Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO)

当你生活在一个每个医生办公室的墙上都挂着洗手液、“细菌”或“真菌”会引起恐惧的世界里，你很难与微生物建立共生关系。直到我在常青州立学院(Evergreen State College)上了一堂土壤科学课，在那里我接触到了一个关于真菌的故事，我的观点才发生了改变。

The story was about the first land pioneering algae, which would not have survived without a symbiotic relationship to an aquatic fungus namedChytrids.The Chytrid found nutrients from the terrestrial environment that were supplying nutrition for the algae. In exchange, the algae created sugar from the sun using photosynthesis. This new symbiotic organism,now called Lichen, pioneered the way for all plant life on land.

This idea that fungi can live symbiotically with any organism, let alone set the foundation for life on land, shifted a paradigm in my mind. A deep gratitude and curious excitement for microbes bubbled inside me. Eventually, this excitement led to my discovery of integrating beneficial micro-organisms into farms or gardens through Korean Natural Farming, and more specifically the cultivation of Indigenous Microorganisms.

Korean Natural Farming And Indigenous Microorganisms

Korean Natural Farming is a type of farming founded byCho Han-Kyuin the 1960’s that focuses on the natural biological systems in soil. Natural Farming utilizes self-made microorganisms and nutrient solutions to maintain healthy microbes, enabling the growth of healthy plants.

One of the key components of Korean Natural Farming is the collection and replication of Indigenous Microorganisms, or IMO. IMO are the microorganisms that have been adapting and surviving within the native soil environments throughout the years. The organisms that primarily make up IMO are beneficial fungi, bacteria, and yeasts.

从事自然耕作的人们从当地未受干扰的生态系统中培育出各种最健壮的IMO，这些生态系统具有生物活性。Cho Han-kyu创造的IMO工艺满足了所需的土壤条件。随着IMO技术的发展，韩国自然农业为农民提供了自制植物、动物和矿物溶液的配方。这些溶液用于喂养和维持有益微生物的高种群。

The Indigenous Microorganism Process

Collection

It is important to collect IMO from not only the closest and most similar area to that of your land, but from an area that is also very biologically active. The best place to start is any undisturbed leaf litter that could activate the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms.

After a site is found, a box made from plant material or wood is filled with rice and placed in the location. It is important to make your box visible so you can see the growth of white strands called mycelium. The box then gives the microbes a home as they feed on the rice. This collection phase is finished once vibrant white mycelium completely covers the rice and weaves through all the grains to make a single mass.

A Closer Look At Beneficial Microorganisms

It can be difficult to tell if the collected IMO are beneficial, but there are some signs to initially look for. The indications of good IMO are a lack of bad odors, a predominantly white mass (not red or black), and mycelium that can hold all the grains of rice into one mass. Although, keep in mind that you will never know for sure until you look through a microscope.

Related Post:Mycelium Guide

A microscope is an essential tool for anyone using a microbial inoculant (homemade or bought). It is important to be 100% positive you have collected the right fungi to be successful.

When we put the IMO under a 400x microscope, we can see the fungi collected.

有益的真菌菌株会呈现棕色，这是由于它们内部存在植物性腐殖酸和富里酸。相比之下，致病性菌株的颜色会很清晰。有益微生物的厚度超过3.5微米，它们的身体节段是直的。在我们的IMO中看到这些生物的高存在是一个简单的方法来知道正确的类型已经收集。

Drying The Microbes

然后加入与收集到的微生物重量相等的干红糖，使微生物进入休眠状态。红糖通过吸收水分子把微生物体内所有的水都吸走。这些微生物形成孢子状，并通过失去水分而休眠。这个干燥过程被称为IMO 2，它能使孢子在货架上稳定至少两年。

Before moving on to the next step, a way to guarantee a wide range of microbe diversity is by collecting IMO from different environments. Good places to collect IMO are the undisturbed decaying plant matter of forests under broad-leafed trees, bamboo patches, grasslands/prairies, perennial shrubs, and other areas with beneficial fungi. A leaf littered environment with a sweet smell is usually a good spot to collect IMO.

When collecting IMO, avoid conifer trees and try to go somewhere with a higher elevation than your garden. Conifer trees tend to be too acidic for a garden and the harsher environment of higher elevations will make the IMO more likely to survive in your garden.

Composting

该过程的下三个阶段涉及到具体的堆肥方法，以进一步建立国际海事组织。IMO介绍了碳水化合物来源，碳源和其他自然农业解决方案。这些其他的解决方案提供食物、药物和其他微生物，以特定的营养调节这一过程。受控制的环境使农民能够在不增加不需要的微生物的情况下增加所需的微生物数量。

Related Post:Kitchen Compost Bin Options

The farmer then combines the soil from their garden to the pile of microorganisms to adapt and train the IMO for specific conditions. Drake Weinert and Chris Trump go into further detail about the methods and proper approach to Natural Farming in the videos below.

Benefits Of Indigenous Microorganisms

When we have established a range of IMO into the soil by feeding them Natural Farming solutions, the bodies of the microbes will become our fertilizer. The solutions give the plants the ability tocontrol and select the particular microbes它们的根系需要这些物质。这种选择是通过植物从根部释放分泌物来完成的，这些分泌物会喂养和吸引特定的微生物。

Once the plant has attracted the specific fungi or bacteria they desire, larger microorganisms, like protozoa and nematodes, naturally come to graze on the bacteria/fungi. These larger organisms consequently excrete the bacteria/fungi in a water soluble form at the plant’s roots, where the plant will absorb the nutrient-rich waste.

此外，其他种类的真菌会将它们宽大的菌丝网直接连接到植物的根部，就像它们是一个有机体一样。这样，植物就可以控制，并可以直接与微生物沟通，以获得适量的营养。这个系统比依靠人类猜测和化肥来完成所有工作要好。

The established IMO will then increase the plant’s resistance, even providing a cure in come cases, to fungal and bacterial diseases. Beneficial fungi found in IMO willregulate pathogenic organismsin your soil through their hyphae, and release anti-bacterial/fungal substances to keep pathogenic organisms in check. Natural Farmers like Chris Trump, a large-scale macadamia nut farmer, used IMO and other Natural Farming inputs to save hundreds of acres of severely diseased trees. His success story is one of many resulting from natural farming and IMO.

Along with disease prevention and increased fertility, IMO provides correct aeration, water retention, and the growth of fewer weeds. These benefits all come with the re-introduction of beneficial aerobic fungi grown in IMO into our soil.

Other Uses On The Farm

与国际海事组织的疾病预防概念同样适用于控制动物围栏的气味。当钢笔接种了IMO后，微生物会在病原微生物之前在粪便中找到一个家。致病微生物的减少会减少或消除异味。如果IMO是正确的，在猪一直排泄废物的地方，一把床上用品将闻起来像丰富的森林地面，并防止苍蝇。

The Current State

构成化石燃料的碳氢化合物主要由含有少量重金属的碳分子构成。这些重金属是铅、汞、镍、锡、镉、锑和砷。

当这些元素以指数级的速度燃烧并释放到大气中，它们覆盖了整个地球的表面，而且每天的数量都在增加。化石燃料的燃烧，以及杀虫剂、除草剂和杀菌剂的使用，为病原生物的接管创造了完美的环境。一旦毒素杀死有益生物，病原生物就能以有益生物的食物来源为食。当病原体数量增长到足够大时，它们将以健康的树木、植物和动物为食。2022欧洲杯葡萄牙vs德国

The rapid death of forests around the world from fungal diseases is an example of accumulating pathogenic organisms. Often, the weakened immune system of the trees is caused by human pollution and climate change.

不幸的是，大多数人使用更多的杀虫剂、除草剂和杀菌剂来对付疾病肆虐的森林本身。虽然使用这些化学物质的社会惯例被证明是无效的，但韩国自然农业可以解决这个问题。In Natural Farming, the growerspartner with the microbialworld through maintaining healthy biology. This system can clean up poisons, re-fertilize soil, and ensure a safe environment for future generations.

Concluding Thoughts

The introduction of IMO to a farm or garden can have huge uses in the bioremediation of polluted land. Fungi have some of the most powerful enzymes known on earth and are experts in breaking down organic and inorganic material. Potentially, the introduction of beneficial native fungi selected with powerful enzymes could result in breaking down chemicals that are poisonous and scarring the earth. In fact, modern science is having a hard time comprehending fungi’s ability to break down toxic compounds because humans can’t create a controlled environment to watch them.

真菌和其他有益微生物在过去能够使地球上的土地适合像我们这样的生物居住，只要我们允许它们在我们的生态系统中发挥重要作用，它们将继续这样做。

Today’s Homestead Story about Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) was written by Adam McWilliams. Adam lives on a farm in Eastern Washington where he is co-farming three acres of organic vegetables and melons as well as working to make self-made fertilizers and microbial inoculants. In this post, Adam will share knowledge about Indigenous Microorganisms, a self-made microbial inoculant that utilizes species of beneficial fungi local to your bio-region.