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Asked by paul.ron.greene ·February 9, 2024 ·12.4k readers

Pig pen IMO4

Question 2 of 2 As part of a community project here in Otavalo, Ecuador, we've built an amazing raised KNF pig barn (w/biochar, logs, and cornstalks, with these covered by rice hulls (90%) mixed with soil (10%); plus the pen has a split roof, well-drained water nipples, etc.) We seeded IMO4 on top of the cornstalk layer and covered all this with 10" of rice hulls/soil. However, this was about 3 months ago! As we're FINALLY ready to bring in the piglets, we've begun spraying the corral with the "protector" (LAB), "food" (FPJ) to activate the IMO4. Sea-salt water sprayed on as well. MY QUESTION [no. 2 of 2]: Will the 1st (3-month-old batch) of IMO4 still be effective? ...given its age and depth under so much rice husk material. (We assume it will be good given Master Cho saying IMO4 is storable) Gracias de antemano..!!  

storage imo4 pig-pen

Top answer

Drake Weinert Foundation · Feb 15, 2024
Yes, the IMO should still be "good". It is best practice to top dress IMO applications, but without being able to directly observe the situation, in theory the IMO will begin to inoculate and persist in the environment and spread throughout the pig pen floor as the IMO has access to water and the other KNF solutions you have referenced being applied. Your nose will know. Rice hulls are not the only thing that should be added. There should also be a foundation of wooden logs beneath the rice hulls, but I have seen just rice hulls in Korea, and minimal odor was emitted from this situation, whereas with the logs underneath there is zero odor.

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 4 sources

Drake describes IMO as diverse, varied and persistent. (Pure KNF Manual, p. 31) They keep adapting, propagating or hibernating in the place they live. (Cho's Solutions, p. 11)

Your steps match what Drake recommends for a pig floor: scatter IMO4, then spray LAB to activate it. (Office Hours Ep. 19, 1:07:11) He says IMO4 works best as a top dress that builds a living soil foundation. (Cho's Solutions, p. 11)

Here is what to expect once it wakes up. In one Drake example, a handful of IMO4 dust removed smell and flies within a week. (Office Hours Ep. 2, 24:09) It also turned waste into solid brown nuggets. (Office Hours Ep. 2, 24:09)

The library does not give a storage time for IMO4. It does not say how 10 inches of hulls affects a buried batch.

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