Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is a self-sufficient farming system involving the culturing of Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO). Other inputs are then used mainly as a foliar application to provide nutrition and plant management. These inputs include but are not limited to Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs), Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ), Oriental Holistic Nutrient (OHN), etc...
We wanted to create a comprehensive list of most of the common inputs (and all their acronyms) which can usually be created fairly easily at home. A few of them also have multiple uses and can even be consumed by us to improve our own immune systems! The rest of the list will be in alphabetical order according to acronym for ease of use. Now get ready to enjoy the rabbit hole which is KNF!
Diluted seawater (DSW) is a simple yet vital input used in Natural Farming as a source of mineral nutrition for the production of a variety of fruit and vegetable crops, as well as for lawns, pastures, and flowers
Fish emulsions have been documented to promote seedling growth, fruiting, and microbe action in the soil. One such emulsion, Fish Amino Acid (FAA), is produced by fermenting fresh fish by-products (bones, head, skin, and other tankage parts) with brown sugar. FAA is used in conjunction with other Natural Farming inputs and applied as either a light foliar mist or a soil drench to maximize uptake and minimize runoff or leaching, providing just enough Nitrogen to the plant for optimum uptake and the production of chlorophyll to maintain plant health.
FFJ follows the same recipe as Fermented Plant Juice which is listed just below. FFJ is an input more so used during the blooming stages of a plant's life cycle. It helps promote fruiting and ripening of the plant
FPJ is used in solutions for seed and soil treatments and plant nutrition. It consists of the young shoots of vigorously growing plants which are allowed to ferment for approximately 7 days with the aid of brown sugar. The brown sugar draws the juices out of the plant material via osmosis and also serves as a food source for the microbes carrying out the fermentation process. The weak alcohol produced during fermentation extracts chlorophyll (soluble in ethanol) and other plant components. It is non-toxic and edible.
Korean Natural Farming is a self-sufficient farming system involving the culturing of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) – bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa – in place of inorganic fertilizers to produce fertile soil. IMO is the back-bone of KNF
Following the guidelines documented in Master Cho’s Natural Farming, the linked publication outlines the protocol, materials, and methods used to culture IMO on a 5-acre farm located in Makaha, Hawai‘i. The materials, methods, and collection sites used to culture IMO may vary from farm to farm, due in part to locality and availability of materials. However, the overall concept of culturing IMO remains the same.
Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs) refers to a large group of bacteria, rather than a single species or strain, which produce lactic acid as a by-product of digesting their food source (usually carbohydrates). The lactic acid accumulates to ferment or “pickle” the food, and LABs are capable of surviving in acidic (low-pH) environments.
LABs are widespread in nature and are beneficial probiotics in our digestive systems. They are among the most important groups of microorganisms used in food fermentation, contributing to the taste and texture of fermented products and inhibiting food spoilage caused by other microorganisms. LAB are responsible for the production of yogurt, cheese, cultured butter, sour cream, sausage, kimchee, olives, and sauerkraut.
OHN is a mixture of edible, aromatic herbs extracted with alcohol and fermented with brown sugar. It is used to discourage the growth of anaerobic, potentially pathogenic microbes and encourage beneficial aerobic microbes in the soil and on plants. Herbs long recognized by many ancient cultures as having such prebiotic properties include fresh ginger root (Zingiber officinale), turmeric root (Curcuma longa), garlic cloves (Allium sativum), the bark of Angelica acutiloba, licorice root (Glycur- rhiza uralensis), and cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum sp.). These herbs are used in the creation of OHN.
Water-soluble calcium is a source of available calcium that can be made from commonly used household items, eggshells and vinegar. When applied as a foliar spray, WCA provides available calcium to plants for normal cell processes, root growth, and fruiting.
Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ) is an artificial honey. It is a nutritional activation enzyme and is very effective in natural farming. FFJ is a kind of FPJ that only uses fruits as its main ingredients. It is used to revitalize crops, livestock and humans. As the main fruit ingredients we can use Banana, Papaya, Mango, Grape, Melon, Apple etc (the fruits must be sweet).
Materials / ingredients needed:BananaJaggery /Brown sugarContainerWooden stick (ladle)Chopping boardPorous paper
How to make FFJPrepare at least 3 fully ripened fruits, either picked or fallen. Look for fruits that grow in your locality. If the quantity of fruits is not sufficient, you may add supplementary ingredients such as spinach roots, wild yam, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini and radish. (Use grapes only for grapes and citrus for citrus fruits. These fruits are not good when used on other crops due to their cold and sour characteristics.)For 1 Kg of fruit ingredient, use 1.2 to 1.3 Kg of brown sugar (Jaggery) in summer and 1Kg in winter. (One of the functions of brown sugar is to control moisture. During winter, temperature is lower, thus, there is little need to control the moisture).Wash and dry the jar to disinfect container in the sun.Spread the sugar on the chopping board.Dice your fruit ingredients starting with the sweetest. After dicing, smear sugar on the fruits and put them in a container. This step should be taken quickly to prevent the loss of essential substances. Fruits that are difficult to dice like grapes and strawberries may be slightly crunched with clean fingers.Use half of the sugar while dicing and pour the remaining half after all of the fruits have been diced and placed in the container.Slowly stir the mixture of diced fruits and sugar, about 2 to 3 times with a wooden stick. Since temperature plays an important role in this process, stir the mixture with fewer strokes in summer and with more strokes in winter.Cover with porous paper and tie to the container. Porous paper allows a good amount of air supply.Let the mixture ferment. During summer, fermentation completes in 4 to 5 days. In winter the process takes 7 to 8 days.After fermentation, sprinkle some more sugar on the mixture and store in a cool and shaded place. It is normal, that some sugar can still be found on the surface.
WHEN AND HOW TO USE FFJChangeover period: During this period, crops require ample amounts of phosphoric acid. Acid from FFJs of less ripe fruits is good such as those from Grape, Papaya, Mulberry or Raspberry.Reproductive growth: FPJs made from fully ripened fruits of apple, banana, mango, papaya, peach, and grape are useful to supply the calcium demand of crops at this stage.After the Changeover period of crops, they are applied with FFJ that has been diluted in 1:1000 ratio in water.Spray it to chicken housing, vegetables, orchard for protection against diseases.Plant activation enzyme is an indispensable material in Natural Farming. Activation enzyme enables used main.resources to be utilized in various application such as enzyme feed, enzyme fertilizers.It is an excellent output for re-energizing crops and livestock.Note: When big bubbles pop during the fermentation process, it means the power of enzyme is weak, and when tiny bubbles fiercely boil at once, it means power of enzyme is strong.
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