Organic Fertilizers
Alternative sources of fertilizers
Industrial fertilizers have not always been used, and even today many people prefer to use natural fertilizers rather than man-made ones. For more information on alternative sources of fertilizer see the Chemical Industries Resource Pack worksheets here and here.
Organic fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are not manufactured by man, but come from natural sources. Examples are manure, blood and bones, guano, compost and kelp products. Organic fertilizers contain lower levels of nutrients and might take longer than inorganic fertilizers to be absorbed as they generally have to degrade first. The advantage of organic fertilizers is that they increase the organic component of the soil. This improves the physical structure of the soil, which in turn increases the soil’s water-holding capacity. The nutrients also tend to be released slower than those of inorganic fertilizers, decreasing their contribution to water pollution.
This lesson is part of:
Chemistry and the Real World