Carrots comparison grown with and without bokashi food waste (bokashi fermented food waste, bokashi FFW).
Carrot on the right grown with bokashi food waste trenched/buried in a garden bed. Notice the single root that went straight down to where the bokashi food waste was buried, while with the non-treated, there are multiple roots likely reaching out in the soil seeking nutrients in multiple directions.
The other significant difference is in the leaves's size and shape as if the energy went into growing the carrot instead of generating more leaves for more energy. This may also indicate a greater photosynthetic capability with less leaves likely due to the photosynthetic bacteria in the bokashi microbes (EM) contributing and being a part of the plant growth.
Other differences with the bokashi-treated include better color and size of the carrots, and the taste was also sweeter.
In the third photo below, the carrots were cut open to show the inside.
- The color of the bokashi-treated was consistent throughout the carrot (no white color), due to the orange pigment carotene, a microbial metabolite, when the soil and therefore plants are rich in microbes that help enhance the production of such metabolites.
- The non-treated carrot has more of the green stem within the top of the carrot, and the bottom is whiter. Therefore, more of both ends of the carrot would be cut off before consumption.
