About
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. Chemical fertilizers are produced synthetically from inorganic materials. Since they are prepared from inorganic materials artificially, they may have some harmful acids, which stunt the growth of microorganisms found in the soil helpful for plant growth naturally. They’re rich in the three essential nutrients needed for plant growth. Some examples of chemical fertilizers are ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium chloride and the like.
Organic fertilizers are substances that are derived from the remains or by products of organisms. Organic fertilizers depend upon the microorganisms found in soil to break them down and release the essential nutrients. Organic nutrients are rich in phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium, but in unequal proportions. Examples of organic fertilizers are cottonseed meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and manure and sewage sludge. There are two types of organic fertilizers: first is the synthetic type which is organic compound produced artificially (e.g., Urea, a common organic fertilizer; the other type is natural organic fertilizers because 100% of the ingredients used to create a typical natural organic fertilizer come from nature (e.g., fish extract, seaweed and manure, guano, and compost materials).
Distribution of nutrients
Fertilizers are used to provide nutrients to the plants for their good growth. Soil nutrients’ deficiency is the prevalent problem among home-garden owners. One of the distinct advantages of chemical fertilizers over organic fertilizers is that chemical fertilizers are rich equally in all three essential nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. On the other hand, organic fertilizers may be rich in one of the three nutrients, or may have low levels of all the three nutrients.
Cost
Organic fertilizers are generally much more expensive than chemical fertilizers, mostly because chemical fertilizers have more concentrated levels of nutrients per weight of product than organic fertilizers do. One needs several pounds of organic fertilizer to provide the same soil nutrient levels that a single pound of chemical fertilizer provides, and the higher cost of organic fertilizer is one of the biggest reasons that organic produce is more expensive than non-organic. (The other big reason being lower organic yields, on average.) Although it is possible to make a lot of one's own organic fertilizer as well, once the labor, time, and other resources are accounted for, homemade organic fertilizer is usually more expensive than store-bought chemical fertilizer too.
Supply of nutrients
One aspect of the organic fertilizers is their slow-release capability. Slow-release capability of organic fertilizers has both advantages and disadvantages: Slow-release means there is less risk of over-fertilization but sometimes this slow-release of organic fertilizers is not able to fulfill to needed supply of the nutrients, whenever required. In contrast to organic fertilizer, chemical fertilizers are always there to provide immediate supply of nutrients to plants if situation demands.
Acid content
One of the main disadvantages of chemical fertilizers is that, in contrast to organic fertilizers, several chemical fertilizers have high acid content like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. This high acid content results in the destruction of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which is helpful in supplying the nitrogen to a growing plant. In contrast, organic fertilizers support the growth of nitrogen-fixing bacteria..
NPK ratio
Chemical fertilizers always have a high total NPK (nitrogen:phosphorous:potassium), from 20 to 60 percent or more. The total NPK for organic fertilizer blends will always be low. Fourteen percent is about as high as it gets.
History
Natural fertilizers like manure have been in use for centuries as these were the only form of nutrition that could be provided to crops before the invention of chemical fertilizers. Chemicals were added to natural fertilizers after the second world war. Post the war, with advancement of technology there was anexplosive growth in artificial fertilizers due to improved productivity. But of late, there has been mass awareness of the eco friendliness of the use of organic fertilizers and many are using those methods again.
Use
There are two ways to measure fertilizer use in a country. One is by nutrient content — how much nitrogen, phosphate and potash are contained in the fertilizer applied. In fiscal year 2004, 23.4 million tons of nutrients were applied in the US. Another way to measure is in total tonnage — the total tons it takes to deliver the nutrient content. In fiscal year 2004, 57.8 million total tons were used in the United States.The world's largest producers and users of fertilizers are the United States, China, India, Russia and Brazil.
Some reports suggest the US Fertilizer market to be around $40 Billion of which organic fertilizers occupy only about $60 Miliion. The rest of it is the share of the various artificial fertilizers.
References
FAQs
Whereas organic fertilizers need time and moisture to break down, naturally, over a few weeks, chemical fertilizers are absorbed quickly by your plants. Because of this, these refined, pure minerals produce near-immediate effects— in a matter of days, not weeks.
What is better organic or chemical fertilizer? ›
Organic materials and fertilizers improve the soil texture, allowing it to hold water longer, and increase the bacterial and fungal activity in the soil. So, they not only assist your plants, they help the soil. Synthetic fertilizers, on the other hand, deplete the soil of its nutrients, making it unproductive.
What are the disadvantages of using chemical fertilizer? ›
Disadvantages of fertilisers:
- They get washed away by water easily and cause pollution.
- They harm the microbes present in soil.
- They reduce soil fertility.
- They are expensive.
- They provide only short term benefits.
- They change the nature of soil, making it either too acidic or too alkaline.
The Difference Between Natural and Artificial Fertilizers
Natural fertilizers get these nutrients from sources like manure, compost, and blood meal. On the other hand, synthetic fertilizers are derived from man-made compounds like ammonium phosphate and potassium sulfate.
What is the difference between organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer? ›
The Difference Compared with the compound fertilizer, the organic fertilizer contains many kinds of nutrients, rich in organic matters, which can strengthen the activities of microorganisms, and the fertilizer effect is more lasting.
Why is chemical fertilizer better? ›
While organic fertilizers have their time and place, chemical fertilizer is often faster, more efficient, and much more affordable than the organic alternative. On the other hand, a homeowner fertilizer blend is certainly not ideal for a bigger operation where crop yield and sustainability are important.
What are the disadvantages of organic fertilizer in soil? ›
The biggest disadvantage of using an organic fertilizer is that it may not contain primary nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous or potassium, also known as NPK. Manure-based fertilizers contain these nutrients and are still considered organic. However, many others don't contain significant quantities of NPK.
Why we should not use chemical fertilizers? ›
Though chemical fertilizers increase crop production; their overuse has hardened the soil, decreased fertility, strengthened pesticides, polluted air and water, and released greenhouse gases, thereby bringing hazards to human health and environment as well.
Do plants grow faster with organic or inorganic fertilizer? ›
Your plant's needs are a large factor that shouldn't be ignored. If they need food fast, inorganic might be the way to go. If you're more interested in a long-term solution to nutrients, you'll probably prefer organic.
What is the most harmful chemical in fertilizer? ›
The most common yet most hazardous fertilizer is anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous ammonia is applied as a liquid or gas and is kept in tanks at a very high pressure. It can cause severe burns and blindness, even in a few seconds. Other types of fertilizer that come in solid or pellet form can be toxic.
Although organic fertilizer can be more costly than synthetic, it can reduce the need for pesticides and the overall nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium requirements. Because of the reductions, organic fertilizer can be cost neutral and sometimes a cost savings.
Can organic fertilizer replace chemical fertilizers? ›
Research has shown that using organic-inorganic compound fertilizers can not only decrease the use of chemical fertilizer but also promote the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural ecosystems over long period of time [12].
Is it OK to mix organic and chemical fertilizers? ›
Several studies revealed that the integrated use of inorganic fertilizer with organic fertilizer like manure significantly (P < 0.05) increases soil organic C content, total N, and the available soil nutrients [9] [17] [39] improves the overall soil properties [14] .
Which is cheaper organic or chemical fertilizer? ›
Synthetic fertilizers are often chosen over organic solutions, as they are: Less expensive. Perhaps the biggest reason homeowners choose chemical vs. organic fertilizer is that they are inexpensive compared or organic applications.
Why is synthetic fertilizer better than organic? ›
Inorganic (synthetic) fertilizers are those that are composed of synthesized or processed chemicals that tend to give a higher nitrogen (N), phosphorus (K) and potassium (P) reading on the package. They are generally absorbed more quickly by plants than organic fertilizers.
Why organic manure is considered better than chemical fertilizer? ›
Organic manure improves the texture of the soil by not altering the pH of the soil. It has more moisture and organic content. Organic manure is usually derived from animal matter, animal and human excreta, and vegetative matter (e.g. compost and crop residues). As a result, it causes less damage to the environment.
Why is it better to use organic fertilizer with chemical fertilizers? ›
The combination of the two can promote the activity of microorganisms, and then promote the decomposition of organic fertilizer. The activity of soil microorganisms can also produce vitamins, biotin, niacin, etc., which can increase soil nutrients, improve soil vitality, and promote the growth of crops.
