Plants nutrients management in organic agriculture
Climbing beans
An organic agriculture practitioner needs to manage the soil well
in order to grow a healthy crop.This involves management of soil life,
nutrients, and structure. Plants need nitrogen phosphorus and potassium for
good growth. Plants also need micronutrients and symbiotic relationship with
fungi and other organisms. To manage the fertility in organic agriculture the
following techniques are allowed.
Use of
compost manure: Compost manure making involves use of organic residues
which have been rotted by the action of bacteria and other organisms over
a period of time. Benefits of using compost manure in agriculture
includes:-
Improvement
of the soil structure allowing aeration, good drainage and reduced
erosion
Improvement
of soil fertility by adding nutrients and making it easier for plants to
take the up nutrients increasing agriculture productivity.
Improvement
of the soil ability to hold water helping in water retention in the times
of drought.
Reduction
pests and diseases
Crop
rotation: This agriculture practice alternates building soil fertility
level and growing crops which utilize the nutrients. In addition it
prevents build up of pests and diseases by providing different plants hosts,
helping a variety of natural predators to survive which controls the pests.
Use of
green manure: Legumes which fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through
symbiotic relationship with rhizobial bacteria are dug into the ground
before they flower.
Intercropping:
wider spacing between the organic crops may be required to avoid
competition with the legume.
Crop
residues can be ploughed back into the ground. Different organic plants
yield different amounts of nitrogen.
use of
well decomposed animal manure applied in moderation at the right time is
allowed
Use of certain allowed processed fertilizers to provide nutrients such as seed meal and rock phosphate. Greensand which is a naturally occurring form of potash provides potassium to plants, can also be used in organic agriculture system for soil fertility improvement.For moreinformation readhttp://www.organicfarmermagazine.org/