Comparative Effectiveness of Biofertilizer and EM4 in Organic Waste Biodegradation in Soil
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v26i2.11839Published:
2026-05-29Downloads
Abstract
The increasing accumulation of household organic waste poses serious environmental challenges due to inadequate management practices. Biological degradation using microbial activators is considered an effective and environmentally friendly approach to accelerate organic waste decomposition. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of biofertilizer and Effective Microorganisms-4 (EM4) in enhancing the biodegradation of household organic waste in soil media. The research employed a simple experimental method with three treatments: control without activator, addition of biofertilizer, and addition of EM4. Organic waste was layered with soil and incubated for four weeks, with periodic observations of physical changes, including aroma, color, waste condition, and residual decomposition. The results showed that EM4 treatment exhibited the most effective biodegradation, characterized by reduced waste residue, brownish-black color, and an earthy aroma. Biofertilizer enhanced biodegradation relative to the control, though the process proceeded more gradually due to microbial adaptation. In contrast, the control treatment demonstrated the slowest degradation rate. In conclusion, the application of microbial activators, particularly EM4, significantly enhances the biodegradation of organic waste in soil media. It is recommended that EM4 be utilized as an alternative, eco-friendly strategy for household organic waste management, with attention to environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and moisture to optimize microbial activity.
Keywords:
Biofertilizer Effective Microorganisms-4 (EM4) Organic waste biodegradation Soil media Microbial activityReferences
Ammar, E. E., Aioub, A. A. A., Elesawy, A. E., Karkour, A. M., Mouhamed, M. S., Amer, A. A., & El-Shershaby, N. A. (2022). Algae as bio-fertilizers: between current situation and future prospective. Saudi J Biol Sci, 29: 3083–3096. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.03.020
Chang, Y. T., Lee, C. H., Hsieh, C. Y., Chen, T. C., & Jien, S. H. (2023). Using fluorescence spectroscopy to assess compost maturity degree during composting. Agronomy, 13(7), 1870. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071870
Dwiratna, S., Suryadi, E., Kendarto, D. R., Amaru, K., Sugandi, W. K., & Hartono, N. I. T. (2021). Kajian Karakteristik Proses Pengomposan Limbah Tanaman Jagung yang Diberi Tambahan Kipahit dan Pupuk Kandang Sapi. Jurnal Teknik Pertanian Lampung, 10 (4), 432-439. DOI:https://doi.org/10.23960/jtep-l.v10i4.432-439
Faizal., Putri, R., Nurhikmah, M., Irma, A., Widyastuti, Rezky, A., Andi, V.I., Muhammad, R.J.T., Muhammad, W. (2024). Pelatihan Pembuatan Em4 Dari Limbah Organik Di Dusun Bantimurung, Desa Jenetaesa, Kecamatan Simbang, Kabupaten Maros. Jurnal Abdi Negeriku, 3 (1), 8-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35580/jan.v3i1.58819
Hazra, F., & Santosa, D. A. (2022). Evaluasi Penggunaan Pupuk Hayati pada Pertumbuhan Tanaman Alpukat (Persea americana Mill.) di Kebun Superavo, Subang. Jurnal Ilmu Tanah Dan Lingkungan, 24(1), 14-19. DOI : https://doi.org/10.29244/jitl.24.1.14-19.
Hutagalung, D. S., Naria, E., & Tumanggor, W. R. (2023). Analisis efektivitas pengelolaan sampah organik kering dengan metode komposting pada taman kota. TROPHICO: Tropical Public Health Journal, 3(1), 33–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32734/trophico.v3i1.11699
Lawal, I., Timilehin, A.A. & Mzungu, I. (2024). Microbial Community Dynamics and Succession During Composting of Organic Wastes: A Systematic Review. Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Studies, 7 (2), 126-140. DOI:https://doi.org/10.48393/IMIST.PRSM/jases-v7i2.63157
Maula, F. I., Puspikawati, S. I., Khalistasari, L. Y., Maharani, R. C. W., & Ekowati, A. P. (2025). Efektivitas Kompos Takakura Berbasis Em4 Terhadap Pertumbuhan Awal Tanaman Cabai Dalam Pengelolaan Limbah Organik Ramah Lingkungan. Jurnal Kesehatan Lingkungan Mapaccing, 3(2), 55-65. DOI : //doi.org/10.33490/mpc.v3i2.2180
Ng, F. L., Lin, T.-C., Wang, E., Lee, T. Y., Chen, G. T., Su, J.-F., & Chen, W. L. (2025). Bacillus-Based Biofertilizer Influences Soil Microbiome to Enhance Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainability, 17 (6293), 1-15. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146293
Nosheen, S., Ajmal, I., & Song, Y. (2021). Microbes as Biofertilizers, a Potential Approach for Sustainable Crop Production. Sustainability, 13 (1868), 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041868
Pakpahan, E. H., Dwi, C. P., & Balqis, Z. S. (2024). Pengelolaan daun kering untuk pupuk kompos. El-Mujtama: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 4(2), 786–790.
Rozi.,Samitra, D., Harmoko, H. (2021). Pengolahan Sampah Organik Rumah Tangga Menjadi Pupuk Organik Di Kelurahan Ponorogo Kota Lubuklinggau. Jurnal Cemerlang: Pengabdian pada Masyarakat, 4(1), 14-21.DOI: https://doi.org/10.31540/jpm.v4i1.1291
Satwika, T. D., Yulianti, D. M., & Hikam, A. R. (2021). Karakteristik dan potensi enzimatis bakteri asal tanah sampah dapur dan kotoran ternak sebagai kandidat agen biodegradasi sampah organik. Al-Hayat: Journal of Biology and Applied Biology, 4(1), 11-18.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21580/ah.v4i1.7013.
Sekarsari, R. W., Halifah, N., Rahman, T. H., Farida, A. J., Kandi, M. I. A., Nurfadilla, E. A., & Fuadah, Z. (2020). Pemanfaatan Sampah Organik Untuk Pengolahan Kompos. Jurnal Pembelajaran Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (JP2M), 1(3), 200-206.DOI: https://doi.org/10.33474/jp2m.v1i3.6510
Sormin, H. J., Daniel, D., & Tandirogang, N. (2025). Potensi Pemanfaatan Limbah Organik Rumah Tangga Menjadi Pupuk Organik Cair melalui Proses Fermentasi Menggunakan Bioaktivator EM4. Jurnal Kimia Mulawarman, 22(2), 1212. DOI:https://doi.org/10.30872/jkm.v22i2.1212
Shitophyta, L.M ., S. A., & Jamilatun, S. (2021). Pelatihan pembuatan pupuk kompos dari sampah organik di Ranting Muhammadiyah Tirtonirmolo, Kasihan, Yogyakarta. Community Development Journal, 2(1), 136-140.
Utomo, M. A. P., Prabaningtyas, S., Lelitawati, M., Rizqiyah, L., Lovely, F. C., Zahidah, N. S., & Pratama, N. R. (2022). Perbandingan kemampuan Effective Microorganisms (EM4) dan Bacillus subtilis sebagai agen bioremediasi limbah cair tahu pada kondisi aerob. Jurnal Ilmu Hayat, 6(1), 42–50.DOI: http://journal2.um.ac.id/index.php/jih/article/view/28747
Widyabudiningsih, D., Rinaldi, K., Firdaus, F. M., Fauzi, R. R., & Hulupi, M. (2025). EM4 Effect on Macronutrients and Microbial Growth in Liquid Organic Fertilizer from Cibogo Market Waste. Fluida, 18(1), 23–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35313/fluida.v18i1.6050
Zhang, X., Zhang, L., Liu, J., Shen, Z., Liu, Z., Gu, H., Hu, X., Yu, Z., Li, Y., Jin, J., & Wang, G. (2025). Biofertilizers Enhance Soil Fertility and Crop Yields Through Microbial Community Modulation. Agronomy, 15 (1572), 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15071572
Zidny, R., Affifah, I., Putri, A., Kulsum, U., Puspitasari, S., Salsabillah, M., Wulandari, I. F., Swastika, N. P., Aida, N., Nuralisa, N. A., Putri, N. Y., Khotimah, H., Amaliyah, D. N., Lestari, S. R., Lubis, N. A., & Aripin, S. (2025). Menumbuhkan pemahaman tentang pengelolaan sampah organik menjadi kompos melalui sosialisasi pada peserta didik di salah satu MAN di Kota Cilegon. Jurnal Pengabdian Dinamika, 12 (2), 80–87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62870/dinamika.v12i2.23812
Ziliwu Y.M., & Natalia K.L. (2025). Peran Mikroorganisme dalam Proses Degradasi Bahan Organik. Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Dan Teknologi Dalam Ilmu Tanaman, 2 (1), 134-141. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62951/hidroponik.v2i1.235
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fasya Nurul Fachriah, Anisa Ramadani, Dinar Febbyana , Hijrah Nurkholifah, Farhah Auliya, Jherty Sinaga , Amalianneisha Rafadewi Andhanatami Putri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Jurnal Biologi Tropis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the author as the owner of the paper. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
Authors are permitted to disseminate published articles by sharing the link/DOI of the article at the journal. Authors are allowed to use their articles for any legal purposes deemed necessary without written permission from the journal with an acknowledgment of initial publication to this journal.
