Introduction to Organic Fertilizers
Organic fertiliser ingredients are an important part of ecological agriculture because they provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to inorganic fertilisers. These natural inputs are crucial for healthy soil and the entire ecosystem, thus playing a key role in long-term agricultural success. Organic fertilisers are usually made up of plant material, animal waste, and minerals, which come with different benefits to the soil and the plants. Organic fertilizers have certain ingredients that are naturally present in soil. Synthetic chemicals don’t occur naturally and so are excluded from this category.
The most common ingredients of organic fertilisers are those that enhance soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. Soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability are all improved because organic matter gradually decomposes, releasing nutrients to the soil, which then supports the growth of plants in a natural way. These fertilisers are also championed by some leading doyens of ecologically vibrant agriculture.
Key Ingredients in Organic Fertilizers
The organic fertilizer materials are not necessarily consistent in composition, they are natural materials which are made of various organic matters and are mixed together. In this essay, I will mainly introduce the ingredients of organic fertiliser and speak a few words about the most common ones.In my opinion, animal manures, compost and plant remains are the most important ingredients for making organic fertilisers, all of which play an important role in soil health and fertility.Animal manures include cow manure and pig manure. These two manures are not only used for growing vegetables but also for spreading on vegetable lands to improve soil fertility.
Besides, compost is made of materials containing humus or organic substances, for example, straw, weeds and similar things. The period of the plant’s growth is relatively short, and its root is relatively shallow and short. These weeds and straws are widely used in farming and irrigation.In my country, straw fields are everywhere, and people, especially peasants, like to make a fire in straw fields.
Manures, for example from cows, chickens and horses, are very prized in organic gardening and farming. Because their carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (a measure of how quickly they decompose) is positive – in other words, low – they have great ‘nutrient density’. This means they are not only a plant food source that feeds the microbes in the soil, but also help maintain soil moisture in high evaporation periods. They should be well-composted to prevent pathogen transmission and to avoid burning the plants (due to high nitrogen).
Compost is the foundation of many organic fertilisation methods. The product of foods scraps, garden waste, leaves and other organic refuse rotted down into a soil supplement, it reduces waste and turns material that would otherwise end up in a landfill into a fertiliser powerhouse beneficial to the soil via one easy step. It improves soil structure, adds nutrients and boosts beneficial soil microbiology, providing the greatest benefits for your plants.
Plant material – grass clippings, leaves, straw – provide yet more necessary ingredients. Slow to decompose, they add to the organic matter and nutrients in the ground over time, as well as keeping weeds in check and retaining moisture during dry spells.
Others, such as the soil biologist Dr Elaine Ingham, emphasise the need for these ingredients for healthy soil. ‘The whole life of the soil creatures gets started by the bits of organic that are left at the end of the root hairs, and so it’s the organic we see from the fertiliser ingredients that is so important,’ she says. ‘When we’re adding back in some compost or other kinds of organic residues, what that provides is a continuous feeding source.
With this knowledge of the specific functions of individual ingredients, the gardener or farmer has something to take into account when applying the ingredients of organic fertiliser in order to effectively increase soil health and plant growth. In the subsequent section, we delve more deeply into the issue of sourcing ingredients for ecological fertilisers in a sustainable manner.
Sourcing Organic Fertilizer Ingredients
The sustainability of the ingredients used for organic fertilisers is essential – the sourcing of these input ingredients is just as important as the production of the fertilisers themselves. Organic agriculture is about producing food sustainably and ethically – so sourcing the input materials responsibly, such as avoiding the use of illegally logged wood in composting, and reducing the transport distance, contributes significantly to the sustainability of the organic system.
The first step is to source locally when possible and use rewnewable resources, especially those that are on the way to being waste. This both cuts back on transportation emissions and adds value to a local economy, creating a smaller carbon footprint and strengthening community resilience. For instance, sourcing manure from local farms adds value to often unwanted farm waste, providing rich high-value fertiliser to the garden.
The second important criterion in sourcing is that materials are gained ethically, which means using plant residues and, where appropriate, animal manures from farms practising organic agriculture (ie, excluding the use of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms and respecting animal welfare) and not exacerbating conditions that encourage the exploitation of animals.
Such sourcing methods make less of an impact on the environment as well. Local and organic materials will likely avoid the chemical runoff and soil degradation brought about by synthetic fertilisers. These kinds of sourcing methods usually help to maintain biodiversity through preserving natural ecology in soil and not bringing alien species into the mix through imported materials.
Vandana Shiva, famed environmental activist and food sovereignty activist, has been quoted as saying: ‘To make our food sustainable we need to go back to the way we sourced inputs from nature in an earth-friendly way. Organic fertiliser ingredients have to be sourced in a way that protects biodiversity and mother earth.’
Since these fertilisers ensure the use of local, renewable – and ethically sourced – raw materials, sourcing plays an immensely effective part in creating a safer, greener planet. In other words, we’re now finally in a position to consider how to use these fertilisers for fields and gardens.
Benefits of Using Organic Fertilizers in Plant Cultivation
When producing plants by using organic fertiliser, there are many benefits compared with using synthesis fertiliser. The most distinguished are improved plant vitality and sustainable output, which are mainly derived from the basic natural features of organic fertiliser ingredients to promote plant growth and sustain roots.
Among the most important advantages of using organic fertilisers over inorganic fertilisers is their ability to improve soil structure. Inorganic fertilisers, in simple terms, do not contribute organic matter to the soil; nor do they build the composition of soil and its related properties. On the contrary, the use of inorganic fertilisers over prolonged periods can degrade soil health. Organic fertilisers contribute organic matter to soil, much of which increases soil fertility and soil aeration. Improving soil structure helps increase water-holding capacity and air penetration into the soil, which are essential to root development and plant growth.
Additionally, the nutrients in organic fertilisers are released more slowly than the nutrients in synthetic fertilisers, so the plants can take up a more even supply of nutrients as they grow, which can help to avoid the boom-and-bust growth patterns often triggered by synthetic fertilisers. Plants can be healthier and more robust as a result, helping to reduce the risk of nutrient runoff into local waterways, a leading cause of environmental problems.
Secondly, case studies show that organic fertilisers can boost productivity across the board. Despite being located in different agricultural environments, successful organic initiatives in the modern era, such as the work studied by Colin Coffee and Peggy Lemaux on tomato farming in southern Italy, have demonstrated repeatedly that long-term application of mature compost and animal manure can dramatically improve yields and fruit quality in comparison with commercial use of synthetic fertilisers. They demonstrate, in other words, that organic methods are pragmatically beneficial both in the context of commercial agriculture and home gardens.
Agronomists such as Dr John Kirkegaard have pointed out the wider environmental and economic benefits, ‘Organic fertilisers do more than help that particular crop,’ Dr Kirkegaard says, ‘they help to build up carbon in the soil, which can mitigate climate change and reduce the use of chemical fertilisers, which are often expensive and rely on fossil fuels to manufacture, which is environmentally damaging.’
The given bar chart illustrates the fertiliser effect by comparing agricuture organic and synthetic fertiliser. It is evident from the graph that organic fertilisers offers the most environmental friendly and healthy option for agriculture. This sector is characterised by low input cost and high health value essential for producing better plant health and product sustainability. This aspect will be further discussed in the next section devoted to a new generation of techological innovation for organic fertiliser processes .
Waste Technology in Organic Fertilizer Production
Innovative waste technology turns agricultural, industrial and municipal waste into precious organic fertiliser, helping farmers to improve soil fertility and fostering a green agriculture approach.
One of the major innovations is improved compost methods that break down organic waste more effectively. Modern compost methods, such as vermicomposting (using worms) and aerobic composting (using microbes), help to accelerate the decomposition process, which not only speeds up the production of compost but also creates a very rich compost with active microbes.
Another important step is using industrial by-products such as sugar beet waste or spent brewery grains as sources of organic fertiliser. So until organic farming is much more efficient, it is our responsibility to ensure that the vast amount of waste in industrialised food systems does not become poison. Instead of being a burden to modern agriculture, the by-product of fractured supply chains could become organic farming’s most valuable lifeline. It might seem impractical, as organic farming cannot provide enough food for the world. To avoid global hunger, industrial farming must improve its efficiency and take back the mantle of sustainability. But, in my opinion, it will not happen. The past thousand years of history tell us that industrial farming systems always become more fragmented and inefficient. This is inevitable until there’s a major economic crisis or radical political change, as seen in Maoist China during the Great Leap Forward.
Using kitchen scraps and yard waste in the production of organic fertiliser, for example, is also an essential dimension of waste technology. Technologies such as bokashi or backyard composting allow us to close nutrient loops, thus decreasing our municipal waste and cutting greenhouse gas emissions in waste transport and use of landfills.
Miriam Kalamian, the biochemist who specialises in environmental sustainability and serves as an adviser to Sierra Nevada, stresses the need for these technologies to be integrated into modern agriculture. ‘Utilisation of innovative waste technologies is an innovative and environment-friendly approach towards closing loops in our food systems,’ she says, ‘by converting waste to a resource that adds essential nutrients to the soil to promote plant growth and enable us to manage our waste.’ In Sierra Nevada’s case, advanced waste technology and organic farming not only go hand-in-hand but also support each other by providing a stable source of low-cost, high‑quality fertiliser.
These aids in technology improve the efficiency and efficacy of organic fertilisers, making them more appealing to farmers and gardeners. In these ways, developing practices will play a part in building a more sustainable pattern of agricultural practices, to be discussed in the next section, on the application of organic fertilisers.
Application Techniques for Organic Fertilizers
Several of the main organic fertilisers have their greatest value if applied through good techniques. In several types of agricultural systems and gardens, knowing how to apply fertiliser can make all the difference in the world in terms of plant health and crop yield productivity.
One fundamental technique is to adjust the application mode to the type of organic fertiliser and the requirements of the plants. For instance, solid organic fertilisers, for example compost or manure, can be spread to the land uniformly before cultivating into the top several centimetres in which rainfall penetrates and roots absorb. This process avoids nutrient leaching into water and helps improve nutrient use efficiency as that part is where plant roots take up most nutrients.
Application is rather simple for liquid organic fertilisers, such as compost teas or liquid fish emulsions. It typically involves foliar spray or soil drench. Foliar spray is good for foliar feeding the leaves and can be helpful when plants are in heavy growth. Soil drenching can help improve root health and soil fertility over time, promoting plant growth in the long run.
A third crucial point is how you apply your organic fertiliser in a seasonal context. When you apply your organic fertiliser can be almost more important that when and how much. A compost application in early spring provides nutrients right at the beginning of the growing season when, most importantly, they will fuel up the plant as it puts on new spring growth. The same is true for early autumn, when you can add more nutrients to perennials in the form of more ‘burned’ (ie nitrogen-rich) fertiliser such as bone meal or blood meal, so that they can have that energy to get the plant through the winter and jumpstart growth in the following season.
But crop-specific guidelines also play a role. If you know that a plant needs a certain ratio of nutrients, applying manure to a vegetable garden dominated by nitrogen-loving greens such as lettuce or corn that need a little extra nitrogen will work. If you have more phosphorus-sensitive plants, you might want to be a little more balanced in your use of manure.
One need only listen to the experts of organic-farming techniques to realise that these differences matter. As Eliot Coleman, the author and farmer of sustainable agriculture attests: If you put on organic fertiliser and don’t understand the biological system, how your crops grow or how the soil system functions, you will apply it somewhat haphazardly, and you will lose yields and possibly damage the organic system [emphasis mine].[The farmer must] find an approach that will help his crops grow well, enhance the fertility of the soil, and therefore end up with healthy crops.[The farmer’s] biggest contribution is the choice he makes, how he manages his farm, because that will create a better world, and keep the world better.
Using these application strategies will help ensure your use of organic fertilisers is efficient and practised responsibly towards the environment, resulting in more flourishing plants and a bountiful harvest. With these techniques in mind, you’re ready to prepare your permaculture garden for a whole new era in organic fertilising, for instance lead by new research and trends in the future.
Conclusion
As we dive deeper into the world of organic fertiliser ingredients and how they can be applied in natural agriculture, it becomes clearer that we can not only improve sustainability but bring forward several novel arrangements that will change the course and shape of farming in the future. Animal manures, compost, and plant residues, the major components in this class, are all important. As nutrient providers, these natural materials are obviously significant to support both human and animal food production. But they are of even greater importance as natural components of soil structure and fertility.
Photo by David Griffen/WRI return to menuThis is why the evolution of organic fertilisers is so much a part of the evolution of sustainable approaches. Thinking about experiences from experts and case studies throughout this discussion, I feel pretty confident in saying that organic approaches can not only maintain, but increase productivity and environmental resilience. return to menu Organic fertilising has gone from a fad to a necessary turning full circle to more natural and responsible agriculture for sound stewardship of the planet and its natural cycles and resources. Following this path can provide both the dream and also the way for continued agricultural productivity to sustain mankind and save the planet for future generations. The above is an excerpt from Sustainable Organic and Regenerative Agriculture, 1st Ed, volume 14 of The Sustainable Development Goals Book Series (Elsevier, 2019), edited by Amir Kassam.
Here are some authoritative references on “organic fertilizer ingredients” from educational and organizational websites:
- Effects of Liquid Organic Fertilizers on Plant Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Characteristics: This study examines how various liquid organic fertilizers affect the growth of chrysanthemums, comparing their effects to chemical fertilizers. It highlights that organic options can significantly enhance both root and aboveground growth. For more details, you can read the full article .
- Organic Fertilizers: Applications and Research: This research delves into the comprehensive effects of organic fertilizer application on tomato production. It presents a meta-analysis showing improvements in soil properties, tomato yield, and fruit quality, comparing these results to those obtained with chemical fertilizers. The full study can be accessed .
- Liquid Organic Fertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture: Nutrient Uptake of Organic versus Mineral Fertilizers in Citrus Trees: This article compares the performance of vegetable-based and animal-based liquid organic fertilizers with mineral fertilization in citrus trees under drip irrigation. It offers insights into how organic fertilizers can influence nutrient uptake and vegetative growth. The study is available .
