S4ag Korean Natural Farming

---
name: s4ag-korean-natural-farming
description: "Make and apply KNF inputs — IMO, FPJ, OHN, LAB, WCA — to cut input costs and build biological fertility from what's already on your land. Use when the user asks about korean natural farming, indigenous microorganisms, fermented plant juice, or making their own fertiliser."
allowed-tools: [Read]
---

# Korean Natural Farming

Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is a preparation and application system that builds biological fertility using materials already on or near your land. The goal is to progressively replace purchased inputs — fertilisers, inoculants, tonics — with homemade ferments and cultivated microorganisms that cost almost nothing to produce. KNF works whether you are farming conventionally or regeneratively: the preparations feed the biology without requiring a whole-system change first. Start with one preparation, see the results, and add the next.

**How this skill works:** Each sub-tool pauses at a **Checkpoint** to confirm the assumptions it is about to build on before producing output. A recommendation built on a wrong assumption wastes time and money — confirm the checkpoint before acting. Each sub-tool ends with **Next steps** — the skills worth running once you have acted on this one.

---

## Expert Lineage

*The thinkers whose frameworks underpin this skill — and what they specifically discovered that changes how you farm.*

**Cho Han-kyu — Founder of Korean Natural Farming**
Cho developed the KNF system in 1960s South Korea as a direct response to the damage he observed from chemical agriculture on rural communities and soil. His core insight was that every farmer's land and locality already contains the microbial populations needed for fertility — they only need to be cultivated and concentrated. He trained over 18,000 practitioners globally through the Global Village Natural Farming Research Institute. The practical implication: your forest floor, your grain, your weeds are all inputs. You do not need to buy biology.

**Elaine Ingham — Soil Food Web**
Ingham's mapping of the complete trophic structure of living soil explains precisely why KNF works. IMO cultivation is a direct delivery of Ingham's principle that bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes do the nutrient cycling work — not synthetic chemicals. Her finding that soluble synthetic fertilisers bypass and slowly collapse the food web is the scientific argument for KNF's transition logic: replace purchased inputs with biological ones, and the food web recovers. The practical implication: KNF preparations are not substitutes for fertiliser — they are investments in the system that makes fertiliser unnecessary.

**Chris Trump — Western KNF Adaptation**
Trump is the primary practitioner who adapted KNF methodology for temperate Western climates. His contribution is the translation of Cho's protocols — developed in tropical and subtropical Korea — into climates with harder winters, different forest ecologies, and different weed communities. He documented that the biological principles are universal even when the specific materials change. The practical implication: you can run a full KNF system in a cold-climate farm with locally available equivalents for every preparation.

**Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis — The Rhizosphere**
Their framework establishes that 90% of soil biological activity occurs in the millimetres immediately surrounding plant roots — the rhizosphere. Each plant species selects specific bacteria and fungi through root exudate chemistry. This explains why KNF's Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ) made from local weeds and crop residues feeds the specific biology your crops need: the plants and the microorganisms co-evolved in the same landscape. The practical implication: use local plants to make FPJ, not generic species — the microbial match is better.

**Masanobu Fukuoka — Natural Farming Philosophy**
Fukuoka's *One-Straw Revolution* established the foundational philosophy that KNF draws on: natural systems are self-sufficient, and farming intervention should work with rather than against them. His specific finding — that bare soil and external inputs create dependency cycles rather than fertility — is the theoretical basis for IMO cultivation. The practical implication: the goal of KNF is not a better input; it is a farm that needs fewer and fewer inputs over time as the biological system recovers.

---

## Which tool fits

| You need to... | Tool |
|---|---|
| Collect and cultivate Indigenous Microorganisms from your land | imo-cultivation |
| Make Fermented Plant Juice, OHN, Fish Fertiliser, or Water-Soluble Calcium | fermented-inputs |
| Make and use Lactic Acid Bacteria serum | lactic-acid-bacteria |
| Know which preparation to apply, when, and at what stage | application-timing |
| Work out whether KNF saves money vs. your current inputs | cost-analysis |

## Routing Decision

- **Starting from scratch, never made a KNF preparation** → lactic-acid-bacteria (lowest barrier, takes 7 days, immediate visible results)
- **Want to reduce purchased fertiliser costs this season** → fermented-inputs (FPJ first, then OHN)
- **Want to rebuild soil biology from the ground up** → imo-cultivation (the highest-leverage biological intervention)
- **Already making some preparations, unsure what to apply when** → application-timing
- **Trying to convince yourself or someone else the cost reduction is real** → cost-analysis
- **Unclear** → start with lactic-acid-bacteria; it demonstrates the principle at minimal cost and effort

---

## IMO Cultivation

*Captures, multiplies, and applies the Indigenous Microorganisms already present in your local forest or grassland ecology.*

IMO is the biological core of KNF. The four stages — IMO 1 through IMO 4 — move microorganisms from a wild collection site into your soil in a form that is adapted to your specific locality and crop system. The entire sequence takes 4–6 weeks the first time and produces an inoculant that costs approximately the price of rice and brown sugar.

### IMO 1: Collecting Wild Microorganisms

**What you need:** Uncooked white rice, a wooden or bamboo container (breathable, not plastic), cheese cloth or light cotton, a forest floor or undisturbed grassland within 1 km of your farm.

**Method:**
1. Fill a container halfway with cooked white rice, loosely packed. Let it cool completely — warm rice will kill the culture.
2. Cover with breathable cloth (not plastic). This allows gas exchange and spore entry.
3. Take the container to the most biodiverse undisturbed site you can access — ideally a forest floor with deep leaf litter, away from roads and spray drift.
4. Bury the container under 5–10 cm of leaf litter. Do not seal it. Mark the location.
5. Leave for 5–7 days in summer, 10–14 days in winter. Do not disturb.
6. Retrieve when a white/grey/golden mycelial mat covers the rice surface. Blue, green, or black mould indicates contamination — discard and restart.
7. Successful IMO 1 smells sweet-fermented, faintly earthy. Bad smell (putrid or sharp) means failure — the site may be too degraded. Try a different collection site.

**What you have:** A rice medium colonised with local bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes — the specific organisms adapted to your landscape.

### IMO 2: Multiplying the Culture

**What you need:** Collected IMO 1, brown sugar or raw cane sugar, glass jar with loose lid.

**Method:**
1. Weigh the collected IMO 1 rice. Add equal weight in brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
2. Transfer to a glass jar. Fill to about 60–70% capacity — the culture needs headspace.
3. Cover with cloth secured with a rubber band. Do not seal airtight — CO2 must escape.
4. Store at 15–30°C. Stir once daily for the first 3 days.
5. Ready in 5–7 days when the sugar has dissolved, the culture smells sweet-yeasty, and a stable liquid has formed. If stored correctly (below 10°C), IMO 2 keeps for 6–12 months.

**What you have:** A liquid biological concentrate — billions of diverse local microorganisms preserved in sugar solution, ready to multiply further.

### IMO 3: Moving into a Solid Carrier

**What you need:** IMO 2, wheat bran or rice bran (50 kg works well for a farm-scale batch), clean water, a large tub or concrete surface.

**Method:**
1. Mix IMO 2 into water at a ratio of 1:500 (1 ml IMO 2 per 500 ml water) — enough to dampen the bran without saturating it.
2. Spray this solution onto the bran, turning constantly, until it holds together when squeezed in a fist but is not dripping.
3. Mound into a pile, cover with hessian sacking or straw — not plastic.
4. Check temperature twice daily. Internal temperature should reach 40–50°C within 24–36 hours.
5. Turn when temperature exceeds 50°C to prevent overheating (above 60°C kills the culture).
6. After 3–5 days, the bran will have a white mycelial coating and smell sweet and earthy. This is ready.
7. Spread to dry before storage. Store in breathable bags in a cool, dry place. Shelf life: 3–6 months.

**What you have:** A storable solid inoculant — the bran is a carrier loaded with thriving local microorganisms ready to be applied to soil or compost.

### IMO 4: Applying to Soil or Compost

**What you need:** IMO 3, topsoil from your farm (same area where it will be applied), farm manure or compost materials, water.

**Method:**
1. Mix IMO 3 with an equal volume of topsoil from your field. Add farm manure if available.
2. Dampen to 60–65% moisture (squeeze test: holds shape, does not drip).
3. Mound and cover. Allow to ferment at ambient temperature for 7–14 days, checking temperature and turning as needed.
4. Apply directly to the field at 2–4 kg per 100m2, or incorporate into compost piles to accelerate decomposition.
5. Water in after application if conditions are dry.

**Food web note:** IMO 4 applied to soil is the direct biological equivalent of Ingham's compost inoculation — you are introducing billions of organisms adapted to your specific landscape into the root zone. Results are most visible in fields that have been under high synthetic input use, where the food web has been depleted.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Is there an accessible undisturbed forest floor or ungrazed grassland within practical distance of the farm? Heavily sprayed or degraded sites will yield contaminated or weak IMO 1.
- What is the ambient temperature during the cultivation period? Timelines shift significantly below 15°C or above 35°C.
- Is this for soil application, compost activation, or both? The IMO 4 protocol differs slightly by application.

Confirming the collection site quality before beginning prevents wasting a week on a failed IMO 1 batch. A contaminated culture cannot be rescued at a later stage.

**Output:**
```
IMO CULTIVATION PLAN
Collection site: [location and description — forest floor, undisturbed grassland, etc.]
Season/temperature: [current conditions]
Intended application: [soil drench / compost activation / both]

STAGE TIMELINE
IMO 1: Collect [date] → Retrieve [date] (5–14 days)
IMO 2: Begin [date] → Ready [date] (5–7 days)
IMO 3: Begin [date] → Ready [date] (3–5 days + drying)
IMO 4: Begin [date] → Apply [date] (7–14 days)
Total elapsed: [X weeks from collection to field application]

BATCH SIZE
Target area: [m2 or acres]
IMO 3 needed: [kg]
Bran needed: [kg]
IMO 2 needed: [litres]
Starting rice: [kg for IMO 1]

QUALITY INDICATORS TO WATCH
- IMO 1 success: white/grey/golden mycelial mat, sweet-earthy smell
- IMO 2 success: stable liquid, sweet-yeasty smell, dissolved sugar
- IMO 3 success: white coating on bran, no blue/green/black mould
- IMO 4 success: active heating, earthy smell, no putrid odour

APPLICATION RATE: [kg per 100m2 or per acre]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run application-timing (within this skill) to know when in the crop cycle to apply IMO 4 for maximum effect.
- `/s4ag-composting` — IMO 3 dramatically accelerates hot composting; apply IMO 3 at 2 kg per tonne of compost material.
- `/s4ag-soil` — run a biological assessment before and 12 months after IMO application to quantify food web recovery.

---

## Fermented Inputs

*Makes Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), Oriental Herbal Nutrients (OHN), Fish Fertiliser (FF), and Water-Soluble Calcium (WCA) — the four liquid preparations that replace most purchased fertility and tonic inputs.*

Each preparation addresses a different plant need. They are applied as foliar sprays or soil drenches, diluted in water, and timed to crop growth stages. Together they supply the main nutritional and biological signals that conventional systems supply with purchased inputs.

### Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

**What it does:** Delivers plant growth hormones, enzymes, and micronutrients in a bioavailable form. Stimulates vegetative growth and cell division. The plant material you use determines the specific chemistry — use vigorous local growth.

**What you need:** Fresh vigorous plant material (young weeds, comfrey, nettle, or young growth of the crop you are feeding), brown sugar or raw cane sugar, glass jar with loose lid.

**Best plant sources by goal:**

| Goal | Plant material |
|---|---|
| Vegetative growth | Comfrey, comfrey + nettle, young grass tips |
| Root development | Dandelion root, comfrey root, burdock root |
| Fruit set and ripening | Fruit pulp of the target crop at peak ripeness |
| General fertility | Mixed vigorous weeds collected before flowering |
| Brassica specific | Young kale or cabbage leaves |

**Method:**
1. Collect plant material early morning when sap pressure is highest. Collect before the plant has flowered — this is when growth hormones are most concentrated.
2. Chop roughly. Do not wash — you want the surface microorganisms.
3. Weigh. Add two-thirds of that weight in brown sugar. Mix thoroughly to coat all surfaces.
4. Pack tightly into a glass jar. Cover with a breathable cloth — not a lid. The material will weep liquid within hours.
5. Press down and keep submerged — a small weight helps. Do not let material surface above the liquid line.
6. Ready in 5–7 days when liquid is amber-golden, smells sweet-fermented, and all material has collapsed. Strain through cloth.
7. Store liquid in a cool dark place. Shelf life: 3–6 months. The pressed pulp goes into the compost.

**Application:** Dilute 1:500 in water (2 ml per litre). Apply as foliar spray during vegetative growth stages, morning or evening. Can also be applied as a soil drench at the same dilution.

### Oriental Herbal Nutrients (OHN)

**What it does:** Acts as a biological activator and immune tonic for plants. Derived from aromatic herbs with strong antimicrobial and antifungal properties — applied at low rates, it stimulates natural plant defence mechanisms without suppressing beneficial organisms. OHN is the KNF preparation that most directly replaces purchased plant tonics and some fungicide inputs.

**What you need:** Fresh garlic, ginger root, licorice root (or angelica as substitute), cinnamon bark, brown sugar, ethanol (rice wine, vodka, or farm-made spirits at 25%+ alcohol).

**Method:**
1. Finely chop or grate 100g each of garlic, ginger, and licorice root.
2. Add 100g brown sugar. Mix and pack into a jar. Cover with cloth, leave 3 days.
3. Add 200–300ml of alcohol. Mix well.
4. Leave for 7 days, stirring daily. The alcohol extracts the aromatic compounds.
5. Strain. Store in a sealed dark bottle. Shelf life: 12+ months.
6. Add a small piece of cinnamon bark to the strained liquid — it continues to infuse.

**Application:** Dilute 1:1,000 in water (1 ml per litre). Use as a foliar spray when disease pressure is building, at transplanting for stress reduction, or mixed with FPJ for a combined vegetative tonic.

### Fish Fertiliser (FF)

**What it does:** High-nitrogen tonic that feeds the soil food web as much as the plant. Unlike conventional fish emulsion (which is processed and partially denatured), KNF fish fertiliser is a full-spectrum fermented fish product that retains amino acids, enzymes, and biological activity.

**What you need:** Fresh fish scraps (whole fish, offcuts, or heads and bones), brown sugar, a large container with a loose lid, 3–6 months of patience.

**Method:**
1. Pack alternating layers of fish and brown sugar (equal weights) into a sealed container.
2. Seal, but allow gas to escape — use an airlock or a loose lid weighted down.
3. Leave at ambient temperature for 3–6 months (longer in cold conditions).
4. When fully fermented, strain the liquid. It should be dark, smell strongly fermented but not putrid.
5. Apply at 1:1,000 dilution as soil drench during vegetative and early reproductive stages.
6. Do not apply as foliar spray — the odour attracts pests and the proteins can burn leaves.

**Note for conventional farmers:** If waiting 3–6 months is not practical, commercial fish hydrolysate (cold-processed, not heat-processed) is the closest substitute. Heat-processed fish emulsion has lower biological activity.

### Water-Soluble Calcium (WCA)

**What it does:** Provides highly bioavailable calcium and phosphorus to support cell wall strength, fruit quality, and structural integrity. Conventional calcium inputs (lime, gypsum) are slow to mineralise — WCA delivers calcium in a form the plant can use within days. Particularly valuable at fruit set and through ripening.

**What you need:** Clean eggshells or oyster shells, brown rice vinegar (or any 5–8% acidity vinegar).

**Method:**
1. Collect eggshells or oyster shells. Rinse briefly, then roast in a dry pan over high heat for 5–10 minutes until lightly browned — this makes the calcium easier to dissolve.
2. Cool completely. Place in a glass jar.
3. Pour vinegar over shells at a ratio of approximately 10:1 (10 parts vinegar to 1 part shells by weight).
4. Cover loosely — it will fizz actively for the first 24 hours as the vinegar dissolves the calcium carbonate.
5. Leave for 5–7 days until fizzing stops and shells are mostly dissolved.
6. Strain. Store the liquid in a sealed glass bottle. Shelf life: 12 months or longer.

**Application:** Dilute 1:1,000 in water. Apply as foliar spray during fruit development and ripening stages. Can be combined with FPJ of fruit crop material for a combined ripening tonic.

**Food web note across all four preparations:** Every preparation in this section is delivering nutrients in a form that either directly feeds soil biology (FF as a bacterial food source) or bypasses the food web into the plant without harming it (FPJ, WCA as foliar sprays). This is the contrast with soluble synthetic fertilisers, which feed the crop while depleting the biology that could feed the crop for free.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Which preparations are being made — all four, or one or two to start? Prioritise FPJ as the starting point: lowest material cost, fastest results, broadest applicability.
- What plants are available locally for FPJ? Vigorous weeds, comfrey, and crop volunteers are ideal. If the landscape is heavily sprayed, avoid roadside and spray-drift-affected material.
- What growth stage are the target crops currently at? This determines which preparation to prioritise — FPJ for vegetative, WCA for fruiting, FF for soil building between crops.

Confirming the growth stage before recommending a preparation prevents applying a ripening input to a crop still in vegetative growth, or a high-nitrogen preparation at fruit set when it promotes leaf at the expense of fruit.

**Output:**
```
FERMENTED INPUT PRODUCTION PLAN

PREPARATIONS TO MAKE
[ ] FPJ — Target plant: [species], Collection date: [date], Ready by: [date + 7 days]
[ ] OHN — Ingredients needed: garlic, ginger, licorice/angelica, cinnamon, alcohol
[ ] Fish Fertiliser — Start date: [date], Ready: [date + 3–6 months] / Commercial substitute: [product]
[ ] WCA — Shell source: [eggs/oyster], Start date: [date], Ready by: [date + 7 days]

APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Crop: [crop name]
Current stage: [vegetative/reproductive/ripening]
Next application: [preparation] at 1:[dilution] on [date]
Method: [foliar/soil drench]

MATERIALS SHOPPING LIST
- Brown sugar: [kg needed across all preparations]
- Glass jars: [quantity and size]
- Plant material: [species and quantity]
- Vinegar (for WCA): [litres]
- Alcohol (for OHN): [litres]

NOTES: [site-specific substitutions or limitations]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run application-timing (within this skill) to map these preparations onto a full crop growth stage calendar.
- `/s4ag-composting` — FPJ pulp and fish fertiliser solids are high-quality compost activators; do not discard.
- Run cost-analysis (within this skill) to calculate input cost savings against current purchased-input spend.

---

## Lactic Acid Bacteria

*Makes and applies LAB serum — the entry point preparation for every KNF system.*

LAB serum is the fastest, cheapest, and most accessible KNF preparation to make. The method uses washed rice water and milk — two materials available anywhere. LAB serum establishes a population of lactic acid bacteria in the soil and on plant surfaces that suppresses pathogens, improves nutrient availability, and accelerates organic matter decomposition. If a farmer makes only one KNF preparation, this is the one to start with.

### Making LAB Serum: Stage 1 (Rice Wash Culture)

**What you need:** Uncooked rice, clean water, a jar, cloth or paper to cover loosely.

**Method:**
1. Place a handful of uncooked rice in a jar. Add 1–2 cups of clean (non-chlorinated) water. Swirl vigorously for 30–60 seconds to wash starch and surface organisms off the rice.
2. Strain the rice, keeping the cloudy wash water.
3. Pour the cloudy rice water into a clean jar. Fill to about 60–70% capacity.
4. Cover with breathable cloth (not a lid — it needs airflow). Leave at room temperature.
5. After 3–5 days, a distinct, slightly sour smell develops and the liquid may show light bubbling. This indicates a lactic acid bacterial culture has established.
6. Smell test: a clean sour smell (like yogurt or mild vinegar) means success. A putrid or rotten smell means failure — discard and restart with fresh rice and non-chlorinated water.

**Why this works:** Rice has abundant surface populations of Lactobacillus species, and the starchy wash water is the ideal selective medium — LAB thrive in starchy liquid environments; most competing organisms do not.

### Making LAB Serum: Stage 2 (Milk Concentration)

**What you need:** Successful Stage 1 rice wash, full-fat fresh milk (unpasteurised if available, otherwise standard milk works), a wide-mouth jar.

**Method:**
1. Mix rice wash liquid with 10x its volume of milk. If you have 200ml rice wash, add 2 litres of milk.
2. Mix gently and cover with breathable cloth.
3. Leave at 18–25°C undisturbed for 4–7 days. Do not stir.
4. After this period, the jar will show visible separation: a solid yellowish-white curd layer on top, a translucent or lightly yellow liquid beneath (LAB serum), and possibly a watery layer at the bottom.
5. Carefully remove the curd layer by hand or large spoon — this is high-quality protein-rich material for compost or animal feed.
6. The liquid beneath is your LAB serum. Strain through cloth and transfer to a sealed bottle.
7. Add 10% by volume of molasses or brown sugar — this is the preservative and energy source that keeps the LAB culture alive in storage. Without sugar, the serum will only last 2–3 days.
8. Stored below 10°C with sugar: shelf life 6–12 months.

**Quality indicators:**
- Good LAB serum: clear to slightly golden, clean sour smell, no visible mould.
- Failed batch: putrid smell, excessive blue/green mould on surface, grey-brown discolouration.

**Note on pasteurisation:** Unpasteurised milk contains more diverse LAB populations and produces faster cultures. Pasteurised milk works but takes 1–2 days longer at Stage 2.

### Applying LAB Serum

**Three primary uses:**

**1. Soil drench (plant health and pathogen suppression):**
Dilute 1:1,000 in non-chlorinated water (1ml per litre). Apply to the base of plants or as a broad soil drench after heavy rain, before planting, or when disease pressure is rising. Water in after application on dry soil.

**2. Foliar spray (surface pathogen suppression):**
Dilute 1:500 in water. Spray in the morning or evening, not in direct midday sun. Effective against early-stage fungal issues and as a preventive spray through high-humidity periods.

**3. Compost activator:**
Apply neat (undiluted) or diluted 1:100 to compost piles when turning. LAB accelerates breakdown of high-nitrogen materials, suppresses putrid anaerobic fermentation, and maintains aerobic compost conditions longer. A compost that smells wrong usually responds within 48 hours to a LAB serum application.

**4. Animal systems:**
Add to stock water at 1:1,000 for improved gut health and reduced pathogen load in poultry, pigs, or cattle water systems. This is a common first-use case for farmers who see immediate and observable results (reduced manure odour, improved feed conversion).

**Food web note:** Lactic acid bacteria are not a dominant component of Ingham's soil food web, but they are the starter culture that creates conditions for it. LAB suppress pathogenic organisms, process organic matter into bioavailable forms, and create the environmental conditions (mild acidity, reduced putrid fermentation) in which beneficial bacteria and fungi thrive. Think of LAB serum as clearing the way for the food web, not replacing it.

**Chlorinated water warning:** Tap water in most municipal systems contains chlorine that kills LAB. Always use non-chlorinated water for preparation and dilution. Options: rainwater, well water, or tap water left uncovered for 24 hours to off-gas chlorine. This is the most common failure point for new KNF practitioners.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- Is the available water chlorinated (municipal supply)? If yes, the practitioner needs to use rainwater or off-gas the chlorine first.
- What is the primary intended use — soil drench, foliar, compost activator, or animal systems? The dilution rate and timing change significantly by application.
- What temperature is the fermentation environment? Below 15°C, Stage 1 and 2 may take twice as long and produce weaker cultures.

Confirming the water source is the single most important variable — a chlorinated water source will produce a failed culture at every stage and the cause is invisible without asking.

**Output:**
```
LAB SERUM PRODUCTION LOG

STAGE 1 — RICE WASH CULTURE
Water source: [rain / well / tap (off-gassed)]
Start date: [date]
Expected completion: [date + 3–5 days]
Success indicator: [clean sour smell, light bubbling]

STAGE 2 — MILK CONCENTRATION
Milk type: [raw / pasteurised]
Ratio used: [ml rice wash] : [litres milk]
Start date: [date]
Expected completion: [date + 4–7 days]
Preservative added: [g molasses or brown sugar] = 10% of [final volume] ml

FINAL VOLUME: [litres]
STORAGE: [cool/dark location, below 10°C]
SHELF LIFE: [date if stored correctly]

APPLICATION PLAN
Primary use: [soil drench / foliar / compost / animal water]
Dilution: [1:1,000 / 1:500 / 1:100]
Target crops/area: [description]
First application date: [date]
Frequency: [weekly / fortnightly / as needed]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run fermented-inputs (within this skill) to add FPJ as the second preparation once LAB is established.
- `/s4ag-composting` — LAB serum transforms a sluggish or smelly compost pile; apply at 1:100 when turning.
- `/s4ag-soil` — after 2–3 months of LAB drench applications, run a basic biological assessment to measure the food web response.

---

## Application Timing

*Matches KNF preparations to crop growth stages so inputs are applied when they have maximum effect.*

A preparation applied at the wrong stage is wasted. KNF inputs are timed to the plant's internal signalling — the crop is demanding different biochemistry at germination, at flowering, and at fruit set. Applying a high-nitrogen ferment during fruit development pushes vegetative growth at the expense of fruit. Getting timing right is where KNF moves from interesting to economically significant.

### Crop Stage Framework

| Stage | What the plant is doing | Priority preparation | Secondary preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed germination / emergence | Cell division, root establishment | LAB serum (soil drench) | IMO 4 (soil inoculation) |
| Early vegetative | Leaf expansion, structural growth | FPJ (vegetative species) | OHN (tonic) |
| Active vegetative / canopy closure | Maximum photosynthesis | FPJ + OHN combined | Fish Fertiliser (soil drench) |
| Transplant stress | Recovery, root re-establishment | OHN (stress reduction) | LAB serum (pathogen suppression) |
| Flower initiation | Transition from vegetative to reproductive | WCA (cell wall strength) | Reduce FPJ |
| Flowering | Pollination, petal and seed formation | WCA + OHN | LAB serum (foliar, pathogen suppression) |
| Fruit set | Cell multiplication in fruit | WCA + FPJ (fruit pulp) | Fish Fertiliser (low-rate soil drench) |
| Fruit development / fill | Sugar and dry matter accumulation | WCA + FPJ (fruit pulp) | OHN |
| Ripening | Sugar concentration, colour, flavour | WCA (low rate) | Stop high-nitrogen inputs |
| Post-harvest / soil recovery | Residue decomposition, biology rebuild | IMO 4 + LAB serum | FPJ (post-harvest weeds as biomass) |

### Dilution Reference Table

| Preparation | Foliar dilution | Soil drench dilution | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| FPJ | 1:500 | 1:500 | Every 7–10 days during active growth |
| OHN | 1:1,000 | 1:1,000 | Every 10–14 days, or at stress events |
| Fish Fertiliser | Not recommended | 1:1,000 | Monthly during vegetative stages |
| WCA | 1:1,000 | 1:1,000 | Every 7–10 days from flower initiation |
| LAB serum | 1:500 | 1:1,000 | Weekly preventive or at pathogen pressure |
| IMO 4 | Not applicable | Solid application | Pre-plant and post-harvest |

### Combination Sprays

Preparations can be mixed at point of use and applied in a single pass:
- **Vegetative tonic:** FPJ (1:500) + OHN (1:1,000) + LAB serum (1:1,000) in the same tank.
- **Fruiting support:** WCA (1:1,000) + OHN (1:1,000) — compatible in the same tank.
- **Root establishment at transplant:** OHN (1:1,000) + LAB serum (1:1,000) as a root-zone drench.
- **Do not mix:** Fish Fertiliser with foliar sprays — odour attracts pests. Apply fish as a separate soil drench.

### Seasonal Application Notes

**High rainfall periods:** Increase LAB serum frequency. Wet soil is high-risk for anaerobic pathogen pressure. Apply IMO 4 ahead of heavy rain periods to establish a competing microbial population.

**Drought stress:** OHN increases plant stress tolerance. Apply at early signs of drought stress, not after the plant is already severely wilted.

**Post-crop-failure or disease event:** Full reset — IMO 4 soil application, LAB serum drench, and let soil rest with a cover crop before replanting.

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- What crop species is this for, and what growth stage is it currently at? The stage drives every timing recommendation in this table.
- Which preparations have already been made and are available? Timing recommendations are only useful if the preparation exists.
- Is there existing pest or disease pressure, or is this a preventive programme? Active disease pressure changes the priority (LAB and OHN first; FPJ can wait).

Confirming the current growth stage before scheduling applications prevents the most common KNF mistake — applying vegetative-stage inputs during fruiting and triggering excessive leaf growth that reduces harvest quality.

**Output:**
```
KNF APPLICATION SCHEDULE
Crop: [species]
Current stage: [stage]
Preparations available: [list available preparations]

UPCOMING APPLICATION WINDOWS
[date/week]: [preparation] at [dilution] via [method] — [reason/stage]
[date/week]: [preparation] at [dilution] via [method] — [reason/stage]
[date/week]: [preparation] at [dilution] via [method] — [reason/stage]

COMBINATION SPRAY FOR THIS STAGE: [preparation] + [preparation] at [dilution]
APPLICATION TIME: Morning or evening, not midday
TANK MIXTURE: [compatible combinations listed]

WATCH FOR:
- [response to monitor — leaf colour, growth rate, disease signs]
- [adjust if ...]
```

**Next steps:**
- Run imo-cultivation (within this skill) if you do not yet have IMO 4 for the pre-plant and post-harvest applications.
- `/s4ag-seasons` — integrate this application schedule into the full year-round farm calendar.
- `/s4ag-pests` — if disease pressure is driving the timing decision, layer in an IPM assessment alongside KNF applications.

---

## Cost Analysis

*Calculates how much KNF preparations cost to make, how they compare to equivalent purchased inputs, and what the payback period looks like.*

The cost reduction argument is KNF's strongest entry point for conventional farmers. The preparations are cheap to make. The primary cost is time — and that cost front-loads into the first season, then drops sharply as systems, materials, and recipes are established. This sub-tool structures an honest cost comparison.

### Step 1: List Current Purchased Inputs

Map what is currently being purchased and at what annual cost:

| Input category | Current product | Annual quantity | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen fertiliser | [product] | [units] | [£/$] |
| Micronutrient tonic | [product] | [units] | [£/$] |
| Biological inoculant | [product] | [units] | [£/$] |
| Fungicide / disease tonic | [product] | [units] | [£/$] |
| Fish emulsion / amino acid | [product] | [units] | [£/$] |
| **Total purchased inputs** | | | [£/$] |

### Step 2: Map KNF Equivalents

| KNF preparation | Replaces (primarily) | Material cost per batch | Yield per batch | Annual material cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPJ | Foliar micronutrient/tonic | ~£5–10 sugar + local plants | 10–20 litres concentrate | £15–40/year |
| OHN | Biological tonic/plant immune activator | ~£10–20 herbs + alcohol | 2–5 litres concentrate | £20–50/year |
| Fish Fertiliser | Fish emulsion / amino acid | ~£5–15 fish scraps + sugar | 10–20 litres concentrate | £10–30/year |
| WCA | Calcium tonic | ~£2–5 eggshells + vinegar | 2–5 litres concentrate | £5–15/year |
| LAB serum | Biological inoculant / pathogen suppression | ~£3–8 rice + milk | 10–20 litres concentrate | £10–25/year |
| IMO 1–4 | Biological inoculant (soil) | ~£10–20 rice + bran + sugar | Per 100m2 batch | £20–50/year |
| **Total KNF material cost** | | | | **£80–210/year** |

Figures above are indicative for a smallholder operation (1–5 ha). Scale up proportionally for larger farms, but note that material cost per litre of concentrate decreases at scale.

### Step 3: Factor in Time Cost

First year: estimate 15–25 hours of additional learning, setup, and preparation time.
Subsequent years: 5–10 hours per year once systems are established.

At a farm labour rate of £12–20/hour, first-year time cost: £180–500. Year 2 onwards: £60–200.

### Step 4: Calculate Net Saving

```
Annual purchased input cost before KNF:   [£/$]
Annual KNF material cost:                 [£/$]
Gross saving on materials:                [£/$]
Year 1 time cost:                         [£/$]
Net Year 1 saving/(cost):                 [£/$]
Net Year 2+ annual saving:                [£/$]
Payback period:                           [usually Year 2 or early Year 3]
```

### Step 5: Yield and Quality Effects

The cost comparison above does not capture the biological recovery benefit over time. Farms that replace purchased inputs with KNF over 3–5 years typically report:
- Reduced pest and disease intervention costs (improved plant health)
- Improved produce quality (flavour, shelf life, nutritional density)
- Reduced or eliminated fertiliser dependency as soil food web recovers

These are real financial benefits but they are difficult to project. Present them as upside potential rather than guaranteed savings.

### Realistic Transition Timeline

| Year | Recommended action | Approximate saving |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Introduce LAB serum and FPJ; continue all other inputs | 10–20% of total input cost |
| Year 2 | Add OHN and WCA; begin reducing purchased tonics | 25–40% of total input cost |
| Year 3 | Full KNF suite including IMO; reduce purchased fertility | 40–60% of total input cost |
| Year 4+ | Progressively reduce remaining purchased inputs as biology recovers | 60–80%+ of total input cost |

**Checkpoint — confirm before finalising:**
- What is the farm's current annual purchased input budget? Without this figure, the comparison is a guess.
- How much labour is available for preparation? A sole operator with no hired help has a different time-cost calculation than a farm with casual labour.
- What crops and acreage is this calculation for? KNF is most cost-effective at small-to-medium horticultural scale; the economics look different for broadacre grain farming.

Confirming the current input budget and farm scale first produces a cost analysis that is useful for an investment decision, not just an interesting comparison.

**Output:**
```
KNF COST ANALYSIS
Farm size: [ha/acres]
Crop system: [description]

CURRENT INPUT COST (annual)
[Category]: [product] — [quantity] — [£/$]
Total annual spend: [£/$]

KNF REPLACEMENT COST (annual)
Materials only: [£/$]
Year 1 time cost: [hours] x [£/hr] = [£/$]
Year 2+ time cost: [hours] x [£/hr] = [£/$]

NET SAVING PROJECTION
Year 1 net: [£/$] ([%] reduction)
Year 2 net: [£/$] ([%] reduction)
Year 3 net: [£/$] ([%] reduction)
Payback point: [Year X]

RECOMMENDED TRANSITION SEQUENCE
Start with: [preparation — lowest barrier for this farm]
Add next: [preparation]
Full system by: [estimated timeframe]

CAVEATS
- [any farm-specific factors that affect the calculation]
```

**Next steps:**
- `/s4ag-finance` — integrate input cost savings into the whole-farm enterprise budget to understand the full financial picture.
- Run imo-cultivation (within this skill) to begin the highest-value biological investment now that the cost case is clear.
- `/s4ag-regenerative` — if the cost analysis shows KNF can replace most purchased inputs, the farm is ready to consider a full transition plan.