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Recommendations for preparing and using bio-preparations

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Recommendations for preparing and using bio-preparations

Practical and safety advice gathered from technical guides, manuals and fact sheets of agricultural institutions (FAO, INTA, INIA, SADER, Anacafé, universities…), rewritten and grouped by topic. Numbers refer to the sources at the bottom of the page.

This advice does not replace the instructions of each recipe or the regulations of your country. No homemade preparation is risk-free.

Published 24/10/2026 · updated 25/10/2026

Personal protection

  • Wear gloves and a mask throughout preparation and application, even for products considered low in toxicity: being “natural” does not guarantee that something is harmless. [1][2][3][4] +10
  • Protect your eyes with goggles or a face shield whenever there is a risk of splashes: mineral mixtures, lime, ash, concentrated solutions, spraying. [3][6][10][15]
  • For highly alkaline products (caustic potash or caustic soda, quicklime), add long nitrile gloves, covering clothing and boots: they burn skin and mucous membranes. [4][6][15][16]
  • Wear a dust mask when handling fine powders (lime, sulphur, bicarbonate, ash, rock dust) and dry mixes such as bocashi. [1][5][10][11] +3
  • For manure, compost and vermicompost: gloves, mask, waterproof clothing or an apron, and boots kept for the work area only; afterwards, wash hands, arms and face and scrub your nails. [8][10][11][13] +4
  • Have a clean water supply, a washbasin and, if possible, an eyewash station near the workshop; in case of contact with skin or eyes, rinse for a long time with clean water. [3][7][12][13]

Water

  • Use unchlorinated water (rain, well or spring water): chlorine interferes with the microorganisms in fermented preparations. Tap water can be dechlorinated by letting it stand for one or two days outdoors, in the sun, in an open container. [1][4][6][10] +12
  • Use clean, uncontaminated water: it is an ingredient in its own right, and treated water can alter the pH of some preparations. [3][13][16][25] +1
  • Collect rainwater in a tank near the workshop to keep a supply of unchlorinated water. [4]
  • Measure the pH (test strips or a pH meter) and record it; check it again before using a stored preparation. [2][3][6][8] +5

Cleanliness and workplace

  • Use clean containers, buckets, stirring sticks and sprayers kept for this purpose only, that have never held chemicals; wash them before each use. [4][10][22][24] +4
  • Cover open containers with a cloth or mosquito net to keep out insects and dirt. [4][27][28]
  • Work in a covered, ventilated area with a concrete or waterproof, washable floor and a water point; prepare mineral mixtures and plant or manure teas outdoors, away from the house because of the smell. [3][4][9][11] +6
  • Use healthy, well-washed plant material, and healthy seeds for sprouting. [36][37]
  • Strain preparations through a cloth or fine sieve before filling the sprayer; plastic nozzles are preferable for mineral mixtures. [2][4][10][13] +7
  • Keep a written sheet of procedures, doses and uses on site. [11][39]
  • Do not harvest with tools used for manure or raw fish unless they have been cleaned and disinfected, and keep fermentations away from the kitchen. [49]

Fermentation

  • Fermentation in a closed drum produces gas: fit the lid with a valve (a hose dipped into a bottle of water) or do not screw it on airtight, and leave about 10 cm of empty space under the lid. [4][8][10][15] +5
  • For aerobic plant teas (nettle, etc.), cover without sealing airtight and stir regularly; for compost tea, maintain the planned aeration. [15][27][29][32]
  • Fermentation is finished when the indicator bottle stops bubbling or the foam subsides; in cold weather it takes longer. [9][10][15][24] +3
  • Check the smell before use: it should be pleasant, a fermented smell. A rotten smell, abnormal mould or a purple or blue colour indicate a batch to discard. [10][27][28][34] +2
  • Bocashi and compost: aim for 35 to 60% moisture, checked with the squeeze test (the handful holds together without dripping); add the water all at once and, if the mix is too wet, correct it with dry materials. [3][9][15][18] +10
  • Monitor the temperature daily (thermometer, or a machete left in the pile for a few minutes) and turn the pile if it exceeds about 50 to 65 °C depending on the method. [4][9][10][15] +10
  • Limit pile size (about 1.4 m high) without compacting the materials, and protect piles from sun, wind and rain with a shelter or a weighted tarp, raised slightly. [4][9][18][19] +8
  • Fermenting is not disinfecting: a low pH or a pleasant smell does not prove that pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli) are absent. [49][53]
  • Discard a batch with insects or larvae, coloured mould, a swollen or damaged container, or any doubtful raw material. [49]
  • Never open a pressurised fermentation drum with your face over the lid: release the pressure slowly first. [49]
  • pH and electrical conductivity (EC) show how far a fermentation has progressed, not whether it is safe; for repeated or commercial use, add laboratory tests (nutrients, microbiology). [49]

Mineral and caustic products

  • Quicklime heats up strongly on contact with water and can boil: add it little by little, in a sturdy container, keeping your distance. [1][10][15]
  • Bordeaux mixture: dissolve copper sulphate and lime separately, then pour the copper solution into the lime milk, never the other way round; prepare cold, stir with a stick, in plastic containers. [2][3][4][5] +3
  • Copper accumulates in the soil: limit the number of applications and check the regulations, as it is a restricted input. [2][35]
  • Lime sulphur: it is boiled in a metal container; keep cold water within reach to calm the boil, let it cool completely before straining, and measure its concentration with a hydrometer rather than guessing the dose. [1][4][9][15] +2
  • With caustic soda or caustic potash, pour slowly, stir gently and do not breathe in the fumes. [4][15][16]
  • Use the type of lime specified in the recipe, fresh and stored dry; and only ash from untreated wood or crop residues (never from rubbish, printed cardboard or plastic). [4][25][28][41]
  • Some plants (tobacco, barbasco…) are toxic to humans and animals: handle them with particular care or avoid them. [7][9][13]

Doses and trials

  • Follow the doses and dilutions on each sheet, never exceeding them, and prepare only the quantity needed for the area concerned. [1][8][9][10] +4
  • Always test first on a few plants or a small trial plot, record and observe, before applying more widely. [3][4][9][11] +3
  • Do not mix preparations with each other or with other products without information on their compatibility. [1][2][6][10] +4
  • Weigh each ingredient separately and follow the order of dissolution; shake or stir well before diluting and while filling. [6][8][15]
  • The doses and application timings of many bio-preparations have not been scientifically validated, and each batch varies with its raw materials: be cautious and observe. [7][8][12]
  • Do not expect an immediate effect from a homemade preparation: integrate it into an overall management approach (prevention, observation, soil analysis, advice from a technician). [3][4][28][36]
  • In pots, start at half the maximum concentration given and watch for several days (scorched leaf edges, wilting) before increasing. [49]
  • An immature or poorly diluted fermented preparation can damage seeds and roots: also watch for salt build-up in the soil. [49]

Application

  • Apply early in the morning or late in the afternoon, during the cool hours, never in full sun, in rainy weather or just before rain. [1][2][6][10] +14
  • Avoid spraying very young plants and during flowering; do not apply lime sulphur to cucurbits. [1][2][4][5] +7
  • Spray without run-off; place bocashi and fresh compost 10–15 cm from the stems, without direct contact with the roots, and cover them with soil. [4][13][18][19] +5
  • Apply soil amendments and inoculated seeds to moist soil, never dry soil. [10][13][24][35] +2
  • Prepare some mixtures at the edge of the plot so they can be applied straight away, after cooling completely in the case of boiled mixtures. [1][25][30][31]
  • Stop manure-based applications before harvest, observe a waiting period before eating and wash vegetables thoroughly; after applying to a pasture, wait several days before returning animals to it. [8][13][14][28]
  • Apply animal-based preparations (biol, fish amino acids, bostol) to the soil rather than to the leaves or fruit of crops eaten raw (lettuce, herbs, strawberries, tomatoes). [49]
  • Respect the pre-harvest interval set by your country's rules; as a benchmark, the US organic programme requires 120 days for uncomposted manure if the harvested part touches the soil, 90 days otherwise. [53][54][49]

Storage and labelling

  • Label each container: name of the preparation, date made, intended use, use-by date and the words “not for consumption”. [1][3][4][6] +11
  • Store liquids in clean, closed, opaque containers, in a cool, shaded place; do not use PET bottles for alkaline liquids such as water glass. [1][3][4][5] +9
  • Many preparations do not keep: Bordeaux mixture, infusions and compost tea are used the same day or within 24 h; liquid ferments within the following days or weeks. [2][3][4][5] +8
  • Store bocashi and humus in clean bags, in a cool, dry, shaded place, and use them within a few months. [15][18][19][20] +8
  • Cover stored lime sulphur with a thin layer of vegetable oil to limit contact with air. [9][30][31][35]
  • Keep a production and application log (dates, ingredients, quantities, doses, observations) and plan ahead, as some ingredients are seasonal. [1][3][6][7] +4
  • Do not seal preparations that are still fermenting (fermented plant juice, biol): they release gas; use glass or food-grade plastic, never metal. [49][51]

Children and animals

  • Keep preparations, raw materials and tools out of reach of children and animals, ideally in a locked room, at every stage. [1][3][9][13] +6
  • Never swallow the preparations; if swallowed, see a doctor promptly and bring the label. [1][6][27]
  • Keep dogs, cats and poultry away from bocashi piles, compost and worm bins; some plant-based preparations can harm animals and beneficial organisms. [9][23][26]
  • Store sugary materials (molasses, sugar) closed, in a secure place: they attract pests. [3][22]

Raw materials

  • Use fresh manure protected from the weather; never dog, cat or human excrement, nor manure from sick animals, animals treated with antibiotics or dewormers, or from pastures treated with herbicides. [9][13][19][22] +4
  • Prefer droppings from laying hens or cattle manure to broiler litter, which may contain drug residues. [9][13][18][19] +1
  • Do not spread fresh manure directly on vegetables: it may contain pathogens and weed seeds. [34]
  • Keep glass, metal, plastic, printed paper, chemicals and treated residues out of compost and ferments; use citrus, meat, oils and sawdust sparingly. [18][28][43]
  • Collect forest litter (mountain microorganisms) sparingly, from a well-preserved forest free of chemicals for at least three years; then reuse part of your own bocashi as a starter. [4][18][22][31] +2
  • Discard diseased plant material and soil taken near crops; sieve the soil and use weeds without seeds. [9][18][31][41] +1
  • Favour local ingredients available on the farm; have compost and humus analysed if they are intended for sale or of uncertain origin. [3][9][12][20] +3
  • Fermented plant juice: pick young, healthy shoots of fast-growing plants early in the morning, never during or just after rain (ideally wait for two sunny days), without rinsing them, and leave out any toxic or contaminated plant. [51][49]

Leftovers and waste

  • Compost straining residues and any foul-smelling batch rather than throwing them away or applying them. [10][13][27][28] +3
  • Do not discharge leftover preparations or rinse water into watercourses: pass them through a filter bed (straw, forest litter). [3]
  • Keep the pasty sediment from mineral mixtures in a labelled container rather than throwing it away. [1][2][15][30] +2

Regulations and training

  • In certified organic farming, have homemade preparations and added minerals approved by your certification body. [14][28]
  • Find out about local regulations before producing on a larger scale (registration of bio-factories, environmental permits). [3][14][39][44] +2
  • Train in hands-on workshops and exchange with technicians; repeated exposure to dust from microbial cultures can cause allergies. [11][14][38][45] +2
  • These preparations complement a fertilisation plan (mature compost, cover crops, soil analysis); on their own they do not replace a formulated fertiliser. [49][50]

Sources consulted

  1. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 5. Elaboración de Caldo Sulfocálcico — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  2. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 4. Elaboración de Caldo Bordelés — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  3. Guía técnica Biofábricas: producción de insumos biológicos para su uso en la caficultura — Yesenia Navarro, Asociación Nacional del Café (Anacafé) – Cedicafé, Guatemala, 2022
  4. Guía para la implementación de Biofábricas – Biofábricas para la Agricultura Campesina, Familiar y Comunitaria (ACFC) — César Antonio Jaramillo Jaramillo, Víctor Oswaldo Mateus Alarcón, José Ricardo Acosta, Gina Tatiana Bolívar (Asohofrucol), Asohofrucol, con la Unión Europea, AICS y FAO (Colombia), 2024
  5. Producción agroecológica – Agricultura orgánica II: Caldo sulfocálcico / Caldo bordelés (hoja divulgativa) (document without public link) — Shinichi Kondo (experto JICA), edición Ángel García, diseño Marielos Campos, Proyecto PROPA-Oriente (CENTA-MAG-JICA), El Salvador
  6. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 7. Solución Steiner — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  7. Guía de biopreparados para el manejo de plagas y enfermedades — Portal Frutícola (reprise d'un guide FAO / IPES), 2021
  8. Manual técnico para la producción de biofertilizante líquido acelerado — INIA (Pérou), MIDAGRI – Reynoso Zárate A. F. et al., 2022
  9. Manual de Abonos Orgánicos y Manejo de Plagas y Enfermedades en Agricultura Orgánica — Comité Nacional de Agricultura Orgánica de Honduras (CNAOH) – Ing. Alejandra Sierra (Zamorano), appui VECOMA, vers 2009-2012
  10. Manual de bioinsumos utilizados en faros agroecológicos – Transición agroecológica para una producción de maíz a escala comercial libre de agrotóxicos (Etapa III) — CONAHCYT (Mexique) – programme Producción sin glifosato, 2023
  11. Diseño y establecimiento participativo de una unidad demostrativa de producción de bioinsumos en la organización UNOPAC — Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (Équateur) / UNOPAC – Luis Fernando Cuarán Sarzosa, 2008
  12. Los Biopreparados: La clave hacia el manejo sostenible de la fertilización y las plagas — Universidad de los Andes (portail ANeIA) – Nicolás Gómez, 2023
  13. Cómo componer y usar biofertilizantes de manera segura y efectiva — Wikifarmer – Gilmar Tavares (Universidade Federal de Lavras), vers 2022
  14. Bioinsumos, tiempo de adultez — Revista Alimentos Argentinos – Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca (Argentine), Agustina Whelan, vers 2013
  15. Manual de bioinsumos para biofábrica de la Asociación de Productores Agroecológicos de Isla de Maipo – APADIM — Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (Chili) / ONU Medio Ambiente – Proyecto GEF Montaña, rédaction Ecodaya Consultores, 2021
  16. Extracción de ácido húmico y fúlvicos (document without public link) — Byron Rodríguez Pérez, Felipe Pilarte Pavón, Proyecto 'Mejoramiento de la producción y la gestión agrícola de los jóvenes productores y productoras', 2015
  17. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 1. Elaboración de agua carbonatada — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  18. Elaboración y uso del bocashi — Equipo FAO-PESA y Equipo Técnico CENTA (Nelson Portillo, Ermin Morataya, Elder Santos, Francisco Cárcamo), FAO – Programa Especial para la Seguridad Alimentaria (PESA) El Salvador GCP/ELS/007/SPA; MAG; CENTA, 2011
  19. Manual práctico: El A, B, C de la agricultura orgánica y harina de rocas — SIMAS (Managua, Nicaragua) – Jairo Restrepo Rivera, 2007
  20. Elaboración de compost y lombricultura (document without public link) — Nélida Granval, Lorena Lucero, INTA EEA La Consulta (Mendoza, Argentina), 2010
  21. Producción de Humus y Biol a partir de Vermicompostaje (document without public link) — Oscar Guaminga, Juan Ordoñez, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Facultad de Ingeniería Ambiental (Quito, Ecuador)
  22. Elaboración de abono orgánico Bocashi: construcción de tecnologías apropiadas (Serie Paso a Paso) — Emiliano Dibella, Paula Aguilera, Natalia Silva Furlani, Nicolás Serafini, INTA – CIPAF, IPAF Región Cuyo (Ediciones INTA, Argentina), 2021
  23. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 8. Elaboración Bocashi — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  24. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 3. Supermagro — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  25. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 2. Elaboración de agua de vidrio — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  26. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 14. Humus de Lombriz — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  27. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 6. Elaboración de Té de Composta — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  28. Preparación y uso de abonos orgánicos sólidos y líquidos (Serie Agricultura Orgánica N°8) (document without public link) — Jaime Picado, Alfredo Añasco, CEDECO – Corporación Educativa para el Desarrollo Costarricense (VECO Costa Rica), 2005
  29. Cuatro recetas de purines para usar contra las plagas que atacan las huertas, vía INTA — Bichos de Campo (d'après des techniciens INTA), 2024
  30. Diseño de alternativas de fertilizantes y controladores fitosanitarios agroecológicos en producciones de plátano asociado a café en el municipio de Betania con acompañamiento de Asohofrucol — Corporación Universitaria Unilasallista (Colombie) – Martínez Zapata M. E., 2022
  31. Escuela campesina agroecológica en la cuenca alta del río Otún (cartilla ECA 2) — CARDER / Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira (Colombie), Convenio 452 de 2020, 2020-2021
  32. Clase 2: Preparar el sustrato para la huerta y biopreparados — ENAC – Sustentabilidad (Chili), Sylvana Gálvez Herrera, 2022 (date de mise en ligne)
  33. Elaboración y uso de Bioinsumos para la nutrición de hortalizas en el predio de las Ánimas Tulyehualco — Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Xochimilco (Mexique), V. E. Zavala Cortes, 2024
  34. Manual para la valorización de residuos agrícolas y pecuarios altoandinos para la producción de biofertilizantes — INIA – Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (Pérou), MIDAGRI – Cuellar-Condori N. E., Solórzano-Acosta R. A., 2025
  35. Agricultura Sostenible: Abonos Orgánicos Fermentados tipo Bocashi, Caldos Minerales y Biofertilizantes — Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC, Colombie) – Jairo Restrepo Rivera, 2003-2004
  36. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 10. Elaboración de Extractos Vegetales — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  37. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 11. Inoculación de Semillas — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  38. Biofábrica Escuela — Universidad Nacional de La Plata – Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales (M. Marasas, G. Ferraris), non indiquée
  39. Biofábricas y biopreparados — Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario, Provincia de Buenos Aires – Dirección de Innovación Tecnológica para la Agricultura Familiar, 2023-2024 (Resolución 214/2023)
  40. Manuales prácticos para la elaboración de bioinsumos – 13. Reproducción de Microorganismos de Montaña — Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER) – Estrategia de Acompañamiento Técnico, Programa Producción para el Bienestar (convenio INIFAP), SADER / INIFAP (México), 2021
  41. Taller de elaboración de Bokashi (document without public link) — Agencias de Extensión INTA Avellaneda, Ituzaingó, San Martín, San Vicente y Luján; taller facilitado por Grégory Prybys (Cooperativa Agroecológica La Foresta), INTA EEA AMBA – Programa ProHuerta (MDSN-INTA), 2022
  42. Preparados caseros contra las plagas de la huerta — INTA – AER Valcheta / EEA Valle Inferior (Río Negro), recettes Pro-Huerta INTA-MDS, 2023 (date de mise en ligne)
  43. Manual Práctico de Compostaje – Taller básico de lombricomposta (document without public link) — Omar Meléndez, 2020
  44. Proyecto de resolución – Biopreparados — SENASA – Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Argentine), 2023
  45. ABC de los bioinsumos agrícolas — Edilberto Pozo Velázquez, Ediciones GESICAP (El Carmen, Manabí, Ecuador) – ISBN 978-9942-8854-0-1, 2020
  46. Bioinsumos y biopreparados en la producción agropecuaria: conceptos y marco normativo — Revista MDA (Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario, Prov. Buenos Aires) – Campomanes R., Ferraris G., Arechaga S., via SEDICI-UNLP, 2024 (probable)
  47. Módulo experimental de investigación de biopreparados y caldos minerales en la Quebrada de Humahuaca — INTA – IPAF NOA (Argentine), 2023
  48. Biopreparados para el manejo de insectos en horticultura: experimentación participativa en el periurbano de Córdoba — INTA – Arguello Caro E. B., Serra G. V. et al. (II Congreso Argentino de Agroecología), 2021
  49. Biofertilizantes líquidos fermentados: 5 preparados naturales — Portalfrutícola, 2026
  50. Biopreparados para el manejo sostenible de plagas y enfermedades en la agricultura urbana y periurbana — FAO, IPES, RUAF
  51. Fermented Plant Juice (SA-7) — University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, CTAHR
  52. Fish Amino Acid (SA-12) — University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, CTAHR, 2014
  53. Soil Building: Manures and Composts — USDA AMS
  54. Guidance: use of compost, vermicompost, processed manure and compost tea — USDA National Organic Program

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