One or two years back very few people knew about him, who speaks little and is modest in ordinary times.

He is Kim Chang Yu, section chief of the high-tech products exchange centre of Sariwon Kye Ung Sang University of Agriculture.

However, most of farmers are well aware of “Sinyang-2” compound bacteria developed by him and the fermented compost made by using the bacteria.

Majoring in bioengineering, he voluntarily buckled down to the research into compost when he was in his twenties.

“Whenever I visited farms for my research work, I used to see farmers feeling impatient for consuming much time and labour to produce compost by rotting straw. So I came to set this matter as the theme of my research,” recalled Kim Chang Yu.

He thought that he could easily produce fermented compost when he cultivated effective bacteria.

“His research was a continuation of failures and setbacks. Sometimes he hesitated and wavered,” said Kim Il Hyon, fellow researcher who has worked together with Kim Chang Yu.

According to him, a sub-workteam spent a half day to cut straw and evenly apply bacteria, when they did the first test for the trial bacteria.

Though several researchers were involved in it, some of them gave up halfway.

Kim Chang Yu said that he felt tough at that time.

“My husband did not plunge into the research out of an ambition to create a world-startling invention in the prime of his life or zeal for great honour. What he cherished in his mind was consciousness that he is an agricultural scientist who is responsible for the supply of rice to the nation,” said his wife Kim Hye Song.

In the course of deepening research for 20-odd years, Kim Chang Yu found out its solution in increasing the activation of bacteria.

While touring all parts of the country year after year, he collected over 16 000 species of microorganism samples. Among them, he selected 28 superior strains and finally brought out “Sinyang-2” compound bacteria.

The application of the bacteria to organic resources made it possible to turn them into quality compost, and thus completely removed the process of cutting straw and saving lots of labour spent to evenly applying the bacteria.

“We have increased per-hectare yield by over 25 percent by producing fermented compost with the help of ‘Sinyang-2’ compound bacteria,” said Song Yun Hui, chairwoman of the Migok Cooperative Farm Management Board in Sariwon, which is known throughout the country as a high-yield farm.

With the effectiveness of the fermented compost proved effective, the units introducing it are on the increase day by day.

“Sinyang-2” is highly demanded in every farm, from potato farms in the northern area to the farms in the middle mountainous and western flat areas.