Natural Farming: The Development of Indigenous Microorganisms Using Korean Natural Farming Methods

A. Keliikuli, K. Smith, Y. Li, and C.N. Lee, February, 2019. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai'i.

Korean natural farming is a self-sufficient farming system that involves the culturing of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) – bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa – in place of inorganic fertilizers to produce fertile soil. The culturing and nurturing of indigenous microorganisms is discussed in this publication. Following the guidelines documented in Cho’s Natural Farming, this publication outlines the protocol, materials, and methods used to culture IMO on a 5-acre farm located in Makaha, Hawai‘i (2010). 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. In addition, an attempt to quantify the related costs was made to provide some guidance for interested parties.