dilute JMS 1:10 with water and use it to water your plants.Warning: Avoid applying undiluted JMS to plants, as it can burn their roots*. JMS contains powerful microbes.
* Can microbes actually burn plants? I’ve not seen any reference to this in all the years I’ve studied horticulture and gardening.
Foliar Spray: Mist plants with diluted JMS (1:10) to promote microbial health on stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. Tip: Strain JMS thoroughly to prevent clogging your sprayer and staining plants.
This seems to recommend taking a stagnant mix of water and anaerobic microbes and spray them onto plants you later harvest to eat. NO, NO , NO! That would be very unwise.
Compost Inoculant: Add leftover JMS to your compost pile for a microbial boost. Note: If using thermophilic composting (temperatures exceed 110°F), wait for the compost to cool before adding JMS to avoid killing the microbes.
Skin Care: While controversial, some people use JMS to treat athlete’s foot. Soak the affected area in JMS for 10-15 minutes weekly or as needed. Reference: Youngsang Cho’s book, JADAM: Ultra Low-Cost Organic Farming.
I did say I don’t recommend the last in this list! I think it more than controversial .. I think it is extremely unwise and could cause all sorts of health issues.
My JADAM Microbial Solution (JMS) Views
These are my views and mine only. But JMS worries me a lot.
Verifiable Peer Reviewed Research
Firstly there appears to be very little verifiable peer reviewed research carried out on JMS. The only two papers I’ve found so far are from an Indonesian university and they seem to lack academic rigour. The number of plants tested were minimal, the control was not adequately described (was it plain water or did they consider that not giving anything was the right control method?). They tested a control, JMS and what they described as a compost tea. In fact it was a mix of seaweed and brown sugar!
Is Soil Short of Microbes?
Adding microbes might sound sensible, especially when healthy, fertile soil teams with microbes. But the soil already has plenty of microbes. And note I say microbes and not bacteria. Plants need soil rich in microbes … both bacteria and fungi. So brewing up a mix of bacteria and neglecting the fungi seems a bit futile.
A teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria. So is adding a 1:100 dilution of (doubtful) bacteria going to make much difference? I very much doubt it.
What Sort of Bacteria Are Needed?
Some bacteria are clearly good for plants. But some are clearly far from good for plants. They cause diseases, rots etc. I’ve yet to see how the JMS system manages to multiply the good bacteria whilst preventing the bad ones from growing.
Does JMS Multiply Good Bacteria?
JMS is a method of (possibly) increasing microbe numbers in stagnant water. Do the numbers increase? Probably, but I’ve seen no figures to evidence this to be the case?
If they increase will they be beneficial to the soil? Ive seen no figures to indicate they will be.
Is my soil deficient in microbes? Very unlikely.
Is JMS Safe?
Culturing microbes in stagnant water !!!! Doesn’t sound great does it?
Using potatoes to inoculate the culture! I.e. rotting potatoes in stagnant water then spreading the culture over the soil or plants. Could it spread diseases that cause rot? Quite possibly.
What else might grow in stagnant water inoculated with soil etc? E coli, legionella etc. possibly. If good bacteria grow why wouldn’t the bad ones?
Are plants that have had this stagnant mix sprayed over them safe to eat? I am not going to try it.
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Tag: What is JADAM Microbial Solution (JMS)?
Tag: JMS
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