Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Lactic acidbacteria is,taxonomically,agenerictermforbacteria thatconvertlargeamounts
of sugars into lactic acid through lactic acid fermentation. Through the production of lactic
acid, lactic acid bacteria also inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and other
various microorganisms by lowering the pH. Lactic acid bacteria are widely known in the
production of fermented foods such as cheese and yogurt that can be naturally preserved for
a long period of time.
— EMRO Japan, “Microorganisms in EM”
LAB provide multiple functions to the microbial consortium. They drop the pH of the ferment-
ing contents down into the mid to low 3s (acidic). This both creates an environment that pathogens
and methane-producing bacteria can't survive in and preserves the nutrients within the food waste,
preventing them from being volatized into the atmosphere. Vinny Pinto describes the lactic acid
bacteria as providing an environment for the other microbes to live in.
Inthisclassical“nucleus/orbital”atomicmodel,thelacticacidbacteriaareseenasproviding
literally a safe environment or “housing” for the other two groups of organisms, as do the
yeasts to some extent as well, so each of these is shown as occupying a “shell” around the
nucleus, which is the phototrophic organisms. The phototrophic bacteria are seen as rather
dependent upon the two types of organisms in the shells to provide the necessary condi-
tions to survive and thrive, but, on the other hand, they also provide vital nutrients to the
organism in these shells. The reason the phototrophics occupy a position in the center is not
only because they are protected and nurtured by the shell organisms, but because they are
the “heart” of much of the magic of EM: they provide a reducing (meaning electron-donor,
versus oxidative) environment, replete with readily-available hydrogen in the form of dis-
solved gases and various hydrogen ions (including hydride species), and marked by a rel-
atively low ORP (oxidation-reduction potential), which, along with other secretions of the
phototrophics, enable the trio of groups to decompose organic materials in a reducing man-
ner, rather than an oxidizing manner. The three types of organisms work together to help
each other digest a wide range of materials and to produce a wide range of antioxidants and
nutrients.
— Pinto, “Introduction to Effective Microorganisms (EM)”
