The Nature and Significance of Organic Fertilizer

Long before the appearance of humans, the earth’s plants and animals co-existed in a symbiotic relationship beneficial to both. Although the herbivorous species relied on plants as their food source, waste from all species and, ultimately, their decaying remains, in turn, provided the essential nutrients to sustain plant life. Hundreds of thousands of years later, a burgeoning human population created the need for intensive farming, and natural organic fertilizer sources alone were no longer sufficient to produce the vast quantities of crops required to feed everyone. The obvious solution was to call on the chemical industry to manufacture alternatives.

In practice, the three most essential nutrients for all plants are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, each of which is an inorganic element. Nevertheless, when selected compounds of these elements are mixed in suitable proportions, they form an equally rich source of essential plant nutrients. In recent years, concerns about the production process and its role in pollution have driven a return to organic farming and natural fertilizer derived from carbon-based sources.

For those who own a small mixed farm or smallholding, it might be possible to rely on dairy or beef cattle waste or to maintain a compost heap to ensure a more natural option. However, such measures are impractical to sustain the large-scale farms that dominate the industry today. Fortunately, manufacturers have been quick to respond to the desire for a return to natural farming methods. In addition to the inorganic nutrients, some are now also offering a range of organic fertilizer products. By definition, these products must all be derived from natural carbon-based sources. More specifically, producers should obtain them solely from animal or plant matter.

In addition to the three essential macronutrients named earlier, plants also require lesser quantities or trace amounts of other elements to sustain certain of their functions. The specific content and proportions required vary between species and at different stages in their life cycles. In practice, the manufacturer’s ability to formulate precisely any required mixture of natural macro and micronutrients is a significant advantage when purchasing a commercial organic fertilizer.

Like their inorganic counterparts, these products are of guaranteed known composition and available to users in both liquid and granular form as required. Their nutrient content is obtained from multiple sources. These include seaweed extracts, fish meal, bone meal, guano, animal waste, worm casts and compost, to name just a few.

Kynoch is a leader in its field with more than a century of experience. Its name is known to farmers worldwide for its range of high-quality, liquid and granular organic fertilizer products.