Tuesday, October 05, 2010

IMO

In natural farming, Indigenous Micro Organism: IMO, is most important.  It multiplies bacteria fast.  That is, good bacteria :)  It balances the ecology of the bacteria needed to hasten the decomposition of organic matter in the soil.  It helps in feeding the soil to nurture back to life.  Good bacteria kills bad bacteria.  IMO is a community of friendly and good bacteria.

Doc Rey always repeats his anecdote that in school, they were taught to fight and kill the bad bacteria.  The good bacteria wasn't emphasized as having the qualities to go against the bad.  In using chemicals to kill the bad, we also kill the good :(

We wanted to rest this piece of land for some time, to rejuvenate and prepared for natural farming.  IMO was applied at intervals...you will know it has recovered when you see molds in your soil.  That is a sign that your soil is healthy, good and alive!  Bugs and insects are all around.  Spiders and their webs are welcome sightings.

How to make your IMO:

1) Place 1kg of cooked rice in a container.  We use a plastic one, those rectangular food keepers with covers, the size of a bond paper.  Cover.  

2) Set the plastic container in a cool dry place in an area where there are a lot of trees.  The idea of placing it in the outdoors, it attracts the good bacteria in the soil, that we mean to give back to the soil.

3) After 3days, check on it.  It will have developed molds on top of the rice.  White to yellowish is acceptable.  If your molds are predominantly black, get rid of it and start all over again.

4) Place the rice with the molds in a plastic pail and add 1kg molasses.

5) Cover the plastic pail with manila paper and secure by tying around the paper.  

6) Set the container in a cool dry place.  

7) Harvest the dark brown, mudlike liquid on the 7th day.

This harvested IMO is sprayed everywhere...fields, nooks and crannies, animal cages.  Soak feeders and waterers in this solution after washing, then let the supplies dry under the sun.

To use: 2Tablespoons per 1lt of water.  Easier to think in terms of backpack sprayer in this case, use 1 can IMO, the size of sardine cans.

You will be so excited to see the changes.  It is almost like the soil smiling back at you.  And the white amags on the ground...they are meeting to gang up on the bad guys.

40 comments:

  1. salamat for posting. will try this in our little farm and will let you know the results. best regards, Sunshine! :)
    Bittie, Weng, Silver and Golden

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  2. Oh Weng I love the Farmama! Bagay kay Naturella ahahhaha

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  3. Farmama, join the yahoo group: natural_farming_in_the_philippines. You will enjoy that group. Read also through the old site : natural_farming_hilippines

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  4. Kapag nagfeferment ba ng IMO o FPJ di po ba nilalamgam?

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  5. Pwede po bang iferment ang IMO at FPJ ng sabay sa isang malaking jar?

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  6. @ Leon, good questions!

    1) Hindi nga nilalanggam. I make my personal use of FPJ (pang inom ko) using coco sugar. Tama nga walang langgam. I wanted a technical answer and asked Doc Rey bakit hindi kaya nilalanggam ang fermented? ANG SAGOT NG VET: Kasi malagkit daw ang molasses. Parang mali sa utak ko :) Kasi matamis pa din. I understand why hindi kung nagstart na ang fermentation, kasi may alcohol na.

    2) Ferment separately, but when using it na, you may mix in your backpack sprayer :)

    Keep your questions coming.

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  7. Ganito na lang: Farmama meets Naturella! hahaha

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  8. @ Farmama, parang comedy na action na may slight horror!

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  9. kapag nakolekta at nailagay na sa bote ang IMO, FPJ di ba ito masisira pag sinarhan ang bote? sa observasyon ko kasi ang suka na galing sa tuba ng niyog, umaasim lang ito kung walang takip kapag tinakpan na nawawala na ang asim kasi namamatay na ang bakteryang nagpapaasim ng suka

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  10. @ Leon,

    on the contrary, active nga ang bacteria at pwedeng mag explode. dapat hwag masyadong puno, at hwag muna isikip ang takip para maka hinga muna

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  11. tama ka nga di nilalangam ay amoy alcohol na.... i rememember the good old days during highshool in our chemestry class when we fermented papaya and banana for wine making.....ang white broilers ba bumibigat ng up to 7 or more kilos tulad ng sunshine chickens?

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  12. @ Leon, we have never tried na palakihin because waste of time and effort on our side. Slaughtering a 7kgs chicken is not our market's need :)

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  13. pero what is the potential maximum size of these freeranged chickens? sa akin walang problema ang size the bigger the better i can disposed it in my eatery.

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  14. @ Leon magpapatabi ako ng ilang heads para makita.

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  15. i will be expecting that, thanks.

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  16. Leftover ba ng IMO sa backpack sprayer pwede pang gamitin next day?

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  17. @ Leon, wala kasi kaming leftover. Either you only dilute as needed...or....spray all :)

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  18. hi pwede din ba itong mga fermented juices (ohn, fpj, imo) sa goat farming? safe ba for a dairy goat?

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  19. @martbanalan, yes definitely...these concoctions are for all your farm animals and plants. FPJ and OHN good for us humans too :)

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  20. hi thank you sa reply. in organic livestock farming dapat bang may vaccination din sa mga farm animals or totally wala? please advice. cheers!

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  21. @martbandalan, ang bakuna naman ay mahinang bacteria di para maka develop ng immunity. Ang importante ay walang pag gamit ng anitbiotics, hormones and chemicals sa pag papalaki ng animals.

    Kami sa farm ay very lucky na malayo kami sa ibang manukan at walang outbreak sa area kaya hindi kami gumagamit ng bakuna.

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  22. hello po saan available ang molasses dito sa manila, pls advise. thank you

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    Replies
    1. binondo...ask the kalesa drivers saan sila bumibili

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    2. Sa Harbest nga pala meron din saka sa AANI

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  23. I am an organic farmer and had been more than 10 yrs. We have exotis tropical fruit trees in my farm in Calauan Laguna. I am interested in linking up with farmers like me to exchange ideas.

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    1. LIgaya, join the group page Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines on FB :)

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  24. Ang IMO ba ay pwedi ba sa fish pond?

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  25. ..good day! am a farmer from nueva ecija.. i understand pwede rin ang imo at fpj sa palay.. paano ito gagamitin, kailan at interval ng paggamit? maraming salamat...

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  26. hello maam solraya, yung pinagkuhanan ng IMO ba pwedeng ipakain sa aking mga alagang baboy o kambing pagkatapos ma extract yung juice?

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  27. I'm not from the Philippines, but I stumbled on your video on yt and think that your organic methods are simple and cost effective if they work as well as you say. I'd like to try them on my farm in Kenya when I go back there at the end of the yr. I'm excited at the prospect of the newfound ideas. I've been searching for simple and effective ways of controlling disease in livestock and crops. If you have any more ideas on bio methods of controlling plant pests and animal pests eg ticks pls let me know

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  28. Hello, My name is Ben. My Cousin and i will be starting an organic layer farm soon, that's why i'm researching on organic farming methods and am very lucky to have found sunshine chicken! :) the concoctions are very interesting and i can't wait to try them all :)just to clarify on the IMO, do i need to bury the plastic container in the soil or just put it on the soil? thanks :)

    Ben

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  29. ask ko lang po. meron po ba chance na mabuhay ang broilers. na hindi gumamagamit ng any kind na gamot like bakuna..?? kung baga po eh walang artificial na gagamitin puro galing bukid lang...???

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  30. paano po bng pag gawa ng lactic acid bacteria serum (LABS)?ano pong mga material n gagamitin?

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  31. i have tried making IMO atleast 70 times....i kept the rice box in different habitat also but the mold is predominated with black fungus..... what should i do to get pure white mold? help would be appreciated......

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  32. good day!

    ma'am, about neem tree if you have an idea about the local name nito sa bicol dialect. ito po ba yung tinatawag namin sa bicol na LIBAS?

    thanks and God bless.

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  33. Nice and very informative information here. ..tnx all

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  34. May Tanong Po Ako magagamit pa Po ba ung ginawa Kong IMO Kasi may gumagalaw na u-od pag tingin ko. Tapos Anu Po ba Ang tamang Amoy ng ready to use na IMO? S Ito kasing ginawa ko is ma asim2x po.pls help Po . BS-AGRICULTURE student Po Ako.

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