Jurnal Biologi Tropis
Vol. 26 No. 2 (2026): April - Juni

Comparative Effectiveness of Biofertilizer and EM4 in Organic Waste Biodegradation in Soil

Fasya Nurul Fachriah (Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Anisa Ramadani (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)
Dinar Febbyana (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)
Hijrah Nurkholifah (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)
Farhah Auliya (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)
Jherty Sinaga (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)
Amalianneisha Rafadewi Andhanatami Putri (Universitas Sultan Ageng tirtayasa)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 May 2026

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.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

JBT

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Immunology & microbiology

Description

Jurnal Biologi Tropis (ISSN Cetak 1411-9587 dan ISSN Online 2549-7863) diterbitkan mulai tahun 2000 dengan frekuensi 2 kali setahun oleh Program Studi Pendidikan Biologi PMIPA FKIP Universitas Mataram, berisi hasil penelitian dan ulasan Ilmiah dalam bidang Biologi ...