Korean Natural Farming (KNF) known in Korean as Hanguk Shik Jayeonnungpap (Korean: 한국식 자연농법; pronounced [han.kuk̚ sʰik̚ dza.yʌn.nuŋ.pap]) is an organic agricultural method that takes advantage of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) (bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa) to produce rich soil that yields high output without the use of herbicides or pesticides. KNF emphasizes self-sufficiency by limiting external inputs and relying on recycled farm waste to produce biologically active inputs. While this practice has grown in popularity, scientific evidence of the benefits of KNF is relatively limited.
History Hankyu Cho (1935~2025), born in 1935 in Suwon, Gyeonggi do, Korea, started the Korean Natural Farming method. He started to farm since he was 13 years old from his hometown, Suwon, South Korea. However, he felt it is not enough of learning so he decided to go to Suwon Agricultural High School to study more. Cho completed his high school education at the age of twenty-nine while still working on his family's farm. He went to high school at the late age due to the Korean War. He gave up on going to college because it was different from the farming methods he had learned from the nature, and wanted to learn together with like-minded friends. In 1961, he started a rural development movement with Byeong-gyu Kim led by Geongwoo Lee in Hyangnam, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and developed a farm in the Sanan (Yamagishi) style. To ensure the continuation of their collaboration, these three people held a joint wedding ceremony with their respective younger sisters. In 1965, he went to Japan for three years as an agriculture research student and studied the natural farming methods of the three teachers: Miyozo Yamagishi (Japanese: 山岸 巳代蔵), Kinshi Shibata (柴田 欣志) and Yasushi Oinoue (大井上 康).
Upon his return to Korea, Cho combined his newly acquired knowledge with traditional Korean farming methods and fermentation methods (e.g., as used in Korean foods such as kimchi) and gradually invented what is now called Korean natural farming. He put it into practice by setting up a "Labour-Saving Abundant Harvesting Study Group" in 1966. He opened the Natural Farming Life School and Research Farm in Goesan County, North Chungcheong Province, in 1995. He established the Evergreen Agricultural Association and became the president of the Korean Natural Farming Association in 1989. From 1992 onward, Cho contributed to the 21-part article in the "Modern Agriculture" magazine (Japanese: 現代農業), published in Japan. He also published The Natural Farming of Hankyu Cho in 1992 which was translated in several different languages. Cho published Saving Indigenous Microorganisms (Japanese edition) in 1993 and "Soil Must Live for the Table to Thrive" in 1994. He published Korean Natural Farming: Indigenous Microorganisms and Vital Power of Crop/Livestock by Hankyu Cho& Atsushi Koyama (English edition) in 1997. To spread Korean Natural Farming (KNF) overseas, he travelled to around 30 countries and people there call him "Master Cho". Cho published more two books afterward, All About Heavenly Green Juice (Japanese edition) in 1998 and Making Natural Farming Materials (Korean edition) in 2000. He spend his whole life on spearding his knowledge and help farmers. Hoon Park brought KNF to Hawaii from South Korea where, as a missionary, he noticed KNF commercial piggeries with virtually no odour. Based on Cho's activities, he received many awards and honors. Awarded the Sektap Industrial Medal, recipient of the Korea-Japan International Environmental Award (The Asian Environmental Awards), jointly established by the Chosun Ilbo and Japan's Mainishi Shimbun, awarded the Zhengzhou Friendship Award (China), the Jilin Province Friendship Award (China), the Excellent Foreign Expert Award by the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture (China) and Recopient The Dosan Education Award. In 2008, he renamed his natural farming school and lab to "Cho Han-kyu Global Village Natural Farming Research Institute", or Janong Natural Farming Institute. In 2019, Cho went to Perris (CA), Williams (OR), and Rochester (WA), the United States to meet his students and discuss about KNF.
Principles The fundamental insight of KNF is to strengthen the biological functions of each aspect of plant growth in order to increase the productivity and nutrition. Biology thereby reduces or eliminates the need for chemical interventions, whether to protect against predation or competition with other plants. For example, the metabolism of indigenous microorganisms (IMOs) produces complete proteins, while insects prefer incomplete proteins. . KNF avoids the use of manure, thereby reducing the chance of transferring pathogens from the manure back into the food production chain, although in nitrogen-poor conditions adding manure can increase yield.
Use the nutrients contained within the seeds Use indigenous microorganisms (IMO) Maximize inborn potential with fewer inputs Avoid commercial fertilizers Avoid tilling No use of livestock-waste
Indigenous microorganisms Potential benefits include increased rates of soil organic matter decomposition, increases in nutrient availability, improved plant yield, a reduction in pathogenic microorganisms and an increase in plant defenses. KNF uses aerobic microorganisms. Beneficial microorganisms can significantly suppress fungal pathogen activity in crops of mildly susceptible Rhododendron cultivars, but highly susceptible cultivars may even be harmed. IMOs can reduce initial yield losses when transitioning from conventional to organic farming, by accelerating soil recovery. Soils depleted by the use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides may have reduced soil microorganisms. A healthy rhizosphere contains some 7 million microorganisms per hectare. Its rhizome contains diverse species and a relatively small concentration of microorganisms that damage plant life and a relatively large amount of plant secretions. Mold constitutes 70–75%, bacteria 20–25% and small animals the rest. The microorganisms contain approximately 70 kg of carbon and 11 kg of nitrogen, similar to the amount of nitrogen typically applied as fertilizer.
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