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https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/gov/technologies/tokyo8-microbial-soil-health-activator-for-enhanced-crop-productivity
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TOKYO8: Microbial Soil Health Activator for Enhanced Crop Productivity

Activating Soil Life for Sustainable Productivity

TOKYO8 is a 100% organic concentrated liquid microbial soil activator. The formulation contains a diverse consortium of more than 1,500 beneficial microorganisms that restore soil biological activity, accelerate the natural decomposition of organic matter, and improve nutrient cycling to rebuild soil fertility. Suitable for a wide range of Crops, including Rice, Maize, Onion, Potato, Chinese Cabbage, and Tomato, TOKYO8 is supplied as a biodegradable, odorless, non-hazardous formulation certified under the JAS Organic standard. The preparation contains a diverse group of beneficial microorganisms, including Proteobacteria, Chloroflexus, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, along with enzymes like lipase and protease and essential trace elements such as magnesium, iron, and zinc.

2

This technology is pre-validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Positive impacts: 12

Target Groups

Positive Impacts

Women smallholder farmers in remote areas

  • Improves access to an easy-to-use biological soil health solution through decentralized production and distribution.
  • Restores soil fertility and increases agricultural productivity without requiring specialized equipment or PPE.
  • Reduces dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers, lowering production costs and improving farm profitability.

Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils

  • Restores soil biological activity, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility in degraded fields.
  • Improves crop productivity, soil health, and long-term land productivity.
  • Strengthens resilience to drought and other climate-related stresses through healthier soils.

Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Expands access to sustainable soil restoration technologies in underserved locations.
  • Improves soil functionality and resource-use efficiency under challenging farming conditions.
  • Supports more resilient and sustainable agricultural production systems.

Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Restores degraded agricultural land while improving water retention and nutrient availability.
  • Increases productivity and reduces production risks associated with poor soil health.
  • Creates opportunities to improve food security and livelihoods through sustainable soil management.
More...

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

The product is able to work in different climate and have been tested almost in all regions proving its efficacy in various types of climates.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

The product work well throughout the season.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

It has no negative impact on animals or other plants. It is very safe for the environment and contains no chemical that will have any side effects.

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

The production and usage of this product does not release any harmful carbon in the environment. It is orderless and colorless.

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Tokyo8 helps to regenerate lost soils and improve the nature of the environment by using micro organisms

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Tokyo8 improves the general quality of the soil for planting. Especially helping replace lost nutrients and stabilizing the soil for a good plantation.

Water use: A bit less water used

Tokyo8 in comparison to other fertilizers, the application method is more convenient, easy and needs less water for its effectiveness.

Problem

  • Widespread soil degradation reduces agricultural productivity and threatens national food security by limiting the long-term productive capacity of farmland.
  • Declining soil fertility lowers the efficiency of fertilizer investments and weakens the performance of national crop production systems.
  • Unsustainable soil management practices accelerate the loss of soil biological functions, reducing resilience to climate variability and environmental stress.
  • High dependence on imported synthetic fertilizers increases production costs and limits the sustainability of national agricultural input systems.

Solution

  • Restores degraded soils by reactivating beneficial microbial activity that rebuilds soil health and productive capacity.
  • Improves soil fertility and nutrient efficiency, resulting in up to 20% yield improvement through enhanced nutrient cycling, allowing crops to make better use of available nutrients through enhanced nutrient cycling, allowing crops to make better use of available nutrients.
  • Strengthens sustainable soil management by restoring natural biological processes that support resilient agricultural production systems.
  • Provides a locally adaptable biological alternative to conventional fertilizer-dependent systems through a 100% organic microbial formulation that supports long-term soil restoration.

Key points to design your project

TOKYO8 provides a practical solution to restore soil health, strengthen climate resilience, and improve the sustainability of agricultural production systems. By enhancing soil biological activity and supporting long-term soil fertility, the technology contributes to national food security, sustainable land management, and agricultural transformation. To successfully integrate this technology :

  • Prioritize deployment in areas affected by declining soil fertility, land degradation, and climate-related production risks, focusing on strategic crop value chains and vulnerable farming communities.
  • Integrate TOKYO8 into national soil restoration, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable intensification, and land restoration programmes to improve long-term agricultural productivity and resilience.
  • Establish partnerships with research institutions, extension services, local governments, producer organizations, agro-dealer networks, and the technology provider to ensure effective implementation, technical supervision, and farmer capacity building.
  • Allocate resources for product procurement, distribution, demonstration plots, farmer field schools, extension services, and awareness campaigns to accelerate technology adoption.
  • Strengthen the capacity of extension agents and producer organizations on biological soil health management, recommended application practices, and farmer advisory services.
  • Leverage the TOKYO8 franchise model through public-private partnerships to establish decentralized production and distribution units, strengthening local agro-industries, improving product accessibility, creating skilled employment, and supporting long-term national production capacity.
  • Monitor programme performance through indicators such as technology adoption, soil health improvement, fertilizer-use efficiency, crop productivity, restored agricultural land, and the establishment of local production units to guide future investments and national scale-up.

Cost vs. revenue

Data reliability of this estimate:: 70 %

Return on investment 860 %

Every USD invested returns USD 8.6 net income.

Detailed financial information ›

IP

Trademark

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology\’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology\’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Read more about scaling readiness ›

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Positive impact 12

Target Groups

Positive Impacts

Women smallholder farmers in remote areas

  • Improves access to an easy-to-use biological soil health solution through decentralized production and distribution.
  • Restores soil fertility and increases agricultural productivity without requiring specialized equipment or PPE.
  • Reduces dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers, lowering production costs and improving farm profitability.

Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils

  • Restores soil biological activity, nutrient cycling, and soil fertility in degraded fields.
  • Improves crop productivity, soil health, and long-term land productivity.
  • Strengthens resilience to drought and other climate-related stresses through healthier soils.

Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Expands access to sustainable soil restoration technologies in underserved locations.
  • Improves soil functionality and resource-use efficiency under challenging farming conditions.
  • Supports more resilient and sustainable agricultural production systems.

Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Restores degraded agricultural land while improving water retention and nutrient availability.
  • Increases productivity and reduces production risks associated with poor soil health.
  • Creates opportunities to improve food security and livelihoods through sustainable soil management.

Unintended impact 12

Target Groups

Potential Unintended Impacts

Mitigation Measures

Women smallholder farmers in remote areas

  • Limited awareness of the technology and its benefits.
  • Limited access to distribution channels.
  • Reduced participation in training activities due to time or mobility constraints.
  • Conduct targeted awareness campaigns through local organizations.
  • Develop decentralized distribution networks and local franchise partners.
  • Deliver flexible, community-based training adapted to women's availability.

Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils

  • Limited understanding of recommended application practices.
  • Slow restoration of severely degraded soils may reduce short-term expectations.
  • Financial constraints may limit initial adoption.
  • Provide practical training and technical advisory services.
  • Promote realistic expectations and complementary soil restoration practices.
  • Facilitate affordable access through development programmes or farmer organizations.

Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Limited access to technical support after adoption.
  • Poor market availability of the product.
  • Risk of inconsistent application due to limited advisory services.
  • Strengthen extension support through local partners.
  • Expand local production and distribution through the franchise model.
  • Develop simple application guides and continuous follow-up support.

Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • High transportation costs may reduce accessibility.
  • Limited exposure to demonstration activities.
  • Variable results if integrated soil management practices are not followed.
  • Promote local production and community-level distribution.
  • Establish demonstration plots and farmer field schools.
  • Combine TOKYO8 with integrated soil management and extension support.

 

Barriers 12

Target Groups

Adoption Barriers

Mitigation Measures

Women smallholder farmers in remote areas

  • Limited access to product distribution networks.
  • Limited access to technical information and training.
  • Financial constraints affecting technology adoption.
  • Expand decentralized distribution through franchise partners.
  • Provide accessible training through extension services and community organizations.
  • Promote collective purchasing and support through development programmes.

Women smallholder farmers with degraded soils

  • Limited knowledge of biological soil health management.
  • Expectations of immediate results on severely degraded soils.
  • Limited financial capacity to invest in soil restoration.
  • Deliver practical demonstrations and technical advisory services.
  • Promote integrated soil restoration approaches and realistic adoption pathways.
  • Facilitate access through farmer organizations and project support.

Women farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Poor access to extension services.
  • Limited availability of authorized suppliers.
  • Geographic isolation limiting follow-up support.
  • Strengthen community-based advisory services.
  • Expand local distribution through franchise networks.
  • Develop local demonstration sites and peer learning activities.

Smallholder farmers with degraded soils in remote areas

  • Difficult physical access to agricultural inputs.
  • Limited awareness of biological soil restoration technologies.
  • Weak access to continuous technical support.
  • Improve product accessibility through local production and distribution.
  • Increase awareness through demonstration plots and farmer field schools.
  • Provide ongoing technical support through extension agents and trained service providers.

Cost of the investment
Sum of all fixed and operational expenses..
USD 11,250
Per year
Gross revenue
Sum of all income before subtracting costs.
USD 108,000
Per year
Net income
Gross revenue minus total cost.
USD 96,750
Per year
Return on investment
Percentage of income earned for each dollar invested, calculated as:
(income ÷ cost of investment) × 100
860 %
Per year

References:

Countries with a green colour
Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour
Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour
Tested
Countries with a blue colour
Testing ongoing
Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Burkina Faso Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Côte d’Ivoire Eritrea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Cameroon Kenya Libya Liberia Madagascar Mali Malawi Morocco Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Zambia Senegal Sierra Leone Zimbabwe Somalia South Sudan Sudan South Africa Eswatini Tanzania Togo Tunisia Chad Uganda Western Sahara Central African Republic Lesotho
Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country Testing ongoing Tested Adopted
Angola No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Benin No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Botswana No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Burkina Faso Testing ongoing Not tested Not adopted
Cameroon No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Côte d’Ivoire No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Ethiopia No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Ghana Testing ongoing Not tested Not adopted
Kenya No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Lesotho No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Liberia No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Madagascar No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Malawi No ongoing testing Not tested Adopted
Morocco No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Mozambique No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Nigeria Testing ongoing Not tested Not adopted
Rwanda No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Senegal Testing ongoing Not tested Not adopted
Sierra Leone Testing ongoing Not tested Not adopted
South Africa No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Tanzania No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Uganda No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted
Zambia No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Zimbabwe No ongoing testing Tested Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ Subtropic - warm Subtropic - cool Tropic - warm Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Goal 2: zero hunger

Improves soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Supports sustainable food production systems.

Sustainable Development Goal 15: life on land
Goal 15: life on land

Restores soil biological activity and ecosystem functions. Contributes to sustainable land management and soil restoration.

Sustainable Development Goal 12: responsible production and consumption
Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Promotes efficient use of nutrients and natural resources. Reduces dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs.

Sustainable Development Goal 13: climate action
Goal 13: climate action

Strengthens climate resilience through improved soil functionality and water retention. Supports climate-smart agricultural practices.

Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth
Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all.

TOKYO8 is applied as a diluted microbial solution to restore soil biological activity and support healthy crop development. Following the recommended preparation and application sequence helps maximize its effectiveness across different cropping systems.

  • Step 1. Prepare the solution

20.5L of TOKYO8 is for 1acre. Shake the container thoroughly before use. Dilute the concentrated TOKYO8 formulation with clean water according to the recommended application rate. For general field application, dilute 20ml of TOKYO8 per 1L of water. Avoid mixing or alternating applications with fungicides, bleach, or other disinfectants that may affect the beneficial microorganisms.

  • Step 2. Apply to soil and crops

Apply the diluted solution to both the soil and crop foliage using conventional spraying or irrigation equipment. For nursery production, apply 20 ml per litre of water alongside routine watering during seedling establishment, with two applications recommended to promote vigorous root development. In the field, begin application before planting or transplanting, then continue at key crop growth stages throughout the production cycle to maintain soil biological activity and crop performance.

  • Step 3. Follow good handling practices

Store the product in its original container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The biodegradable, non-hazardous formulation requires no specialized personal protective equipment when handled according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Last updated on Sep 4, 2026