The Benefits of Using Organic Fertilizers - Organic Vs Inorganic Fertilizers (2024)

FAQs

What are the advantages of using organic fertilizer to the inorganic 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.

Both organic and inorganic fertilizers provide the necessary nutrients for growth, but where inorganic fertilizers deliver a rapid dose of nutrients, organic moves slower, more naturally and healthily.

Organic and inorganic fertilizers deliver crops with the nutrients required to grow healthy and robust. However, each carries separate elements and provides these nutrients in different ways. Organic fertilizers work overtime to generate a healthy growing environment, while inorganic fertilizers give speedy nutrition.

But organic fertilizers have advantages. They don't make a crust on the soil as inorganic fertilizers sometimes do. They improve water movement into the soil and, in time, add structure to the soil. Organics feed beneficial microbes, making the soil easier to work.

Organic and inorganic fertilizers are most commonly used to build soil P fertility to the optimum concentrations that can replenish soil solution P for production of crops.

Without fertilizers, nature struggles to replenish the nutrients in the soil. When crops are harvested, important nutrients are removed from the soil, because they follow the crop and end up at the dinner table. If the soil is not replenished with nutrients through fertilizing, crop yields will deteriorate over time.

Conventional agriculture causes increased greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water pollution, and threatens human health. Organic farming has a smaller carbon footprint, conserves and builds soil health, replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, all without toxic pesticide residues.

The fundamental difference between organic and inorganic* fertiliser is their source. Organic fertilisers are derived from living things including plants, animals and manures while inorganic are synthetically derived chemicals plus minerals from the earth.

What is the difference between organic and inorganic Fertiliser? ›

Organic fertilizers contain only plant- or animal-based materials that are either a byproduct or end product of naturally occurring processes, such as manures, leaves, and compost. Inorganic fertilizer, also referred to as synthetic fertilizer, is manufactured artificially and contains minerals or synthetic chemicals.

As we mentioned previously in this guide, synthetic fertilizers tend to release harmful acids and toxic chemicals into the soil, which may harm the plants. Since organic fertilizers are made from biodegradable matter, these products do not release harmful chemicals or salts that are deadly to plants.

Overall, organic farming appears better for tackling climate change than industrial agricultural methods. As well as the lower average energy use, organic farming also avoids the very large nitrous oxide emissions from fertiliser manufacture (a powerful greenhouse gas, 300 times as warming as carbon dioxide).

Both inorganic and organic fertilizers are used for two main purposes: Working as additives to provide nutrients to plants. To enhance the soil's effectiveness at water retention and soil aeration.

Organic fertilizer improves physical, biological, and chemical properties of a soil but the nutrients may not be as readily available to the plants. However, inorganic fertilizer is usually immediately and fast containing all necessary nutrients that are ready for plants.

Compared with conventional agriculture, organic farming uses fewer pesticides, reduces soil erosion, decreases nitrate leaching into groundwater and surface water, and recycles animal wastes back into the farm. These benefits are counterbalanced by higher food costs for consumers and generally lower yields.

Increasing levels of organic matter aid in soil structure, water-holding capacity, nutrient mineralization, biological activity, and water and air infiltration rates.

Natural pesticides have many advantages over synthetic ones and may be more cost-effective as a whole, considering the environmental cost of chemical alternatives. Natural pesticides are biodegradable, barely leave residues in the soil and are less likely to harm humans or animals.

What is the difference between organic and inorganic? ›

The primary difference that lies between these organic compounds and inorganic compounds is that organic compounds always have a carbon atom, while most of the inorganic compounds do not contain a carbon atom in them. Almost all organic compounds contain carbon-hydrogen or a simple C-H bond in them.

Organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs (these require high quantities of fossil fuel to be produced). Organic agriculture contributes to mitigating the greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil.

Organic farmers use paddy, husk, charcoal, gliricidia leaves, rice straw etc as fertilizers. Inorganic farmers use Urea, MOP and TSP as fertilizers. Modern or organic farming aims to improve soil fertility, health, and safety, preserve the environment, and provide humans with high-nutrition, chemical-free crops.

Organic nutrients are the nutrients containing carbon compounds in them, such as starch, cellulose, vitamins, and other energy-producing compounds. While inorganic nutrients are the nutrients that do not contain carbon compounds. These include iron, selenium, zinc, etc.

Inorganic fertilisers improve ground cover and reduce water runoff, and minimise the risk of overgrazing and soil erosion. By improving plant growth, inorganic fertilisers also increase soil organic matter and microbial activity. Activities of soil macro-fauna like earthworms and insects are often enhanced.

Inorganic fertilizers are manufactured, concentrated, and inexpensive, but often lack trace elements. Organic fertilizers are made from natural products such as worm castings, seaweed, or compost. They cost more but are safer to apply and offer a wider range of nutrients.

Importance of Organic Agriculture

Maintain and improve fertility, soil structure and biodiversity, and reduce erosion. Reduce the risks of human, animal, and environmental exposure to toxic materials. Fine-tune farming practices to meet local production conditions and satisfy local markets.

Organic farming is widely considered to be a far more sustainable alternative when it comes to food production. The lack of pesticides and wider variety of plants enhances biodiversity and results in better soil quality and reduced pollution from fertilizer or pesticide run-off.

Organic fertilizers release nutrients into the soil slowly. Synthetic fertilizers tend to release nutrients too quickly, which leads to fertilizer burns. By slowly releasing nutrients into the soil, the plants could absorb all the nutrients they need to grow without stressing out or over-fertilizing the crops.

What are the 3 advantages of inorganic fertilizer? ›

The fundamental difference between organic and inorganic* fertiliser is their source. Organic fertilisers are derived from living things including plants, animals and manures while inorganic are synthetically derived chemicals plus minerals from the earth.

Compared with conventional agriculture, organic farming uses fewer pesticides, reduces soil erosion, decreases nitrate leaching into groundwater and surface water, and recycles animal wastes back into the farm. These benefits are counterbalanced by higher food costs for consumers and generally lower yields.

The flour made from organic crops is easy to cook and are tastier compared with inorganic flour. The inorganic flour takes more time for cooking. Organic foods have less keeping capacity as compared to inorganic farming. Inorganic foods have good keeping capacity as it treated with preservatives.