How to make some inputs of the Korean Natural Farming system

Notes:
• This document does not explain the Korean Natural Farming (KNF) system in detail. Please do a web
search for more complete information.
• One of the goals of the system is to increase organic matter and microbial activity in soil.
• The collected, concentrated, and stored microorganisms are aerobic and prefer cool dark storage. They
do not like direct sunlight.
• Brown sugar is best, light brown refined sugar is good, white refined sugar is OK.
• Non-food grade molasses is a good sugar substitute, but do not use products made from molasses in
animal drinking water or feed additives.

IMO #1 (Indigenous Micro Organisms) or White Leaf Mold concentrate

• Make wooden box 30cm square x 10 cm deep.

• Put in 1 liter steamed rice, room temperature. (Break up clumps and spread, but do not pack it down. Be
careful not to touch with hands to avoid contaminating the rice.)
• Cover box with paper and tie it in place with string. (Use paper used for clothing pattern making to cover
the top of box.)
• Find growing bamboo.
• Find white mold on fallen leaves at the base of the plant.
• Place box on the moldy leaves.
• Cover box with leaves.
• Cover the pile with plastic.
• Cover the plastic with wire netting or mesh to keep rodents out.
• Place large rocks on the edges of mesh to hold in place.
• Wait 4-5 days and collect the box.
• Then mix white mold covered rice with 1kg of sugar (unprocessed) in plastic or ceramic container or jar
(Can use your hands but mix gently; Do not squeeze.)
• Cover opening with paper and string.
• Let sit for 5 days.
• Can keep for 1 year.

Mix 2 spoons in 10 liters of water.

Apply to plants, the ground around trees, IMO compost, KNF animal bedding, etc.
Always keep IMO out of sunlight!!!
Apply only in morning or evening.

IMO #2 for rice planting

• Prepare wooden box with rice (same as used for making IMO #1).
• Go to rice field after harvest.
• Cut rice stalks shorter (about same as surface of the soil).
• Cover box with paper and place upside down on area of rice stalks that you’ve just cut.
• Put plastic, mesh, and rocks over it just as before with IMO #1.
• Wait 4-5 days.
• Mix with 1kg of sugar (same as with IMO #1).
• Put in container, and cover with paper and string for 5 days.

Mix 2 spoons IMO #2 per 10 liters water.

Apply once a week, morning or evening. IMO does not like direct sunlight.
Apply until the rice has reached the milk stage (from about the 20th day to about the 90th day).

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) “The Mother”

Ratio of plant material to sugar is 7:3

• Use any green leaves. Fresh, juicy, succulent leaves are best. Some suggestions are Banana Stem, Water
Spinach, Bamboo Shoots, Green grasses, Bamboo leaves, and Duck Weed.
• Collect all the material before sunrise or early morning light. Do Not wash the material.
• Obtain 7 kg of material (you can mix different kinds of materials).
• Mix 1.5 kg of sugar with plant material.
 • Place in a plastic or clay bucket of appropriate size.
• Place weight on top of mixture (can use a garbage sack filled with water).
• Wait 5 hours. Remove weight.
• Use 1.5 kg of sugar to layer on top of plant material (do not mix again).
• Cover with paper, tie with string, and keep 10-15 days. It is helpful to write the date on the paper.
• Drain the liquid and place in plastic bottles (always leave about 1/3 of bottle empty so IMOs can
breathe). IMPORTANT: Do not tighten bottle lid for 2 weeks following bottling to allow gasses to
escape and avoid a sticky explosion!
• Plant material can be used as animal feed or compost.
• FPJ should have a pleasant smell and sweet, tangy taste. Keeps for about one year.

Apply using 2 spoons FPJ / 10 liters water.

Apply directly to the leaves of plants when sun is not out.

Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) “The Father”

Ratio of fruit material to sugar is 1:1

• Obtain 9 kgs of material. Suggested materials include banana, papaya, pineapple, mango, jack fruit,
lamyaay, star fruit, guava, pumpkin, etc (citrus is not recommended).
• Recommended “best” mixture is banana 3 kg, papaya 3 kg, and pumpkin 3 kg.
• Chop material into small pieces.
• Mix material with 4.5 kg of sugar.
• Place in a plastic or clay bucket of appropriate size.
• Use 4.5 kg of sugar to layer on top of mixture (do not mix again).
• Cover with paper and date.
• Wait 10-15 days.
• Drain the liquid and place in plastic bottles (always leave about 1/3 of bottle empty so IMOs can
breathe). IMPORTANT: Do not tighten bottle lid for 2 weeks following bottling to allow gasses to
escape and avoid a sticky explosion!
• Solid material can be used as animal feed or compost.
• FFJ should have a pleasant smell and sweet, tangy taste. Keeps for about one year.

Apply using 2 spoons of FFJ / 10 liters of water.

Apply directly to leaves of plants when sun is not out.
Use FFJ to reduce latrine smell. Use 3 spoons / 10 liters while cleaning. Pour 2-4 spoons directly down toilet to
help septic system.

Fish Amino Acid (FAA) - high in Nitrogen

Ratio of material to sugar is 1:1

• Suggested materials include any part of the fish (bones, scales, tails, guts, etc…) (Can also use rice
paddy snails).
• Pestle or crush material.
• Mix 1:1 with sugar. (Don’t use hands!)
• Cover and keep 15 days (Don’t drink).
• Drain the liquid and place in plastic bottles (always leave about 1/3 of bottle empty so IMOs can
breathe).

Apply using 1 spoon / 10 liters of water.

Apply directly to the ground; not to the leaves.
Is High Protein / Nitrogen. (If using snails, they have poison. So if residue is fed to pigs, it must first be dried in
the sun.)

FPJ, FFJ, FAA application timing and rates (spoons / 10 liters water)

FAA FPJ FFJ

Vegetative Growth 1 2 0
Flowering 1 1 1
Fruit filling 0 1 2
Dry IMO / White Leaf Mold concentrate (needed to make IMO compost)

1 part rice bran (1 part = about 30kgs)

4 parts soiled bedding from KNF animal pens.

OR (if you do not have KNF soiled bedding)

1 part rice bran

2 parts large rice hulls or other material
2 parts cow, pig, goat, etc. manure – dry, not sloppy wet.

• Mix together. (This is like mixing cement. It is hard work if done alone, but quick & easy if 3 or more
work together.)

4-6 spoons IMO #1

2 spoons FPJ or FFJ
2 spoons sugar
10 liters water

• Spray “IMO, sugar, and water” mixture over “rice bran, rice hulls, manure” while mixing until evenly
moist and forms a ball in hand when squeezed.

• Shape material into a 50-60 cm tall rectangle and cover with 5-10 cm rice straw.
• Cover with plastic sheet or tarp for 10-15 days .
• Pile should rise in temperature within 24 hrs and cool in 8-10 days.
• Remove rice straw.
• Put material in feed, rice, or fertilizer bags and store in dry, shady location.

IMO Compost

5 parts local soil

2 parts rice bran (1 part = about 30kgs)
2 parts large rice hulls or other material
2 parts cow, pig, goat, etc. manure – dry, not sloppy wet. (Soiled bedding from KNF animal pens works best.)
1 part dry white leaf mold concentrate

• Mix together. (This is like mixing cement. It is hard work if done alone, but quick & easy if 3 or more
work together.)

2 spoons IMO #1
2 spoons FPJ or FFJ
2 spoons sugar
10 liters water

• Spray “IMO, sugar, and water” mixture over “rice bran, rice hulls, manure, and soil” while mixing until
evenly moist and forms a ball in hand when squeezed.

• Shape material into a 50-60 cm tall rectangle and cover with 5-10 cm rice straw.
• Cover with plastic sheet or tarp for 10-15 days.
• Compost pile should rise in temperature within 24 hrs and cool in 8-10 days.
• (By heaping compost over water pipes (must be black plastic) during heating phase, it can be used to
heat water.)
• Remove rice straw.
• Put compost in feed, rice, or fertilizer bags and store in dry, shady location.

Apply directly around the base of trees, plants, garden plots, rice paddies, work into soil, etc.
KNF Animal Pens (Deep Bedding)

Can build above ground in areas with high water table.

Can convert cement floor pens by building up. Must raise roof.
An area of 3 meters x 8 meters (24 square meters) can sustain 20-25 pigs.
General rule for pigs: 1 sq. meter per animal.

• Dig 90 cm down (pigs, cows) (only dig 70 cm for chickens).

• Obtain rice hulls 100 parts (bags). (can substitute saw dust.)
Local soil 10 parts (bags).
Salt 2 Kg
• Layer rice hulls for first 30 cm.
• Add dirt and salt then mix.
• Spray bedding with IMO #1 FFJ / FPJ water solution (approx. 20 liters).
• Layer rice hulls, dirt and salt as above for next 30 cm.
• Spray bedding with IMO #1 FFJ / FPJ water solution.
• Repeat for final layer.
• Build pen to allow good air circulation, some sun exposure, and to protect bedding from rain.
• Spray bedding with IMO #1 FFJ / FPJ water solution weekly.

Bedding does NOT need to be removed and replaced. However, microbial activity will decrease the volume of the
bedding over time necessitating the addition of bedding material. Add material at the same ratio mentioned above.
Soiled bedding removed for compost production will also need to be replaced.

Add FFJ / FPJ to animal drinking water (1-2 spoons to 10 liters). Can set up a 10-20 liter plastic water tank to
gravity feed a nurse valve in the pen.

Formula for IMO Pig Food

Ratio: 100 parts plant material / 4 parts sugar / 1 part salt

• Obtain edible plant material (any quantity). Examples include water spinach, fresh grasses, banana
stems, etc. Consult with locals for ideas for local, native options.
• Chop plant material into bite sized pieces, mix with sugar and salt, place in plastic or ceramic bucket.
• Cover with PLASTIC sheet and tie in place. This is an anaerobic process that pickles the material.
• Food is ready to feed in 5-7 days. It will have a good smell and sour taste.
• Can use this food for up to 50% of the ration.

Example pig ration from Thailand:

50% IMO food
25% rice bran
25% commercial pig food
Add water to make a slop. FFJ / FPJ optional.

Pigs should reach market weight in 3-4 months.

Tips:
Introduce new food in small quantity and increase % over time.
Use at least 2 containers for IMO food production. Feed from one container while you fill the other and wait for it
to pickle.

Plant Hormone

• Put 1 kg of herb or spice in container (some suggestions are cinnamon, ginseng, ginger, or garlic. You
can mix several herbs.)
• Add 2 large bottles of beer.
• Cover with paper for 12 hours.
• Add 1 kg sugar.
• Wait 5 days.
• Add 2 bottles of rice whiskey.
• Wait 15 days.
For application use 1 spoon / 10 liters of water.
Can use original 1 kg of herb to make up to 5 batches.

Insect Control Formula (Not an insecticide; just a deterrent)

• Obtain
o FFJ 1 liter.
o Sugar 1 kg.
o Water 10 liters.
o Vinegar 1 liter.
o Whiskey 2 liters.
• Mix together and cover (Do not use paper; only plastic covering).
• Mix twice everyday for 15 days (should have foam on top).

For application use 3 spoons / 10 liters of water.

Can use once a week.
Can keep up to six months.

Formula for Killing Worms on Trees

• Soak 20 kg of “American grass” (yaa saab sua), or tobacco leaves, or tomato stems in 10 liters of water.
• Substitute this water for the 10 liters of plain water in the “Insect Control Formula” above.

Insecticide / Repellant Combination

Mixture #1 Tobacco leaf 10 kg, Sugar 3 kg, water 10 liters.

Mixture #2 Saabsue 10 kg, Sugar 3 kg, water 10 liters.

Mixture #3 Neem 10 kg, Sugar 3 kg, water 10 liters.

Chop, mix, cover, and wait 2 weeks.

Apply using 1 liter of mixture #1, 1 liter of mixture #2, and 1 liter of mixture #3.
Mix all 3 liters with 200 liters of water (total = 203 liters).
Spray weekly.