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Chemical
Fertilizer or
Organic Fertilizer A chemical fertilizer
is defined as any inorganic material of wholly or
partially synthetic origin that is added to the soil to
sustain plant growth. Many artificial fertilizers contain
acids, such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid, which
tend to increase the acidity of the soil, reduce the
soil's beneficial organism population and interfere with
plant growth. Generally,
healthy soil contains enough nitrogen-fixing bacteria to
fix sufficient atmospheric nitrogen to supply the needs
of growing plants. However, continued use of chemical
fertilizer may destroy these nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Furthermore, chemical fertilizers may effect plant
health. For example, citrus trees tend to yield fruits
that are lower in vitamin C when treated with high
nitrogen fertilizer. Fungus and bacterial disease resulting from the lack of trace elements in soil
regularly dosed with chemical fertilizers is not
uncommon. This lack of vital micronutrients can generally
be attributed to the use of chemical fertilizers.
On the other hand organic
fertilizer such as manure treated with CBPA adds
nutrients to soil, increases soil organic matter,
improves soil structure and tilth, improves water
holding capacity, reduces soil crusting problems, reduces
erosion from wind and water, improves water holding
capacity and improves buffering capacity against
fluctuations in pH levels.
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